Tom Red
Racing at Fairyhouse opened with a win for Alliteration in the Mares Maiden Hurdle, trained by Philip Dempsey and ridden by Donagh Meyler at 9/2. The Mares Handicap Chase went to Gavin Cromwell’s Me Wee Bonnie Lass at 15/2, ridden by Pat O’Brien at 15/2.
The Ladies National went to the Sean O’Brien trained The Gradual Slope, ridden by Nicole Lockhead Anderson at 16/1. The Maiden Hurdle was won by 9/2 shot Midnight Jet, trained by Henry de Bromhead with Darragh O’Keeffe in the saddle. The EBF Novice Hurdle Final was won by 80/1 outsider Sept Etoiles, with Danny Gilligan in the plate for Gordon Elliott.
The Willie Mullins trained Kalix Delabarriere won the feature RYBO Hurdle at 22/1, ridden by Sean Cleary-Farrell, son of the late Sean Cleary who died after a fall at Galway in 2003 just weeks before Sean Junior was born.
The concluding bumper went to Belladaball, ridden by Declan Lavery for Gavin Cromwell at 9/1. First day bragging rights to the bookmakers.
Punters got off to a great start on Sunday with the 5/2f Colcannon winning for Noel Meade and giving Donagh Meyler his second winner of the meeting. Trainer Cian Collins and jockey Ben Harvey had bookies back on top in the second as 33/1 Katie Daniels won the Handicap Hurdle. Elliott was back in the winner’s enclosure as Jack Kennedy steered Kocktail Brut to victory in the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at 13/2. Mullins and Townend gave punters plenty to cheer about as the well fancied He’s On Fire was just that in the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle at 3/1 favourite.
In the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle, the Colin Murphy and Brian Hayes trained Zanoosh came home first at 9/2. In the Novice Handicap Chase Donagh Meyler recorded his third winner of the meeting on Edward Cawley’s Come Walk With Me ay 9/2. In the featured WillowWarm Gold Cup, another outsider obliged as Fleur In The Park at 22/1 won for Andrew Slattery and Cian Quirke. The winner won a bumper in Roscommon on his debut.
There was carnage in the Hunter Chase, as Five Star Getaway at 16/1 beat only three of the nine runners for John Paul and jockey JJ Berry, the 2/1 joint favourites, Hunters Yarn and Wrappedupinmay falling three out when looking as if to fight out the finish, while Stuzzikini fell at the next. The fences are there to be jumped.
On to Easter Monday and the Irish Grand National, which opened with a 4th winner for Donagh Meyler on Emmet Mullins’ Jet to Monte Carlo at 10/1. The Juvenile Hurdle was won by JP McManus’s Proactif, 5/4f, ridden by Mark Walsh for Willie Mullins. McManus was back in the winner’s enclosure in the next as Fierce Handay, trained by Noel Meade, gave Harry Cobden his first winner in Ireland for his new retainer. Slade Steel won the Grade 2 Hurdle for Henry de Bromhead and Darragh O’Keeffe at 6/1, giving them a double at the meeting. The 12-Y-O Energumene turned back the clock, winning the Grade 2 Fairyhouse Chase for WP Mullins and Townend.
The biggest cheer of the meeting greeted the winner of the National as 6/1f Soldier In Milan gave Emmet Mullins a double on the day and a 5th winner for Donagh Meyler. The punters’ joy was short-lived as a 40/1 shot, Clonmeen, won the Handicap Chase for William Murphy under Simon Torrens. Elliott’s Charismatic Kid easily won the concluding bumper under Harry Swan at 3/1f, to send punters home happy.
This week’s racing
This week’s racing starts this evening (Thursday) at Gowran Park at 4.30 pm on the level, and continues tomorrow evening on the all-weather at Dundalk at 5.07 pm and over the jumps at Wexford at 3.45 pm.
Saturday evening sees flat racing at Bellewstown at 4.17 pm. Racing on Sunday afternoon is over the sticks at Down Royal, first race at 1.55 pm, and on the level at Leopardstown, featuring three Group 3 races: the Red Rock stakes for colts and geldings, the Priory Belle Stakes for fillies, and the Ballysax Stakes for both sexes – all confined to 3-Y-Os – at 2.10 pm.
There are six races from the Aintree card being covered on Thursday on ITV, including four Grade 1 races, with the Aintree Hurdle and the Bowl Chase both worth £250,000. On Friday, they are covering six races, starting with the 1.45 pm race and four Grade 1 races, including the £250,000 Melling Chase.
On Saturday, ITV are covering five races, including two Grade 1 races and the Aintree Grand National worth £1,000,000, and Virgin Media 1 are covering all days.
A quick recap…
Last Sunday at Naas, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore made it three wins from three runners with Drop Dead Gorgeous’ winning debut in the Aesop’s Fables Fillies Maiden, adding to the earlier wins of Accredited and Causeway. O’Brien’s son Joseph and Declan McDonagh enjoyed a double, with Beset winning the Devoy Stakes and Hardy Warrior winning the final race.
In Limerick, JP McManus’ Uhavemeinstitches landed the featured Grade 3 Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice Chase for trainer James Motherway and jockey Mark Walsh.
Aintree starts
Today (Thursday) sees the start of Aintree, with WP Mullins providing the favourite in the first with Selma De Vary at 11/4 while Gordon Elliott has Mange Tout at 5/1. There are five in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, headed by Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba at 4/7, who is difficult to oppose, but de Bromhead sends over Koktail Divin and Darragh O’Keeffe takes the mount and has a squeak at 3/1.
There are five runners in the Bowl, where Jango Baie is odds-on at 4/5, but Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane Tower is missing the National to run here and WP Mullins has Impaire Et Passe, both of which have been supported.
In the Foxhunters’, there is a large field of 25. Two Irish-trained, Emmet Mullins’ Its On The Line and Mags Mullins’ Lets Go Champ, both have chances, but Emmet Mullins’ booking of Derek O’Connor looks ominous. Dan Skelton’s The New Lion looks the part in the Aintree Hurdle but Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and WP Mullins’ El Fabio will give him all to do. Elliott and Kennedy to win.
In the Red Rum Handicap Chase de Bromhead’s Inthepocket with Mark Walsh aboard for JP McManus is appealing at 6/1. There are six Irish runners in the bumper but on form the unbeaten Princess Day should remain so.
On Friday, the Melling Chase has 12 runners, with Henderson’s Jonbon and de Bromhead’s Heart Wood clashing again – expect a reversal of the Ryanair Chase with Jonbon gaining revenge. The Topham Chase over the National fences is a wide open race and at 25/1 Elliott’s Croke Park might be a good e/w bet. Racing closes with a runner field and they go 7/1 the field… best left alone.
On Saturday, the main race of the meeting takes place and will have 34 runners, Elliott’s Pied Piper getting in with Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower running on Thursday. Last year’s first and second oppose each other again, Nick Rockett and I Am Maximus (the 2024 winner) in a wide open race. I Am Maximus to regain his crown.
Racing news
Rachael Blackmore will be inducted as a Grand National Legend at Aintree today (Thursday). The 36-Y-O made history when becoming the first female jockey to ride the winner of the race aboard Minnella Times in 2021.
Competition time
This week readers have a chance to win the first tickets of the year for Kilbeggan. To enter, answer this question… what horse won the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse last Monday?
Answers as usual should be made via postcard to the Roscommon People, Abbey Street, Roscommon, or by email to tomred17@gmail.com by 5 pm on Tuesday, April 21st. Don’t forget to include your name, address, and a contact phone number with all competition entries.
Tickets can be collected in the office in Abbey Street, Roscommon.
