BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National tips: Donn McClean horse-by-horse preview

1. Better Days Ahead (Gordon Elliott/Rob James)

One of the leading staying novice chasers last season, and sixth in last year’s Irish Grand National, he has raced just twice this season. He finished second in the Boyne Hurdle on his seasonal return and he finished second again in the Webster Cup last time, and he has probably had this race on his radar for a while. He has to shoulder top weight, but Rob James’ 7lb claim is a big positive in that regard.

2. Search For Glory (Gordon Elliott/James Smith)

He is not obviously unexposed, but he has been in the form of his life this season. Second in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival off a mark of 140, he might have won the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last time had he not knuckled on landing over the last and unseated his rider. He gets to race off a mark of 147 here, just 2lb higher than the British mark off which he ran such a big race in the Ultima. Like Rob James, James Smith is good value for his claim, 5lb in his case, and the more the ground dries out, the better Search For Glory’s chance.

3. Argento Boy (Willie Mullins/Sean O’Keeffe)

One of a clutch of unexposed novices in the race who have had just the requisite four runs over fences. He stayed on well to win his beginners’ chase at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, a race in which his better-fancied stable companion Ballygunner Castle fell and brought down the favourite Slade Steel. No moderating circumstances next time at Naas, however, when he stayed on well to win a Grade 3 contest over three miles and half a furlong. You have to allow him his run last time at Cheltenham, but that was in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Chase. He could improve again for the step up to this extreme trip.

4. Joystick (Willie Mullins/Brian Hayes)

Another seven-year-old novice who has run just four times over fences, he stayed on well to hold off the challenge of Slade Steel and win a three-mile beginners’ chase at Navan in January. He was well beaten in the Brown Advisory Chase last time, but he is another who could improve for the step up to this marathon trip. His best form is on soft ground.

5. The Jukebox Kid (Ben Pauling/Ben Jones)

One of the leading players, he kept on well to win a handicap chase at Ascot in January, a race from which the runner-up came out next time and won over the same course and distance off a 6lb higher mark. He stepped forward from that himself too last time when he won the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Chase back at Ascot. The Irish Grand National has been on his radar since then, and he is at his best going right-handed.

6. Rushmount (Jonathan Sweeney/Alan O’Sullivan)

He is nine years old now, but he has raced just five times over fences, and he was impressive in winning an Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase at Thurles just before Christmas. A lot of his good form is at Thurles, and he is 13lb higher now than he was then, but he proved that he could operate away from Thurles when he finished a close-up fourth behind Perceval Legallois in the listed three-mile handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival last year.

7. Yeah Man (Gavin Cromwell/Keith Donoghue)

Ninth in the Irish Grand National two years ago, he unseated early in the race last year but, winner of the Haydock Grand National Trial in 2024, he ran a big race on his second run this season to finish second in the Troytown Chase at Navan off a mark of 139. He is only 4lb higher now, and his last two runs have been over hurdles.

8. C’Est Ta Chance (Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins)

He stayed on strongly to just get the best of a four-way go to the line and win his beginners’ chase over two and a half miles at Gowran Park on Thyestes Chase day in January, when he had Soldier In Milan a half a length behind him in fourth. He stepped up on that last time too in winning the Grade 3 Pierce Molony Novice Chase at Thurles, hitting the front on the run to the last and staying on well up the run-in. This is a big step up in distance but, if he stays, he could be a big player.

9. Flicker Of Hope (Mark Fahey/Michael Kenneally)

A high-class staying handicap hurdler, winner of the Listed Bective Stud Handicap Hurdle at Navan last season, he stayed on well to win his beginners’ chase over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse in November, and he built on that next time when he ran out an impressive winner of a novices’ chase at Naas over three miles. He was disappointing in the Grade 3 chase that Argento Boy won at Naas in January but, given a nice break after that by Mark Fahey and no doubt freshened up, he could go well. He stays well and, if he can return to the form that he showed at Naas in early January, that would bring him right into it off a mark of 142 under a rider who is big value for his 5lb claim.

