Boylesports Irish Grand National
LIAM CUSACK
Snugsborough Benny has had the Irish National on his agenda for a while. Photo Healy Racing
SNUGSBOROUGH BENNY
9yo b g (61319U1)
Beneficial - Saddlers Arc
Raymond Loughnane
He looks great and the plan for a while has been the Irish National. I’ve been very happy with him. He won well at Fairyhouse the last day and the penalty that he got for winning made sure that he’d get into the race.
He was unfortunate in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown and he does appreciate nice ground. He wouldn’t mind it slow, but he is a very good mover and ideally, good jumping ground is what he wants.
His preparation has gone very well and Denis O’Regan gets a great tune out of him and will ride him.
Hopefully he’ll get some luck in running and if he finishes in the money, we’d be thrilled. It’s very exciting to have a runner in a race like this and it’s fantastic for the owner Ray Loughnane and his family, as they bred him as well.
They were just happy to have a runner at Galway last year and they were absolutely delighted when he went and won the Blazers down there.
JESSICA HARRINGTON
WHISPERINTHEBREEZE
6yo gr g (2425221F)
Kayf Tara - Silver Spinner
Ann & Alan Potts
He looks great and by the looks of things, he will get in with a nice weight on his back. He likes a bit of nice ground and I think he’ll get the trip.
He ran very well on his handicap debut when second over three miles and a furlong at Punchestown.
We dropped him back to two miles and five at Leopardstown in a novice handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival and he won impressively that day.
The form of that race has worked out very well, as Cadmium was fourth and he won the Topham at Liverpool. He fell at Cheltenham, but generally speaking he is a very good jumper – nice ground is important to him.
We won the race two years ago with Our Duke but he was a classier horse and had won a Grade 1 before he won the National.
This horse is improving and his preparation has gone very well since Cheltenham and I am looking forward to running him.
NOEL MEADE
TOUT EST PERMIS
6yo gr g (15/1273F4)
Linda’s Lad - Kadalbleue
Gigginstown House Stud
He has won three for his us this season and he was very good when he won the Troytown at Navan.
He does stay very well and we’ll just have to see if he’ll get the three miles and five. He looks great and everything has been good with him since he won the Grade 3 at Thurles. I just hope there is enough juice in the ground for him.
TED WALSH
Any Second Now and Derek O'Connor are set to team up again in the feature on Easter Monday. Photo Healy Racing.
ANY SECOND NOW
7yo b g (38-52531)
Oscar - Pretty Neat
J.P. McManus
He’s in good nick. He ran well in the Paddy Power at Christmas time and after that, he ran well in the Ten Up at Navan. He was in a few races at Cheltenham and we picked what we thought was the weakest option and he won well. He got a great ride off Derek (O’Connor) that day and he got the trip well as well, (three miles and two) so that would give you hope that he’ll get the extra three furlongs at Fairyhouse.
I am delighted to have him, he’s a seven-year-old and I’d say there is another big day in him, whether it is Easter Monday or not I am not sure. He gave us a great day at Cheltenham and he is in good nick, so he’ll take his chance.
GORDON ELLIOTT
We’ll run as many as we can in the National.
DOUNIKOS
8yo b g (PP-07F1P)
Smadoun - Baby Sitter
Gigginstown House Stud
He ran well for a long way at Aintree and he just got a bit tired. He has come out of that in good form and he won the National Trial earlier in the season at Punchestown and he likes a bit of nice ground.
Shattered Love is capable of running a big race in the Irish Grand National. Photo HEALY RACING.
SHATTERED LOVE
8yo b m (125-2209)
Yeats - Tracker
Gigginstown House Stud
She is a good mare, but she wouldn’t want the ground to get any drier than it is. There is rain forecast for Monday and that would be a big help to her. Things haven’t gone her way this season but, on her day, she is a smart mare and as long as the ground doesn’t dry up too much, she is capable of running a big race.
A TOI PHIL
9yo b g (7P5450)
Day Flight - Lucidrile
Gigginstown House Stud
He ran well for a long way at Liverpool and he has been fine since, so he’ll run and there is a good staying chase to be won with him.
MONBEG NOTORIOUS
8yo b g (182-006P)
Milan - Borleagh Princess
Gigginstown House Stud
He was disappointing at Liverpool - he never looked happy over the fences over there, but he is better than that. He is in good form and he’ll take his chance.
