FAIRYHOUSE’S NATIONAL FESTIVAL began Saturday in splendid April warmth, with the 150th running of the big race a typical minefield.
The Irish National is a race with masses of history and stories. It is said of the Easter Rising that the British were slow to react because most of their army officers were at the races in Fairyhouse on Easter Monday 1916.
The Irish Grand National was one of the great days out in Ireland, “uniting all classes and creeds” according to the Irish Times – as it does today. Some 25,000 people gathered on April 24, 1916, at the racetrack for the biggest day of the Irish national hunt calendar.
We have many different worries in 2022 but we, like those Fairyhouse punters in 1916, are pursuing winners.
Better Times Ahead (Handicap Hurdle, 2.05)
Being by Walk In The Park out of the useful Robert Tyner-trained Byerley Babe, it was disappointing that this mare could finish no better than fifth in maiden hurdles, but she came in for a lot of money at Naas last time when winning with plenty in hand in a 25-runner field. I’ve no issue with her 10lb rise and find it hard to see her not winning again under the excellent Mark Walsh.
Festival D’ex (Handicap Hurdle, 3.15)
Gordon Elliott’s Festival D’ex is beginning to deliver on the promise he showed in winning a bumper and a maiden hurdle in 2019. The key to his chance here is there are so many potential front-runners in the race and he will relish Davy Russell’s handling. He eventually mastered the tearaway front-runner at Naas. He could not get to the winner, Macs Charm, but he demolished everything else and is a strong each-way fancy here.
Enjoy D’allen — 14/1 (Irish National, 5.00)
William Hill pays a whopping seven places in the National so it makes sense to have a few quid each-way and this horse has to be one of the more reliable. He was sent off 40-1 when third in the race last year and he ran a blinder, just behind Run Wild Fred and beating the favourite, Latest Exhibition. Ciaran Murphy’s charge had never finished out of the first three in eight previous starts over fences and he was really unlucky to exit so early at Aintree last weekend.
He saw out the trip surprisingly well last year and Conor Orr rides an eight-year-old who should be primed for this.
Mount Ida must be feared too. She’s been disastrously right-handed at her fences at both Cheltenham and Aintree but this should suit much more. She stays really well.
Harry Swan has never ridden a winner over fences. What a time to start it would be were Fakir D’alene to prevail here.