10. Soldier In Milan (Emmet Mullins/Donagh Meyler)

Winner of his only point-to-point, he beat King Rasko Grey in a bumper at the Punchestown Festival last year. He skipped hurdles this season, he went straight over fences, and that decision was rewarded when he made almost all the running to win his beginners’ chase over two miles and seven furlongs at Punchestown in February, when he held off the challenge of Kiss Will. He was only fourth behind C’Est Ta Chance last time in that Grade 3 race at Thurles, but he was held up that day off a very sedate pace. He is another one of those unexposed novices who has run just four times over fences and, out of a three-parts sister Oscar Time, who won a Paddy Power Chase and finished second in an Irish Grand National and in an Aintree Grand National, he could improve again for the step up to this trip.

11. Monbeg Genius (Jonjo & AJ O’Neill/Jonjo O’Neill)

He is 10 years old now, but he has been competitive in some of the good staying handicap chases this season, most recently when he finished third in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham. While he will be taking on some unexposed and progressive rivals here, he stays well and he should run his race.

12. Shecouldbeanything (Gordon Elliott/Jack Kennedy)

Seventh in the Irish Grand National last year, she ran big races to finish third in the Galway Plate and in the Thyestes Chase this season. She is off the same mark as the mark off which she raced in those two races, and it is obviously significant that she is Jack Kennedy’s choice.

13. Kiss Will (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend)

As with Shecouldbeanything and Jack Kennedy, it is obviously significant that Paul Townend has chosen to ride Kiss Will in front of the other Willie Mullins horses. The Tunis gelding hasn’t won yet over fences, but he is two for three over hurdles, and he has run some good races in defeat this season over fences, including when he went down by just a length and a half to Soldier In Milan at Punchestown in February. He is 3lb better off with that rival today, and he is another unexposed novice who could improve for the step up in trip.

14. Velvet Elvis (John McConnell/Alex Harvey)

He finished sixth in the race in 2022 off a mark of 143, and he is back down to a mark of 139 now, 8lb lower than his peak rating. He has been pulled up though in each of his last two runs, so he is going to have to bounce back to his best if he is going to be involved.

15. One Big Bang (James Owen/Sean Bowen)

Winner of his beginners’ chase, a two-horse race, at Southwell in December, he ran a big race in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last time to finish third behind Holloway Queen and King Of Answers. Another lightly-raced novice, he has the potential to progress beyond the handicap rating of 138 off which he will race, 1lb lower than the British mark off which he raced in the National Hunt Chase.

16. Goraibhmaithagat (Colm Murphy/Harry Cobden)

Winner of the Nas Na Riogh Chase at Naas in February, when he stayed on well at the end of that two-and-a-half-mile trip to just get up and beat Magic McColgan, he was nutted close home by The Lovely Man last time in the Leinster National. Left in front when his main rival unseated at the final fence, he probably idled on the run-in before going down by just a head. A 5lb hike for that run was fair and, a six-year-old who has run just six times over fences, he has plenty of potential for progression as a staying chaser. A brother to Cadatharla, who won over three and a quarter miles, there is every chance that he will stay the trip all right, he could even improve for it, and his trainer landed the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday with Zanoosh.

17. Karia Des Blaises (Willie Mullins/Anna McGuinness)

She put up a career-best performance when she won the Listed Colreevy Mares Novice Chase at Thurles last time, moving to the front at the fifth fence and running out an impressive winner. She is a young mare on the up, and, while this is a significant step up in trip, she could go well for Anna McGuinness off a workable mark of 137.

18. Better Times Ahead (Robert Tyner/Simon Torrens)

He won the Porterstown Chase over the Irish National course and distance in November, so we know that he goes well at the track and that he can stay the distance, and he was only just run out of it close home by Now Is The Hour in the Thyestes. He is 5lb higher in the handicap now than he was then, but he has a solid chance, and he warmed up for this with a run over hurdles at Naas four weeks ago.

