Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Tips – DS
Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Preview and Tips
We had to make do with a couple of places on Saturday. Marshal Dan ran a brave race for us at Musselburgh and Desert Angel finished 3rd but should really have won. Nothing ran well for us at Newbury. Miss Carol Ann was ridden very gently though and she is not one to write off just yet. We are back over the jumps on Easter Monday, hopefully we can bounce back. Check out Dave Stevos’ Fairyhouse Grand National meeting preview and tips below.
2.05 – Novice handicap Hurdle (0-123)
The Names Jock is a horse I have backed on numerous occasions in the last year or so. A decent type on the flat (rated mid 80s) he has shaped well in a few hurdles since winning a maiden at Listowel last September (16f gd). He wasn’t disgraced in a Tipperary G3 next time and he ran better than his finishing position suggests at Leopardstown last time out in December.
He has been given a break since then and he will love the nice ground at Fairyhouse on Monday. The handicapper dropped him to 120 after that Leopardstown run and his jockey takes off another 7lbs. He has been placed after similar breaks in the past and I’ve no doubt that this horse has more wins in him, when he is trying. Hopefully, he is there to do his best today. If he is, he could go close at odds of 14/1.
Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Tip: The Names Jock e/w @ 14/1 (5 Places)
2.40 – Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2)
Just the seven runners and not a race that makes much appeal. Icare Allen is the clear form pick but he is a very short price. He looks the most likely winner and it is hard to see any of the outsiders being able to trouble him. The Elliott pair could be potential dangers and Tom Cooper’s horse Garrybello is unbeaten when completing. However, this is a race I am happy to leave alone. No Bet.
Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Tip: No Bet
3.15 – Handicap Hurdle (0-140)
With trip, track and hopefully ground to suit, Capilano Bridge looks an interesting contender at a price. Trained by Conor O’Dwyer, this horse showed signs of finding his form last time at Cork (24f gd). His first four runs of the season were nothing to write home about but he did have excuses for his poor effort at this track over 20f (badly hampered early).
The son of Stowaway ran much better on his previous two forays to Fairyhouse. This time last year he ran a cracker in this contest when 4th behind Grand National contender Max Flamingo. He was racing off 127 conceding 7lbs to the winner and he was only 4L behind him. In October 2020 he also ran really well in a 2 mile maiden hurdle here, finishing 5th behind Queens Brook and Decimation.
Capilano Bridge is back for a repeat bid in this race off 125. Young Charlie O’Dwyer takes off another 7lbs so he is effectively 9lbs lower than last season. Yielding ground is fine for him and he wouldn’t mind if there is a drop or two of rain. If he can repeat the level of form he showed in this race in 2021, he won’t be far away at odds of 20/1.
Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Tip: Capilano Bridge e/w @ 20/1 NAP (5 Places)
3.50 – Rathbarry Hurdle (Grade 2)
This is a very tricky puzzle. All the single figure priced runners have obvious claims but at 12/1, maybe Santa Rossa can make her presence felt now upped into Grade 2 company for the first time over hurdles. This daughter of Jeremy hasn’t stood much racing since her promising debut season in 2019. She ran just once in 2020, a fine effort in a maiden hurdle here over 16f. She finished 3rd behind Exit Poll and Jon Snow and she’ll be taking on the latter horse again today.
After a long spell off the track this mare reappeared with a commanding win at Naas (16f yld). That was followed up by another facile victory in a mares’ hurdle at Limerick (16f gd/yld). She is a course winner, having scored on her debut in a bumper at Fairyhouse. She then won a Grade 2 at Leopardstown before placing in another G2 at Aintree.
The trip is an unknown for this mare. She has never run over further than 17f but her pedigree suggests it will be fine. Her dam is related to winners at 20f and 25f and her grand-dam is closely related to 20f flat G1 winner Assessor (sire of Anibale Fly). The Conways and Red McLoughlin had a double here on Sunday, hopefully Santa Rossa can give them more to shout about on Monday at 12/1.
Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Tip: Santa Rossa e/w @ 12/1 (4 places)
4.20 – Devenish Chase (Grade 2)
At odds of 18/1, last year’s runner up Castlegrace Paddy looks a tad overpriced for this Grade 2. Last year he chased home Easy Game in this race. He was only 0.75L behind that rival on yielding ground and it should be a similar enough surface on Monday. Easy Game is back to defend his crown but he hasn’t been seen for over 5 months. His last start saw him beaten 20L at Clonmel and Paul Townend prefers Blackbow.
Castlegrace Paddy hasn’t exactly been tearing it up since that run either. His best run by far came off 155 in a handicap here in January (17f sft) when 3rd but he was still beaten 15L by Dunvegan. He didn’t shape too badly over 16f at Navan last time and this step back up to 20f will suit him. It looks to me like this race has been his long term target and Pat Fahy is sure to have him trained to the minute. He does have a bit to find with Janidil on the figures but he is well capable of beating the rest. At 18/1, Castlegrace Paddy is worth a small e/w interest.
Fairyhouse Grand National Meeting Tip: Castlegrace Paddy e/w @ 18/1
5.00 – Irish Grand National (Grade A)
The big one and a maximum field of 30 are due to go to post. I have already spoken about the excellent form of last year’s winning trainer Red McLoughlin and he won this with a 150/1 poke last season. He relies on one horse this season and again, the bookies have written off Lord Lariat. He can be backed at 80/1 this evening and I can’t resist having a little on at those odds.
The National has likely been the long term plan for this locally owned horse and he just about sneaks in off 137. PJ O’Hanlon takes off 7lbs so he will be carrying less than 10 stone. This horse is something of a Fairyhouse handicap specialist. He was beat a neck over 25f (yld) last season off 116 and he was then moved from Karl Thornton to McLoughlin.
Course Form
He took a while to adapt to his new surroundings but the penny finally dropped when he returned to this track in October. Lord Lariat ran a blinder behind Arrycan to finish 2nd off 121 (23.5f yld) and then two runs later he landed a 21f course handicap off 124 on good. He booked his place in the National with a 7L win at Punchestown off 128 on New Year’s Eve, a win that saw his mark rise to 137. Since then, he had a spin over hurdles and a run out in a 24f rated chase behind the likes of Discorama and the winner Full Time Score.
He was getting 3lbs from the winner that day, whom he finished 17L behind, and he is getting 8lbs from him today. On paper that doesn’t look enough for him to turn the form around but connections were probably hoping he didn’t get too close to the principals in order to protect his mark. His form figures in handicap chases at Fairyhouse read 1221 and he is still just a 7yo so there could yet be plenty more to come. 80/1 looks a pretty mad price all things considered and at those odds, Lord Lariat is the each way selection.
