Fairyhouse review, results and free video replays on Irish Grand National day

Money talks

Proactif (5/4 favourite) was strong in the market for the Grade 2 O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle and duly delivered although the youngster was hard-pressed to do so.

Prominently ridden by Mark Walsh, Proactif tracked stablemate Kai Lung for much of the contest until taking up the running as they straightened up with the race changing complexion quite quickly. He took the second last together with Macho Man (another stablemate) and was pressed all the way to the line as the eventual second kept coming back for another bite; the pair were separated by only a neck.

Majolique, another stablemate and the mount of Paul Townend, finished well for third having not been ideally placed given the way the race developed.

Proactif made a big impression on debut for Willie Mullins (beating Macho Man into second) and was then stepped up to Grade 1 company for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham after ante-post favourite Narciso Has - also trained by Mullins and owned, like Proactif, by JP McManus, was ruled out. Proactif wasn't all that strong in the market last month despite being made the 7/2 favourite and could only finish in midfield, beaten 13 lengths.

Walsh felt conditions were too quick that day for Proactif, telling Racing TV: "He never travelled, never jumped at Cheltenham and you saw the real horse there today.

"I knew Sean was going to go and make it and I wanted to sit second or third so I was happy the whole way.

"He only met Macho Man and the same form happened today so we didn't know about that [how he compared to Narciso Has] but he gave us a good feel at home and everything like that so we're hoping there's more to come. He jumps great and he's one for the future I think."

The market also proved fairly accurate in the Underwriting Exchange Fairyhouse Chase which saw Energumene (9/4) roll back the clock with a six length success over Blood Destiny.

Saint Sam took the field along but Energumene appeared to have his measure when he made a complete horlicks of the third last leaving the winner in the clear. The field tried to close but Found A Fifty (13/8 favourite) blundered his chance away at the second last leaving Blood Destiny as the only possible danger.

There was little of that though as Townend only needed to keep the popular 12-year-old up to his work to record his fourteenth career success (under Rules) from only 22 starts, including two Champion Chases in England.

A delighted Sean Graham [racing manager to owner Tony Bloom] said: "We sort of hummed and hawed after his last run whether retirement might have been the best thing for him but Willie was adamant the horse was showing his old sparkle at home.

"He said 'we'll go to Fairyhouse, it will be a small field'; he's won over two and a half miles before, so we had no worries about the trip whatsoever. Paul said to me before he got on him 'I'm just going to get him into a rhythm and get him jumping and we'll see how he is'.

"Paul said he loved every minute of it. I think somebody should check the birth certificate, I think he's a seven-year-old!

"Willie, David and all the team have always had so much faith in him. We all thought the key to him was heavy ground but that's good, goodish ground out there today. As long as he's got fair, decent ground and jumps well, he gets into a rhythm and he's a hard horse to beat.

"Willie just said there walking in 'we'll not be retiring him now' so there could be a swansong at Punchestown."

Jet propelled

Donagh Meyler's happy Easter continued with a fourth winner of the Festival in the Farmhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle.

Partnering Jet To Monte Carlo (10/1) for Emmet Mullins, Meyler produced the lightly raced five-year-old with a well-timed challenge to hit the front in the straight. A spring-heeled leap at the last suggested there was plenty of fuel left in the tank and put paid to any chances his pursuers may have been entertaining.

He was followed over the line by Radiator Springs, Kentucky Beach and Mart Lane with the winning distances four and a quarter lengths, three lengths and a length and a quarter.

Jet To Monte Carlo was winning for the first time under Rules with the switch to handicap company paying dividends for a horse who had flattered to deceive thus far.

Mullins said: "We were hopeful rather than confident.

"He's been a horse who shows an awful lot at home but for one reason or another never put it together on the track. He was a big enough talking horse on the day for his bumper back before Christmas in Navan and never showed up at all.

"His homework was so good, and we tried two and a half in a maiden hurdle and he never seemed to get home. We were quietly confident the two mile trip was going to be ideal and we've learned the hard way now."

Jet To Monte Carlo could now head to the Punchestown Festival with Mullins continuing: "I hadn't considered much before today but that was an impressive win and now we've finally found the key, we'll try and make use of it."

Handay winner for Cobden

Fierce Handay (11/2 joint-favourite) dotted up under Harry Cobden in the Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle to complete a double on the card for his owner, JP McManus.

Front rank as the field turned for home, Fierce Handay quickened impressively off the bend to put daylight between himself and the chasing pack going to the second last and only needed to be pushed out to win by five and a half lengths from Blue Mosque.

Trained by Noel Meade, Fierce Handay had won over two miles at the course in December from Kentucky Beach, earning an 11 lb rise in the weights which he proved wasn't beyond him when going close at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting.

A shade disappointing on more testing ground the last twice, Fierce Handay emphatically returned to form on the quicker conditions.

Cobden said: "He travelled well and did it nicely.

"Proper horse and delighted to get another one [winner]. I was worried after about three if I'm honest, I thought I was just slightly over-racing but he's obviously a horse who has improved a little bit from his last run and he's going the right way; delighted.

"Hopefully [he can hold his own at a higher level], he certainly went through that nicely today.

"After the fifth one got beat yesterday I was thinking this is going to be a long couple of days but thankfully the sixth one won in Cork and it's carried on here today."

Slade is a hit again

McManus was denied a treble by Slade Steel (6/1) who foiled the gamble on Kawaboomga (5/2) in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle.

The first two were ideally placed on the front end of the Grade 2 but Slade Steel's superior hurdling arguably won him the day. Darragh O'Keeffe drove his mount into a two length lead on the run to the second last and that advantage was extended to the final flight where Slade Steel was quickly away on landing.

That turn of foot proved key as Kawaboomga kept finding for Mark Walsh and gradually clawed back the deficit, finishing a length and three quarters down.

The pair pulled six lengths clear of Storm Heart (9/4 favourite) who stayed on resolutely having come under pressure some way from home.

Slade Steel was a high-class novice hurdler but hadn't hit the hoped for heights in two seasons over fences; this was his first start over hurdles since 2024 and his first in cheekpieces.

Slade Steel was given a quote of 20/1 by Paddy Power for the 2027 renewal of the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and O'Keeffe didn't rule out the eight-year-old remaining in this discipline.

"I thought he was very good. He was jumping fences well at the start of the year, ran well at Navan, then went to Punchestown and got brought down and probably went a bit careful after that. I think it was a good decision to come back and go over hurdles.

"He felt very good today, jumped slick, made one little mistake but other than that he was good. I'd have loved if something carried me into the straight a bit longer because he was cantering turning in and had a good look when he got there but he was a good winner at the line.

"The winner was beside me the whole way [Meetmebythesea in the Jack Richards at Cheltenham] but he was always getting a length on me and I think it's a good decision to come back over hurdles. It's great for the horse because he's a Grade 1 winner and plenty of class about him and he'll get plenty of confidence from that I'm sure.

"He's always shown us at home that he has the ability and he's still a young horse so hopefully there's plenty more bigger days ahead with him. He [Bob Olinger] wouldn't be an easy one to replace but it would be nice to have one to fall back into that category."