FAIRYHOUSE IS AS synonymous with Easter as too much chocolate and spring lamb. The three-day festival runs from Sunday to Tuesday, with the centrepiece being the half-a-million-euro Irish Grand National on Monday.
In the Irish Grand National on Monday, as is always the case with big betting turnover races, shop around.
Bookies will be falling over themselves for a bit of once-a-year custom, so don’t reject their generosity. While Gordon Elliot will have about a dozen runners and Willie Mullins will have an army involved too, the selection comes from a smaller yard, for whom such a big win could be a life-changing event.
The pin falls on Snugsborough Benny trained by Liam Cusack. Benny is the stable star having won the Blazers’ at Galway and was an impressive winner at the course when last seen. The handicapper spotted that performance too and raised him nine pounds for the effort. He has plenty of experience over fences and has jumped well all but once, that was in the Paddy Power at Christmas but the ground was probably a bit too quick for him.
Watering has commenced at Fairyhouse to ensure a safe surface so that will not be an issue on Monday. His best form is right-handed and his style of running will ensure he is delivered late by Denis O’Regan avoiding any of the potential crazy early pace.
Away from Fairyhouse there are plenty of punting opportunities and it is easy to forget that the flat turf season is getting into swing with the focus in Ireland over the next two weeks at Fairyhouse and Punchestown.
The way the race planning calendar falls need to be looked at, especially given the dissatisfaction expressed with the state of the racing surface in Dundalk recently. After Cork’s card on Saturday only two of the next 10 race meetings in Ireland are flat turf affairs, a situation made worse by Punchestown taking up almost all of the following week.
Cork on Saturday was unsurprisingly oversubscribed with entries.
One horse to note on Saturday is Georgeville, in the 1.20 at Cork. Oisin Orr rides and has clearly endeared himself to trainer Dermot Weld. The 2017 champion apprentice calls into Rosewell House two mornings a week to ride up to a dozen pieces of work each day, and such dedication is paying dividends on the track.
Orr has had seven rides for Dermot Weld, with four winning and a second-placed effort. Imaging was among those four winners, providing the jockey with a first listed win and a first group-class win of his career.
The Donegal man rides Georgeville in the opener in Cork on Saturday and he can deliver on the market confidence that was behind him on seasonal debut at Naas.
Michael O’Callaghan is another who has had a fast start to his season. His 11 turf runners have produced two winners and another four running into the places. Perhaps it’s his breeze-up sales background, but there is no doubting how straight his horses are when they get to the track.
Bodhicitta kept some hot company as a juvenile. She ran into a very well handicapped horse on her penultimate juvenile start and Pink Dogwood who beat her last time out is as short as 14/1 for the Oaks. Bodhicitta should be better than a mark of 73 in the handicap at Cork at 1.55 on Saturday.
Given it is the flat season, it’s good to see the son of an Irish classic winner running. Sunday’s maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse wasn’t the plan for Galilean when he was named. Now in the care of Joseph O’Brien having been at Ballydoyle previously, he can get an overdue win over obstacles on Sunday.
Gavan Casey and Murray Kinsella are joined by Andy Dunne to preview the Champions Cup semi-finals and all the week’s news on the latest episode of The42 Rugby Weekly:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here: