Timeform provide an overview of the key things to note on Monday.
Irish Grand National result crucial in trainers’ championship
At the start of Sunday, Gordon Elliott held a lead of around €300,000 over Willie Mullins in the Irish trainers’ championship, so with €275,000 on offer to the winner of the Irish Grand National (17:00), that lead could all but disappear or potentially almost double depending on how things go at Fairyhouse. Mullins has seven runners, with Paul Townend picking Kiss Will, stepping up appreciably in trip after finishing fifth in the Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, though stablemates Argento Boy and Joystick are fellow novices who ran at the Festival and are interesting over this trip on their handicap debuts.
But Elliott has a strong hand too, with six runners, including the top two in the weights, last year’s sixth Better Days Ahead and Search For Glory who was beaten a lot further twelve months ago. However, Search For Glory looks set to play a much bigger role this time around. He has already finished a good second in two valuable handicap chases this season, the Foxrock at Navan and the Paddy Power at Leopardstown later in December when he chased home stablemate Favori de Champdou, both times ridden by conditional James Smith who takes 5 lb off his back again here. The partnership might have gone close too in the Ultima at Cheltenham last time, being virtually upsides and seemingly with running left when unseating at the last, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag.
Eight years after his only previous success with General Principle, Elliott can win this again for Gigginstown House Stud, while The Jukebox Kid, winner of the Reynoldstown Novices' at Ascot last time, and One Big Bang, third in the National Hunt Chase, looking strong contenders from Britain.
Gosden stable going for seventh win in Magnolia
Kempton’s Magnolia Stakes (14:55) is the highlight of the Flat action in Britain on Easter Monday and John & Thady Gosden will be bidding to repeat their 2021 success in this race when Global Giant was their winner. Gosden senior had already won the Magnolia five times by then, dating back to his first success with the Steve Cauthen-ridden Red Bishop in 1992 when Kempton was still a turf track.
William Buick won this race in the Godolphin colours on Military Order for Charlie Appleby last year and can win it again in the same silks, this time for the Gosdens on Devil’s Advocate. He was last seen being employed as a pacemaker for top-class stablemate Ombudsman in the Champion Stakes, running well in the circumstances, but he’s a smart performer in his own right and capable of winning at listed level.
Fitted with cheekpieces for most of last year, Devil’s Advocate was fourth in the Dante Stakes in the spring but ran his best race so far when seen to good effect under Buick from the front in a handicap at the St Leger meeting. Devil’s Advocate heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings but there’s not a lot between most of the field, with unexposed four-year-old Gethin and Old Newton Cup winner Plage de Havre in the mix too.
Unexposed Kawaboomga can land Grade 2 hurdle
Earlier on the Fairyhouse card, Elliott and Mullins are also both well represented in the Grade 2 Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle (15:50) where Mullins could well have the first two with Kawaboomga and Storm Heart. The latter earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag from his run in the BetMGM Cup at Cheltenham last time where he finished with running left in third behind Jingko Blue after a bad mistake two out.
Prior to that, Storm Heart had won the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran in February when he had Kawaboomga back in fourth, but there are grounds for thinking the tables will be turned this time. For one thing, Kawaboomga is now 3 lb better off at the weights after being beaten only three lengths. That was also Kawaboomga’s first race for more than a year and he made a most encouraging return, getting outpaced before keeping on again and not given too hard a race, he too earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag.
Also, the form of Kawaboomga’s two starts in maiden hurdles last season could hardly have worked out any better. He chased home high-class stablemate Kopek des Bordes at Leopardstown and then beat William Munny, later to finish second to Kopek des Bordes in the Supreme, when going one better at Fairyhouse next time in a race where the next three home all won next time out.
Randox Grand National features and previews
- The best Grand National performances on Timeform ratings
- Grand National fences: How they've shaped the race
- JockeyBox: Willie and Patrick Mullins reflections
- Simon Holt: The story of Spanish Steps
- John Ingles: Remembering Red Marauder's remarkable win in the mud
- Who are the main British hopes?
- 2026 Grand National preview podcast
- Dan Skelton: My Aintree squad
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.