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Irish Grand National

Gaillard Du Mesnil is the one to beat!

Horse racing action shot
Horse racing action shot

The Irish Grand National takes centre stage on an exciting day of racing at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday. Thirty runners are set to contest this year's Irish Grand National, tackling 24 fences over the 2m 5f circuit. Here at betting.bet we'll preview the day's feature race and bring odds from our betting partners and race sponsors, BoyleSports.

Gaillard Du Mesnil: The One to Beat 

Willie Mullins' Gaillard Du Mesnil is the one to beat on Monday despite being a maiden over fences. The six-year-old has won three times over hurdles but is yet to win over fences. Gaillard Du Mesnil was given an extended rest with Willie Mullins deciding against running him at Aintree. He comes here on the back of four successive third-placed finishes including the Browns Advisory at Cheltenham last time out as well as the Ladbrokes Novices Chase behind Galopin Des Champs in February. Open to improvement and the one to beat on Easter Monday.

Last Year's Winner

Freewheelin Dylan was a big price winner twelve months ago but will not contest this year's renewal. Run Wild Fred and Enjoy D'allen were second and third respectively in 2021 and are amongst the 30 runners declared for this year's race.

Market Leaders

Gordon Elliott trains eleven of Monday 30 confirmed runners so will almost certainly have an excellent chance of a second Irish Grand National win. Elliott won with General Principal in 2018 and according to the betting, his best hope this year is Farclas.

Farclas has not been seen since he was soundly beaten by Run Wild Fred in the Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November. Farclas was prominent in the antepost markets in the lead up to the Aintree Grand National before being bypassing the race in favour of this.

Full Time Score is a big player with Rachael Blackmore set to ride for Henry de Bromhead. The Blackmore / de Bromhead partnership started the Aintree Grand National as one of the favourites but was brought down at the ninth. Full Time Score won here back in February and will be expected to run well again on Monday.

A win for Max Flamingo would be quite the story on Easter Monday. Trainer, Francis Casey is the son of the much-loved former trainer, Peter Casey. Casey senior trained Flemenstar to three Grade 1 wins a decade ago.

However, Francis Casey is a sheep farmer with only five horses in training and is light years away from the the likes of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott.

Max Flamingo landed the Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle at last year's meeting and arrives back at Fairyhouse having claimed the Horse & Jockey Beginners Chase at Thurles last time out.

Dangerous Outsider

Last year's winning trainer, Dermot McLaughlin is represented this year by 66/1 shot, Lord Lariat. His price is certainly reflective of the form shown in 2022 but he did claim back-to-back wins towards the back end of 2021 and only lost by a neck in the Fred Kenny Lifetime Service To Racing Handicap Chase at this meeting last year. Recent form is enough to write of Lord Lariat but with each-way bets paying out for the first seven places with BoyleSports, he's certainly worth consideration.

Irish Grand National Odds

(EW 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

  • 5/1: Gaillard Du Mesnil 
  • 9/1: Farclas 
  • 10/1: Max Flamingo 
  • 11/1: Full Time Score
  • 14/1: Run Wild Fred, Early Doors, School Boy Hours 
  • 16/1: Franco De Port, Ronald Pump, Enjoy D'allen, Diol Ker, Floueur 
  • 20/1: Mount Ida, Screaming Colours, Off You Go, Time To Get Up, Mister Fogpatches
  • 25/1: Death Duty, Fakir D'alene, Velvet Elvis, Ten Ten, Lieutenant Command, Frontal Assault, Champagne Platinum, Smoking Gun 
  • 33/1: Aramax
  • 40/1: Battleoverdoyen
  • 50/1: Samcro, Streets Of Doyen
  • 66/1: Lord Lariat 

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