19. Hartur D’Arc (John McConnell/Sean Flanagan)

He is racing off a handicap rating that is 1lb lower than the mark off which he was just denied in the Leinster National at Naas last year, but he has been well beaten in each of his four runs this season.

20. Kurasso Blue (Gordon Elliott/Jordan Gainford)

He was disappointing in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last time, when he didn’t jump well, so you have to allow him that. But he ran out a good winner of his beginners’ chase at Punchestown in December and he wasn’t beaten far by Flicker Of Hope at Naas in January. He is only five, he has buckets of scope for progression, and first-time cheekpieces could elicit further improvement.

21. The Enabler (Gordon Elliott/Danny Gilligan)

A good winner of a rated novice chase at Fairyhouse in December, he has run some decent races in defeat since. He ran well for a long way in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last time, but he weakened close home, and he has another two and a half furlongs to go here.

22. Duffle Coat (Gordon Elliott/Josh Williamson)

Winner of the Mayo National in May 2024, he hasn’t won since then. He has been beaten in each of his three runs this season to date.

23. O’Toole (Stuart Crawford/James Bowen)

He split Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard in a sales bumper at Punchestown in 2021, and he is really lightly-raced for a 10-year-old. A winner over three miles over hurdles, he stayed on well to get home by a neck in a listed handicap chase over two miles and five and a half furlongs at Leopardstown last month. A 6lb hike for that was not unreasonable, and, winner of a bumper on his only run to date at Fairyhouse, there is every chance that he will stay.

24. Sa Majeste (Willie Mullins/Aidan Kelly)

Third in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last year, he was pulled up in the Irish National on his next run. He did win a rated novices’ chase at Fairyhouse last year, and he shaped encouragingly in the Leinster National at Naas last time, but he still has 20 lengths to find on Goraibhmaithagat on that run, and he is only 6lb better off.

25. Showurappreciation (Jonathan Sweeney/Mark Walsh)

He has made great progress this season, he has won his last three, most recently the EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final at Navan. He stayed on well that day under a really well-timed ride from Mark Walsh to get up and catch Kish Bank, with the pair of them pulling well clear of their rivals. A 9lb hike is not insignificant, but it may not halt his progress, and it is obviously significant that Mark Walsh rides him in front of the other JP McManus horses in the race.

26. Western Walk (Jonathan Sweeney/Daniel King)

Third behind Final Demand in the Grade 1 Faugheen Chase at Limerick over Christmas, he ran well for a long way in the Grade 2 Ten Up Chase at Navan in February, but he weakened close home, and, even though there is lots of stamina in his pedigree, his stamina for this marathon trip is not assured.

27. Weveallbeencaught (Eric McNamara/Patrick O’Brien)

A talented staying chaser for Christian Williams and Nigel Twiston-Davies, he ran a big race on his second run for Eric McNamara when he finished second behind his new stable companion French Dynamite in the Munster National at Limerick in October. He was well beaten in the Paddy Power Chase next time, but his run in the Kim Muir last time was much more encouraging, and he gets to race off a mark of 135, just 3lb higher than his Munster National mark.

28. Born Braver (Gavin Cromwell/Eoghan Finegan)

He was good in winning the Ulster National at Downpatrick last Sunday. This is obviously a quick turnaround, and he has to carry an 8lb penalty, but he is a horse who takes his racing well and we know that he goes into the race in good form.

29. Shanbally Kid (Willie Mullins/John Shinnick)

Winner of a competitive handicap chase over four miles at last year’s Punchestown Festival, he has run just three times this season to date. He is 11lb higher now than he was at Punchestown, but he warmed to his task in the Leinster National at Naas last time before he tired, and the step back up to a marathon trip could bring out the best in him.

30. Waterford Whispers (Henry de Bromhead/Darragh O’Keeffe)

Second in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2024 off a hurdles mark of 133, he has potentially plenty of leeway in a chase mark of 135. He ran well in the Leopardstown Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival to finish a close-up third, and he could go well off a featherweight.

Verdict:

1. Soldier In Milan

2. Goraibhmaithagat

3. Flicker Of Hope

4. Kiss Will

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