Jockey Donagh Meyler is looking forward to riding Emmet Mullins' Soldier In Milan in the BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.
Appearing at a gallops morning on Wednesday, Meyler spoke in glowing terms about the seven-year-old who was fourth on his latest start in the Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles on March 5.
He said: "I’m looking forward to Soldier In Milan, he fits the bill as a novice. It’s his first year over fences and he's been doing things well as of late. It’s very rare but we’ve seen it with Florida Pearl and Fact to File who is a recent example, horses who go straight from bumpers to chases.
"His bumper performance worked out spectacularly well given he beat King Rasko Grey. He’s a big frame of a horse and Emmet thought that he'd just be wasting his time over hurdles and he seems to be jumping fences well. He'll have a nice weight in the race so hopefully he can be bang there please God.
"It was a messy race the last day, he was dropped him in just to teach him how to switch off a little bit during the race which he did and it turned into a bit of a sprint which didn’t suit him but he came out of the race well and he’ll hopefully come into the BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National in the right form.
"Emmet (Mullins) is a real shrewdie, a great target trainer, he loves it."
Keith Donoghue is likely to get the leg up on Gavin Cromwell's Stumptown, who was fourth in the Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival on his latest start.
Rated 162 in England in that sphere, he gets to race off 149 if taking his chance at Fairyhouse on Monday, April 6.
"With the better ground at Cheltenham, it wasn’t enough of a stamina test for him," Donoghue said. "He’s 13lbs lower in Ireland so that’ll hopefully be a little bit of a help, although he’s not well handicapped either, there are a lot of exposed horses.
"Oscars Brother would be a danger if he goes here instead of Aintree, he had a good run the last day and has the right profile for the race. But the English are dangerous in the handicaps of course and The Jukebox Kid would be a threat. The English horses are definitely better handicapped.
"Stumptown would be the top of our pecking order but I have a horrendous record in the race, very bad! I don’t think I’ve ever even completed!"
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