THE BoyleSports Irish Grand National Festival begins this Saturday, culminating in the 153rd running of the €500,000 feature race on Easter Monday.

Easter falls three weeks later this year than it did in 2024 and the country has been blessed with a fortnight of sunshine as we approach the spring festival racing season.

Racecourse general manager Peter Roe says the track is in tip-top condition and his team are ready to welcome big crowds once again next weekend.

“We’re building up to a great three days,” he said. “Saturday is Ladies’ Day. We have the Fred Kenny Memorial Ladies’ National and the Grade A Rybo Handicap Hurdle.

“Easter Sunday is Family Day and there are two Grade 1 races on the card - the WillowWarm Gold Cup and the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle.

“But it’s all leading up to 5pm on Easter Monday and the 10th running of the Irish Grand National sponsored by BoyleSports.”

Pressed for a tip for the big race, Roe said: “In terms of confidence, you’d have to be impressed by the Haiti Couleurs team. They booked a table for 12 as soon as the entries were published.”

If Welsh trainer Rebecca Curtis doesn’t win the race with Cheltenham scorer Haiti Couleurs, Roe would like to see Gavin Cromwell win the race.

Another trainer who has yet to win an Irish National is Henry de Bromhead. His race planner Robbie Power has passed on a good word for Harry Des Ongrais.

This novice won well at Gowran Park in February before finishing a distant second to Fun Fun Fun in a Grade 3 chase at Limerick last month. Power said: “He’s sneaking in under the radar, but the handicapper hasn’t missed him. I thought he’d be running off a mark of 135 and not 145.”

Power famously won the Irish National on Our Duke in 2017, three years after Barry Geraghty won it aboard Shutthefrontdoor.

That horse was trained by Jonjo O’Neill and this year Geraghty is tipping Johnnywho, trained by Jonjo and A.J. O’Neill. This eight-year-old was just pipped at Cheltenham by the Paul Nolan-trained Daily Present and both horses are set for a rematch at Fairyhouse, where Johnnywho will be 1lb better off.

National Hunt handicapper Shay Quinn also feels Johnnywho is a leading contender. Assessing the race, he said: “It’s hard to know at this stage which horse will be top weight, as nine of the top 10 in the handicap ran at Aintree. I think Betterdaysahead could end up top weight. He is an unexposed novice with only four runs over fences. A former Martin Pipe winner, he has every chance.

“There are a lot of unexposed novices entered, but if I had to pick two, I would go for Kinturk Kalanisi and Captain Cody, who finished second and third in a good beginners chase at Navan in January. Now Is The Hour finished fourth in that race and he was still in with a chance when he fell behind Haiti Couleurs at Cheltenham.”

CLERK of the course Brendan Sheridan is another past winner of the Irish National and he gives a squeak to the Ted Walsh-trained Any Second Now, who finished second to Intense Raffles in this race a year ago and has also been placed in two Aintree Nationals. Now aged 13, he is set to race off a 1lb lower mark on Easter Monday.

The good news for Walsh is that rain is on the way.

On Tuesday Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe reported that the ground remains "good to yielding following watering and only 2.5mm rain in the last three weeks. Forecast unsettled with up to 25mm rain possible before Saturday. Watering continues."

Sheridan reported: “There is a change {in the weather] coming and the forecast is for broken weather with a bit more rain at the end of the week. It might not suit everyone, but I’ll be happy to see rain coming.”

Rain would be welcomed by trainer Tom Gibney, who has not fully ruled out running last year’s Irish National winner Intense Raffles, despite the horse putting in such a disappointing effort at Aintree last Saturday.

“It was over before it started,” Gibney reported. “He shied away from the tape and had a bad position from the first fence.”

Intense Raffles was pulled up shortly after halfway. Asked if the seven-year-old could make a quick reappearance, Gibney said: “It’s unlikely. He would want to be kicking the door down, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

The trainer has another genuine contender in Kinturk Kalanisi, who appeared to have every chance of winning a €100,000 handicap chase at Naas in March when unseating his rider at the second-last fence. “He got a nasty cut that day and missed a couple of weeks, but he is fine now and working well.”

GAVIN Cromwell could run five horses in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National and, when pushed to pick one of them, he says that 25/1 shot Mint Boy might be the best of them.

Speaking at a Fairyhouse media event this week, the Co Meath trainer said: “To be honest, I don’t think any of mine are well enough handicapped to win. I wouldn’t have run Now Is The Hour in that beginners chase at Navan if I knew he was going to go up 10lb for finishing fourth. He was still in with a shout when he fell at Cheltenham, but I don’t know if he would have won.

