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Remind me next time

Irish Grand National Tips

First run in 1870, this famous Irish race is run on Easter Monday over an extended three miles and five furlongs and not surprisingly dominated by Irish based trainers, winners of 16 of the last 20 renewals. Paul Jacobs takes a look at this year’s race and offers his ante-post recommendations.

Fairyhouse Tips –

Recommended Bets:-

MY MURPHY@ 20/1

THE WESTERNER BOY@ 20/1

DARING ARTICLE@ 16/1

The make and shape of this contest is going to change dramatically leading up to Easter Monday with the likelihood that the top weights won’t make it to the line-up and the worse-case scenario is that there could be a 7lbs rise, although it is more likely to be 3lbs with Cantlow carrying the heaviest burden.

Weather wise there is rain forecast for Sunday night into Monday and with the race taking place at 5.00 it could have some effect on the going currently described (Thursday morning) as good to yielding.

As many Easyodds' racing regulars will know I really fancied Home Farm (placed in this last year) to run a huge race in the Aintree National, but much to my annoyance, it seems that it was always in the back of Arthur Moore’s mind to return to Fairyhouse rather than take in the Aintree contest. However, his last run was simply too bad to be true, even if it was merely a sharpener, and I am willing to oppose the youngster at his current betting odds of around 10/1.

I am a huge fan of previous course form and therefore noviceMY MURPHY has to be the first one on my short list. A fair staying novice hurdler, won the Grade Three Dorans Pride, he has slowly developed into a strong running chaser and his victory over three miles here in December marked him up as a possibly player here if he continued to develop and that is exactly what he has done.

He simply didn’t have the pace to stay with the likes of Carlingford Lough, Morning Assembly and Foxrock in the Grade One Topaz at Leopardstown, but this extra distance gives him every chance of turning the form around with the last named with an extra 2lbsin his favour as well. Narrowly beaten by that same rival over three miles in the Ten Up Chase, My Murphy continued to progress with a career best effort when staying on in dogged fashion to land the EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final at Navan last time out.

A 6lbs penalty looks very fair in the light of that performance and provided the forecast rains come late into the weekend we should get a run. In addition, being only his sixth run of the season I am hopeful that the eight-year-old will run his race.

Los Amigos is another young horse with claims off a rating of 133 and is closely tied in with Gallant Oscar on Leinster National form. The last named has incurred the wrath of the handicapper and has been booted up from 119 top 132, but deservedly so and is another for whom connections will be seeking plenty of rain over the weekend.

Goonyella also falls into that category having disappointed me with his finishing effort in the Welsh National when conditions were hugely in his favour. However, on reflection that renewal wasn’t really run at a hectic pace from the start whereas the Irish National traditionally is. Folsom Blue also needs it to rain and if it does he promises to run well, but again it is touch and go with the weather forecast whether he will even be declared.

However, for my second selection I am going to nominate THE WESTERNER BOY, a huge eye-catcher in a staying novice hurdle last time out at Navan, a race that looks as though it was used merely to get him spot on for this.

His run in last year’s Thyestes Chase and more recently the Munster Hurdle suggest he has an awful lot of untapped talent and that this has always been the aim and although I wanted in excess of his current betting odds of 20/1, at a quarter the odds a place and with more improvement to come, he is the dark horse in the race.

Cause of Causes and Spring Heeled are obviously respected on their Kim Muir form, but are priced up accordingly by the layers so my third each-way play to consider is Punchestown Handicap Chase hero DARING ARTICLE.

Like the two previous selections it seems that he has been aimed at the this race all season and two runs over 2m5f have protected his handicap mark, only 12lbs higher than for his last win. However, one of the key reasons I have included him in the betting profile is that Robert Tyner’s charge really needs good ground whereas so whatever the weather gods do we should have at least two players.

BET NOW – MY MURPHY

BET NOW – THE WESTERNER BOY

BET NOW – DARING ARTICLE