Monday 18th April 2022

Author: Jordan Yates (EvRacing)

Welcome to my preview for Irish Grand National Day of 2022 which takes place this Easter Monday at Fairyhouse. I’ll be kicking my preview off with the 3:15 which is a handicap hurdle that’s contested over two miles and five and a half furlongs. This is a typically competitive affair of which I’ve taken a chance on Homme D’un Soir at 11/2 who’s the mount of Daryl Jacob. Sporting the famous green silks of Munir & Souede, he arrives here having finished just under two lengths behind current favourite Carrig Sam over course and distance back in February, however, he’s now seven pounds better off at the weights than that rival. I think off the mark he’ll be running off here he’s got every chance of playing a part if he gets a bit of luck in the run.

The next race I’ll be taking a look at is the 3:50 which is a Grade 2 hurdle that’s ridden over two miles an four furlongs. This race looks to be all about Thedevilscoachman at 9/4 for me, who’s trained by Noel Meade and set to be ridden by Mark Walsh. He’s a six-year-old who’s owned by JP McManus and looks to still have considerable progression in him, when he was last seen back in February he won a Grade 2 event at Naas as he got the better of the smart Ashdale Bob with a late run. The form of that race has since been franked at Cheltenham and if anywhere near his best he’s got to be a considered as a big player for this contest.

I’m moving onto the 5:00 now which is the big one itself in the Irish Grand National, a Grade A Handicap Chase that’s contested over a distance of three miles and five furlongs. I’ve had two picks in this year’s renewal of the race and the first of those comes in the form of Farclas at 10/1 for Gordon Elliott and talented claimer Shane Fitzgerald. Winner of the Triumph Hurdle at Chelenham back in 2018, he’s always been a talented horse and has been running big races in pretty much all of the extremely competitive handicaps he’s been contesting over the past couple of years. Last season he finished fifth in the English Grand National behind Minella Times, he’s five-pounds higher here than he was that day, however, Fitzgerald’s claim also deducts the same amount. The eight-year-old arrives here a fresh horse having not been since a second-placed effort behind Run Wild Fred back in November and after he was pulled from the English equivelant he looks to have been laid out for a crack at this. The second one I like here is Enjoy D’allen at 14/1 for Ciaran Murphy and Conor Orr. He was actually one of my four fancies for the English National, however, he unfortunatley unseated at the first on that occasion. That race had been his target all season and I thought he had a great chance to run well in it, if that blunder hasn’t taken anything out of him he’s every chance of gaining some form of conpensation for his connections here.