Irish Grand National: Dare to look down at sunny Fairyhouse
Published:
It’s a bumper card for Irish Grand National day at Fairyhouse, with eight races set to take place in the County Meath countryside, all of which can be watched by punters on Ladbrokes.com.
With big fields and fancy-priced favourites, none more so than in the main event, there’s help at hand with our three best bets on the card:
Los Amigos and Cantlow share 10/1 favouritism for this pinsticker at present, but with only two of the past 10 winners managing to carry more than 10-5, which both of these are over, looking down the weights is essential.
Robert Tyner’s Embracing Change didn’t get the luck he needed to get in, having been 10/1 joint-favourite a week ago, but the County Cork handler may have snuck in a worthy alternative in Daring Article, right at the foot of the weights.
The nine-year-old comes into the picture now the soft-heavy ground is drying at Fairyhouse, after posting a decent third over 2m5f at Leopardstown in late February, which could be just about long enough ago for him to have recovered.
Remember, five of the last 11 Irish Grand National winners have come in at 33/1 or over, and a further two have been at least 20/1 during that time, so Daring Article fits the bill in more ways than one.
Another tough race to call can go to Tony Martin’s consistent five-year-old, who has at least placed in five of his 11 runs over hurdles, winning three, and has only finished outside the top five twice over obstacles.
Mydor’s creep up the weights should be negated by the 5lb Shane Shortall takes off, and Martin’s inmate’s past two wins have come on soft to soft-heavy ground, so conditions will definitely suit.
Willie Mullins has three in this race without any currently holding favouritism, as in-form Tony Martin runner Dedigout currently heads the market at 7/4.
Ruby Walsh has opted to ride former Cheltenham Festival winner Thousand Stars, who took this 12 months ago, but no 11-year-old has managed to do so in the past 10 years, with only two over eight.
The most intriguing runner at the weights has to be Analifet, after her creditable 33/1 fifth in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle at Cheltenham, considering Mullins’ perceived third-string gets 7lb from the boys, making her load 9lb lighter than Dedigout’s.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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