THE Boylesports-sponsored Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse has had more illustrious winners than this year’s, General Principle, but it may well never have had such a dramatic or close-fought finish. Little more than a length covered the first five home at the end of 29 gruelling furlongs, and four of the runners traded at long odds-on at one stage or another.

General Principle, carrying just 10-00, gets a timefigure of 134 (somewhat speculative in that this was one of just three races over fences on the card on deteriorating ground) and it is fourth-past-the-post Bellshill, under 11-05, who emerges with the most credit with a timefigure of 152.

The latter, later demoted a position having swerved and hampered rivals at the final fence, looked the winner for much of the straight but just ran out of stamina when it mattered. He could still have a decent prize in him under less extreme conditions.

It scarcely needs saying, however, that the principals here may need longer than usual to recover.

The following day’s card was, unsurprisingly, called off after further rain, and my going allowance for Irish Grand National Day itself has been surpassed in terms of softness this season only by the mid-December Cork card which ended up being abandoned before the end.

PERFECT

Such borderline-raceable conditions are, of course, perfect for Un De Sceaux, who won at that Cork meeting and again earlier on the card at Fairyhouse, in the Grade 2 Devenish Chase.

Whether or not he would have managed the latter had Doctor Phoenix stood up when produced to lead by a neck at the second-last is a moot point, for Un De Sceaux had yet to be asked for everything and did not clearly tire after being left to come home 18 lengths to the good.

I have a 165 timefigure on Un De Sceaux – right up there with his recent best – and 160 on Doctor Phoenix, who received 5lbs.

Here’s hoping we get a rematch: despite seeming like a relatively new kid on the block, Doctor Phoenix is the same age as Un De Sceaux, at 10, and neither is sure to be in his pomp for all that much longer.