Last year’s winner Burrows Saint’s name features on the list of 97 hopefuls for the 150th instalment of the Irish Grand National, set for 13 April.
Trainer Willie Mullins clinched his first National win in 2019 and with a one-two-three and has seventeen horses entered into this year’s race at Fairyhouse at the end of next month.
Mullins’ Total Recall set the pace in last year’s marathon handicap chase, before Isleofhopendreams and Acapella Bourgeois followed the 6-1 favourite, ridden by Ruby Walsh, over the line.
The victorious Closutton trainer’s main rival for the title Gordon Elliott has put forward an unmatched 24, including top-weighted Delta Work. The winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup and Savills Chase ? both Grade 1 ? at Leopardstown has been allotted a weight of 11-10, the maximum.
Two-time Aintree Grand National winner and last year’s second-placed Magic of Light ? 11-8 and 10-12 respectively ? are also on the bill.
The early favourites for Fairyhouse’s showpiece event ? run over three miles and five furlongs, with 24 fences ? are Elliot’s Milan Native (10-3), winner of this year’s Kim Muir, along with Any Second Now (10-06), the previous year’s winner, trained by Ted Walsh.
Any Second Now came into the National last year at a well-backed 10-1 but fell at fence number eight.
Fresh from a third consecutive Cheltenham placing after finishing up in third place in last week’s Ultima Handicap Chase and given 10-4, is Paul Nolan’s Discorama.
The Irish Grand National was established back in 1870 and has been cancelled just twice, due to war in 1919 and in 1941. Today, it boasts a prize pot of 500,000 euros.
