Latest Exhibition tops the 30 runners declared this morning for the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday.
Connections had the option of running the eight-year-old in Sunday’s Grade 1 The Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase but have opted for the Easter Monday spectacular. Paul Nolan’s charge will carry top-weight of 11st 10lbs and will be joined in race by his stable companion Fitzhenry.
All 30 runners are in the handicap proper after the weights were raised 11lbs and the three reserves will only make the final line up if there are non-runners announced before 10am on Saturday.
Denise Foster will be represented by Coko Beach, Escaria Ten, Run Wild Fred and Roaring Bull while champion trainer Willie Mullins has five contenders, Agusta Gold, Brahma Bull, Dragon D’Estruval, Robin De Carlow and Salsaretta.
Other leading fancies to take their chance include the Joseph O'Brien-trained Sempo which will be joined in the line up by fellow Piltown hopes Home By The Lee, Top Moon and Mortal. Tom Mullins runs both Court Maid and Scoir Mear.
The Big Dog, trained by Peter Fahey, the Robbie Burns-trained Off You Go, Barry Connell’s Espanito Bello, the Denis Hogan-trained Moyhenna and the Ciaran Murphy-trained Enjoy D’allen will also take their chance.
The card at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday features two Grade 1 races and nine horses, including the Denise Foster-trained Conflated and Andy Dufresne, Willie Mullins’ Franco De Port and Asterion Forlonge, Joseph O'Brien’s Scarlet And Dove and Henry de Bromhead’s January Jets, will go to post for The Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase.
A total of 14 horses have been declared for the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final with Willie Mullins responsible for four, Royal Illusion, Glens Of Antrim, Gauloise and Hook Up. The Shark Hanlon-trained Skyace, fourth in the Grade 2 Parnell Properties Mares´ Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham runs as does previous Fairyhouse winner Roseys Hollow, trained by Jonathan Sweeney, which will be bidding to add to her success in the Grade 3 Race Displays Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle at the course in February. Henry de Bromhead’s Atlantic Fairy and Tom Gibney’s Rhythm Divine are other notable runners.
The Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle is the first of two Grade 2 races on the day and among the nine runners is Paddy Corkery’s Master McShee. Noel Meade’s Thedevilscoachman, Willie Mullins Echoes In Rain and the Denise Foster-trained Call Me Lyreen also take their chance.
The Grade 2 Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle is another that features on the strong Sunday card and heading the ten runners are Mouse Morris’ Gentlemansgame, the Denise Foster-trained Grand Paradis, Jessica Harrington’s Ashdale Bob and the Willie Mullins-trained Egality Mans.
Leon Blanche of BoyleSports said, “We have given cash back to anyone who backed Tiger Roll this week, but we are thrilled with the final list of entries. Latest Exhibition has taken over as marginal favourite at 6/1, but it looks like a wide-open contest now and with a €400,000 prize fund up for grabs, it really is all to play for in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National on Easter Monday.”
Peter Roe, General Manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, said: “We are delighted to have a quality field for the €400,000 BoyleSports Irish Grand National with the runners headed by leading novice Latest Exhibition for the Paul Nolan yard and our Porterstown winner Court Maid for Tom Mullins. The ground is currently yielding with a mainly dry forecast, selective watering has commenced. We are looking forward to a great weekend of racing which can be viewed on a wide variety of channels from RTE to Racing TV, TG4 to ITV. While the meeting is behind closed doors there is no need to miss any of the action.”
