Officials hope calendar will work in Irish Grand National’s favour

The Vatican might or might not expect to get a request from Horse Racing Ireland about nailing down Easter to a fixed date although Fairyhouse officials believe the calendar could work out in their favour ahead of next week’s 150th Boylesports Irish Grand National.

The traditional Easter Monday highlight will be the last of the big ‘National’ prizes which this year are crammed into a 16-day period.

Saturday’s Aintree National came just a week after the Scottish version in Ayr and now the focus switches to a landmark 150th renewal of Irish jump racing’s richest prize.

The Western Gregorian calendar can see Easter Sunday fall between March 22nd and April 25th which means the latest renewal of the €500,000 highlight takes place comparatively late in the season.

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Three years ago, the race took place on April 21st. In 2016 Easter Monday fell on March 27th. Last year Fairyhouse was the first of the three National races to take place. This time it’s last.

“It might go in our favour. There were 26 horses I think entered at Aintree that were going to come to us as back-up. If we’d gone beforehand, would they have come here? All those horses would have gone to Aintree as a first-wish anyway,” the Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe said on Monday.

The hope ahead of Wednesday’s latest entry stage, and then Friday’s final declaration, is that some horses who exited early at Aintree will try to bounce back at Fairyhouse.

Enjoy D’allen, who unseated rider at the first fence at the weekend, was cut to 16-1 for Fairyhouse by one firm on Monday.

Mount Ida (unseated first), Anibale Fly (brought down third), Death Duty (fell eighth) and School Boy Hours (pulled up before 10th) all ran at Aintree and still hold Irish National entries.

Roe doesn’t believe the Scottish National is in direct competition with Fairyhouse but might have been only half-joking about the difficulties arising from a fluctuating Easter date.

“I wish Easter would fix, not that we would fix a set date for the race,” he said. “I’d like the Pope, if he has a direct line, to set it. We know what date Jesus was born, so surely we can decide the day he died!”

The Fairyhouse boss added: “From everyone’s point of view it would make life so much easier. It (variation) can be up to a month. The earlier it is, the better. It is frustrating from our point of view in terms of getting the right ground. It’s quite late this year but not the worst.”

Watering has begun on ground that is currently good to yielding and good in places. The weather outlook is unsettled.

Peter Roe insisted that “equine welfare is very much front and centre” after there were two casualties in the Aintree spectacular, Discorama and Éclair Surf.

Newmarket

“We will do everything we to avoid any issues,” added Roe who believes there hasn’t been a fatality in the Irish National since 2015.

An attendance of up to 14,00 is anticipated for the sporting centrepiece of the Easter weekend in Ireland.

Separately, Aidan O’Brien ventures into the cross-channel classic trials on Wednesday when Star Of India takes on last season’s champion two year old Native Trail in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket.

Unbeaten in four starts in 2021, including the National Stakes at the Curragh, Native Trail is favourite for the 2,000 Guineas at the end of the month.

O’Brien, who has never won the Craven, relies on Star Of India who won his only start to date at Leopardstown last October.

It is an early showdown in the rivalry between Godolphin and Coolmore, the sport’s two powerhouse operations, that could define the classic campaign.

On Monday Charlie Appleby confirmed his other major 2,000 Guineas prospect, Coroebus will miss Saturday’s Greenham at Newbury and go straight to Newmarket.

Tuesday’s domestic action is at Dundalk where O’Brien runs a trio of Galileo fillies in a maiden that Dermot Weld’s Shamiyana looks to set the standard in.

Little Queenie belied 50-1 odds to finish runner up at Naas on her first start of the season. She goes in the concluding six-furlong handicap on the all-weather and a stall one draw could prove a big plus.