GENERAL PRINCIPLE
10yo b g (1-0952PF)
Gold Well - How Provincal
Gigginstown House Stud
He fell at Aintree, but we know that he likes Fairyhouse and and his record in the race (fifth to Our Duke in 2017, won last year) speaks for itself. He would appreciate a drop of rain and I haven’t done much with him since Aintree.
FOLSOM BLUE
12yo b g (40-48460)
Old Vic - Spirit Leader
Core Partnership
He ran very well in the race last year and was unlucky not to finish a good bit closer. But he really needs soft ground, so we’ll see what way the weather goes over the weekend. In fairness to Fairyhouse, they always do a great job with the ground and the plan is that he’ll take his chance.
WOODS WELL
8yo ch g (1009015)
Fleetwood - Millbrook Marble
Gigginstown House Stud
He put up a great performance in the Topham and would have finished a good bit closer had he not been hampered by a faller (at the 15th) – only for that he would have finished in the frame. He has a lovely weight on his back and he has come out of Aintree very well.
GUN DIGGER
7yo ch g (P0-3214F)
Stowaway - Booley Bay
Gigginstown House Stud
He was running well in the National Hunt Chase until falling and I think there is a good staying chase to be won with him. He has come out of Cheltenham fine.
MEASUREOFMYDREAMS
11yo b g (POU9/38)
Shantou - Le Bavellen
T Howley Jnr & Aidan J O’Ryan & David McDonnell
He never really got into the race in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham. If he got into a good rhythm early on, he could run well. He has a nice weight on his back and I think there is a good staying chase to be won with him.
Ryanair Gold Cup
GORDON ELLIOTT
MENGLI KHAN
6yo b g (33-14333)
Lope De Vega - Danielli
Gigginstown House Stud
He has run two solid races at Cheltenham and Aintree. He has done well this season and I think two and a half miles will suit him. He seems to handle any ground, but like a few of mine, he wouldn’t want the ground to dry out much more.
AIDAN HOWARD
Winter Escape is in good form and will take his chance int he Ryanair Gold Cup. Photo Healy Racing
WINTER ESCAPE
8yo b g (3-21115)
Robin Des Pres - Saddleeruppat
J.P. McManus
He seems to be in great form and I’d like to see a drop of rain for him, but the intention is to let him take his chance. He has been great for us this season and he beat A Plus Tard on his penultimate start at Punchestown.
It looks a very good race and we’ll just see how he gets on. Mark Walsh gets on well with him and hopefully he’ll run a good race.
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle Championship Final
SHANE CRAWLEY
SASSY DIVA
8yo b m (132-1221)
Kalanisi - Regal Spirit
Shane Crawley
It was always the plan to come to Fairyhouse as I didn’t think Cheltenham would suit her and she goes well fresh. She’s straightforward enough and she’s in good form - we’re looking forward to it. It’s obviously going to be difficult, Willie has a few in there, but she is entitled to take her chance.
She probably got as close to Honeysuckle as any mare has this season when she finished second to her at Thurles.
We’d be hopeful of a big run but it’s the type of race where you could run really well in end up finishing fifth or sixth.
GORDON ELLIOTT
TINTANGLE
6yo b m (F133F3)
Yeats - Connaught Hall
Gigginstown House Stud
She has been running well all season and I’ve been happy with her and she’ll take her chance. She ran very well when third in the mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham.
BLACK TEARS
5yo b m (22-2214)
Jeremy - Our Girl Salley
Mrs Caren Walsh & John Lightfoot
She is a good, consistent mare and that has yet to run a bad race. I’d say the ground will be okay for her and she has won around Fairyhouse already this season and was second in a bumper here last season.
She was a shade unlucky not to finish a bit closer in the graded mares’ novice hurdle at Cheltenham. She seems to be in great form and she was placed in a Grade 3 already this season and we are chasing more blacktype for her.
Dakota Moirette and Veinardwill run in the two-mile handicap chase, it looks a nice race for the pair of them. Veinard was unlucky the last day. Both have been running well all season. Good ground should be fine for them and they’d both have a chance in a race like this.
We were thinking of going down to Cork with The Storyteller but we’ve decided to keep him for the Grade 2 Devenish Chase at Fairyhouse on Monday.
He had top weight in the National, but we took him out of that on Wednesday and this could be a nice opportunity for him. He’s a Grade 1 winner and he’s been running well in Grade 1 chases this year.
Hopefully he’ll run well for the Sloans, who are great supporters of the yard.