Irish Grand National

The Irish Grand National is a national hunt chase that takes place annually at Fairyhouse racecourse in Ireland.

It is scheduled for the back end of the season on Easter Monday. The distance is three miles and five furlongs and the runners have to negotiate 24 fences if they are to complete the trip. Although shorter in distance, it is the Irish equivalent of the Grand National, which takes place at Aintree in England.

Entries for the Irish Grand National are open to horses aged five and above. It is a handicap, therefore weight is assigned to each runner according to their rating. The best horses in the race will carry the most, while those near the bottom of the racecard are given a chance as they will be much lighter.

The inaugural running of the Irish Grand National came back in 1870. It was won by Sir Robert Peel. 

Ascetic 's Silver became the first to complete the double of the Irish Grand National and the English equivalent on Merseyside. It has also been done more recently by Rhyme 'n' Reason, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde, but not a single horse has been able to win both races in the same year. The two contests are close together on the calendar and therefore winners of the first race are usually ruled out of a shot across the Irish Sea.

Brown Lad has been the most successful horse in the history of the Irish Grand National. He won the 3m5f contest on three occasions. His first victory came in 1975 when he was nine years of age. Jim Dreaper's runner did so off a weight of 10-05. A year later he defended his crown with 12-02 on his back. No horse has won the Fairyhouse showpiece event with as much weight since then. His hat-trick on wins came in 1978 when he was aged 12.

Jim's father Tom also had lots of success in this contest as he won it himself as a trainer six times. Prince Regent was his first winner in 1942, while 24 years later, Flying Bolt marked his sixth victory.

Arguably the most famous winner of the Irish Grand National was Arkle in 1964. He is regarded as one of the greatest chasers of all time. His achievements also include three Cheltenham Gold Cup wins, two Hennessey Gold Cup successes and a victory in the 1965 King George VI Chase.

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