2021 Irish Grand National Tips by Dave Stevos
2021 Irish Grand National Preview and Tip
This is one of my favourite races of the year. Not because I always back the winner, but because of my memories of heading to Fairyhouse with my Dad and brothers every Easter Monday as a young fella. I actually managed to back the winner the first year we went to the National, Flashing Steel back in 1995. That got me hooked on racing from an early age and I always look forward to this meeting every season. Unfortunately, there will be no fans or owners at the 2021 Irish Grand National but at least it is going ahead. I like a couple at tasty odds for this year’s renewal, check them out below.
2021 Irish Grand National – Opposites A Crazy Price
Dermot ‘Red’ McLoughlin is one of the shrewdest operators around. He must be very good mates with the Irish handicapper too judging by the mark his horse has been handed for his handicap debut. Opposites Attract sneaks into the race off a rating of 135. He carries bottom weight and how he has been given such a lowly mark is beyond me.
This horse is a maiden over the bigger obstacles but his form in beginners’ and novice events is top class. He started off his chasing career at Punchestown back in October, the last time he raced on ground with yielding in the description. He ran a blinder to finish 3rd, just 2L behind Latest Exhibition off level weights. The son of Gold Well then chased home Assemble at this track over 21f on heavy with Diol Ker back in 3rd.
Big Swing In Weights
Latest Exhibition carries top weight today off a mark of 153. Opposites Attract is in off 135, an 18lb swing for a 2.5L defeat. Assemble ran a blinder at Cheltenham off 148 behind The Shunter. McLoughlin’s horse was less than a length behind him when they met. Diol Ker was 10L back in 3rd and he is rated 152 over hurdles and he was beat 10L by Monkfish (rated 164) on his next outing. Speaking of Monkfish, our selection was just 2L behind him on yielding ground in a P2P back in 2018.
Maybe the handicapper has rated Opposites Attract on his last couple of efforts. He was disappointing behind Longhouse Poet at Punchestown but he was just 2L behind Defi Bleu last time over 25f on heavy. That is the furthest he has raced over so far and he does have to prove his stamina for today’s distance. However, I think on the drying ground he has a great chance of getting home. Given the form lines I have outlined above, 33/1 looks an absolutely mental price.
Benny Can Stay On Late
The other one I like at monster odds in the 2021 Irish Grand National is the old boy, Sungsborough Benny. This 11yo was 4th behind Burrows Saint in this race in 2019 off the same mark he races off today. He was admittedly a long way behind the winner but he was running on well in the closing stages. I just don’t think the race was run to suit him.
He has only run 8 races since then and two of them were cracking efforts in the Galway Plate. He was a fine 3rd in 2019, staying on strongly to finish just 3.5L behind the winner Borice off 144. In the 2020 renewal he again ran a massive race, finishing 5th off 146, just 4.5L behind Early Doors. He had a poor prep run over timber before that excellent effort and his trainer has done exactly the same to prepare for this race.
Course Winner
This horse is a course winner over shorter and the key to him is nice spring ground. He has form figures of 1145 over fences when there has been yielding in the description, with the 4th and 5th coming in the Irish National and Galway Plate. I am sure Liam Cusack has targeted this race for some time and Richie Deegan’s claim means he is effectively racing off 140. That’s 6lb lower than when beat 5L at Galway so he is competitively weighted. It’ll be a big ask for him to win but with extra places available I think he could sneak into the frame at odds of 66/1.