“Yeah Man, Mint Boy and Noble Birth are also likely to run. I don’t think it will be soft enough for Velvet Elvis. Mint Boy is probably the least exposed of mine. He was running a nice race in the Kim Muir when he unseated his rider.”

Cromwell added that Sixandahalf would be his best chance of a winner on Easter weekend. The Cheltenham runner-up runs in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle. “I thought she was home and hosed at Cheltenham, but Rachael Blackmore came and beat us. Our mare came out of the race well and is in good form.”

Dermot McLoughlin famously trained the winner of the Irish National in 2021 (Freewheelin Dylan) and 2022 (Lord Lariat). Now a 10-year-old, Lord Lariat has only raced five times since his greatest triumph and is on track to line-up again on Easter Monday.

“He’s in good form,” McLoughlin reported, adding that punters should keep an eye out for stable companion Goodie Girl, a previous Fairyhouse winner who started favourite when she fell at Leopardstown last month.

BOYLESPORTS is again boosting the best turned out prize for the Irish Grand National to €1,000.

Grooms are encouraged to get creative and incorporate a touch of ‘Boyle blue’ mane glitter or hoof paint if they want to impress the judges.

To that end, the sponsor will provide each groom with a ‘pamper hamper’ of aids, which will include coloured bands and some tips and tricks to help them win the €1,000.

Apparently, there will also be a bag of carrots for each runner - though you may want to check their ‘best before’ date as we believe an over-enthusiastic BoyleSports employee bought 30 bags of carrots a couple of weeks ago and has been keeping them in the fridge ever since.

SATURDAY is Ladies’ Day, featuring the Style Awards competition, sponsored by Tankardstown House.

Lifestyle influencer and nurse Terrie McEvoy will team up with celebrity photographer and podcaster Jenny McCarthy to judge the Most Stylish Person. First prize is a unique VIP experience at Tankardstown House in Slane. The winner and their guest will enjoy an overnight stay in a luxury suite, along with dinner at Tankardstown and a helicopter ride around the Boyne Valley. They will also have a special wellbeing experience at Wellness At The Coach House, in Tullyallen, Co Louth and a private tour of Noel Meade’s Tu Va Stables. There will be a full programme of entertainment in the Festival Marquee and Champagne Tent throughout the day, including live music. DJ Kelly-Anne Byrne will spin the decks from 2pm, while The Whistlin’ Donkeys will play live in the Festival Marquee from 5.30pm to 7pm.

Racing starts at 2.10pm and the last race is at 5.40pm.

EASTER Sunday is all about family fun at Fairyhouse.

The Final Fence Marquee will offer a range of food and beverage outlets, but more importantly will host a magician, puppet show, face painters, balloon modellers and Junior Einstein’s Live Science shows.

A petting farm will be in operation in the Family Fun zone and cartoonist Birdie will also be in the Final Fence Marquee.

The La Bucca Easter Bonnet Competition is a fantastic opportunity for kids to showcase their creative side by making the most colourful and exciting bonnet hats. All you need to do is bring your bonnet with you on the day and enter in the Family Festival Marquee to win a range of prizes from sponsors La Bucca Restaurant.

The Easter Bunny will be handing out Easter treats and the Fairyhouse Kids’ Club will be open every day across the Festival. This hidden gem offers a range of games and toys to keep children entertained, as well as convenient changing facilities.

The Red Mills Pony Club Exhibition Race will take place at 12.30pm.

The Sandmen will perform live in the Festival Marquee from 5.15pm.

Racing starts at 1.22pm and finishes at 5.20pm.

JUST in case there isn’t enough action on the track for you on Easter Monday, Fairyhouse has planned plenty of off-track entertainment to keep you amused.

In collaboration with Reboot Events, Fairyhouse will have a Reboot Stage Takeover and it’s going to be huge! A mega line-up of DJs are booked to play in the Final Fence Marquee.

If that’s not your thing, then check out Pilgrim Street, a traditional band ready to blast out the classics in the Festival Marquee.

Starting at 6pm, this band will have the crowd clapping, dancing and singing along in no time!

Gates open on Easter Monday from 11am and the first race is due off at 2.05pm. The BoyleSports Irish Grand National has a 5pm start and the final race gets underway at 6pm.

GENERAL admission on Easter Monday is €45. Students and seniors can get in for €35. You can save money by buying your tickets online now for Easter Saturday and Sunday. Sunday tickets are €35 for general admission, dropping to €30 for students/seniors. Easter Saturday has a €20 general admission fee, and €15 for students/seniors. Children under 14 (accompanied by an adult) are admitted free.