Gavin Cromwell’s William Hill blog: Irish Grand National meeting runners preview

William Hill ambassador Gavin Cromwell previews his big runners across the three-day Irish Grand National meeting from Fairyhouse.

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Saturday, Fairyhouse

We start the Irish Grand National meeting with two in the Mares Handicap Chase (3.20pm). Law Ella comes here off the back of a being pulled up at Leopardstown at the beginning of March, and so is on a bit of a retrieval mission, but her form before that this season was solid behind some good mares. Conor Stone-Walsh takes off his useful three pounds and hopefully she can bounce back. We also run top-weight La Malmason and Keith Donoghue takes the ride. She was last seen when down the field in the Plate at Cheltenham, but we’d be hoping this is more her bag. If she can come back to her winning effort over the near-course and distance from December, she could go well.

Routine Excellence was a busy horse for us over the summer and it was great to get a win into him at Bellewstown, but his form hasn’t been so strong in the winter and he might be up against it in the Ladies National (3.55pm).

Millforce carries top-weight in the staying novice handicap hurdle final (4.30pm) and comes here off the back of a win at Thurles. He got put up by seven pounds for that, so we’ll have to see if that is a severe jump on Saturday. He’s got a lot of experience from running in point-to-points and hopefully the cheekpieces do their trick as well as they did when used for the first time on his last outing.

We think Serienmond is in off a nice weight in the Listed two-mile handicap hurdle (5.50pm). It’s a big step-up from what he’s been running in but his work has been good at home and hopefully he can run well.

The card rounds off with the mares’ bumper (5.40pm) where we’ve got two in. Doing It In Style only has the one start to her name when third to Aqua Force, who went on to move to Willie Mullins after her impressive win that day, and we hope our girl can step forward again. Lau And Shaz has a slightly different profile having run over hurdles this season when a close enough fifth behind Baby Kate at Naas. Her form is interesting and hopefully she can be competitive.

Sunday, Fairyhouse

We start Sunday at Fairyhouse with Crescent Moon in the Novice Handicap Hurdle (1.22pm). It was great to get her to win on her last start, but she did go up a stone for that, so she’ll have to deal with that big jump, but hopefully she can still be competitive.

Things didn’t go right for Path D’Oroux in the Plate at Cheltenham and he didn’t seem to pick up the bridle. He goes in the novice handicap chase (1.52pm) and he will have headgear back on, which we hope will help him travel much better in the race, and hopefully he can run well. We also run Springt De La Mare in here who was disappointing when stepped up in trip the last day. He never travelled well there so we’d be hopeful that he can bounce back at a track he won at in January, and his home work would suggest he’s in the form to do so.

We run three in the novice chase (3pm). Ballysax Hank looks to have been harshly treated mark-wise for his first run in a conditions race, carrying top-weight here. He’s fine in himself at home and has come out of his win in late March at Downpatrick well, so hopefully he’ll still be competitive. It’ll be Antrim Coast’s first time in a race like this as well so he will be slightly up against it. He has had three runs to his name over the winter and hopefully that’ll set him up to go well here. Dutch Schultz has been struggling a little bit this winter and is probably a bit too high in the ratings to be competitive here.

We’re very excited to run Sixandahalf in the Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle (4.10pm). She’s come out of her narrow Cheltenham defeat well and is in good form. We are stepping her up to two-and-a-half miles here and it could get quite testing if all this rain comes, so that could be difficult for her. If the ground isn’t too bad, the trip should be fine for her and we couldn’t be happier with her. She takes on Air Of Entitlement, who beat her at Cheltenham, as well at The Big Westerner who ran well in the Albert Bartlett. They are obviously strong opposition, but I’d still rate our girl as our best chance across the meeting.

We run three in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (4.45pm) with Individualiste, Reflectionist and Money Heist. The latter two might struggle off their marks, whereas Individualiste is off a much lower mark over hurdles than he is over fences, so he might be interesting and he’s in good form at home.

Le Tatoue Madrik is a nice horse in the bumper (5.20pm) who makes his debut for us. We like this guy and he has a really strong French jumping pedigree. He looks like he might be one for next season, really, but if he runs a nice race we’ll be encouraged for what he can do next term.

Monday, Fairyhouse

We look to kick off Irish Grand National Day with Stuntman Steve in the two-mile novice handicap hurdle (2.05pm). He comes here off a break and seems fresh and well. It’s not ideal to be coming to a big meeting like this off the back of a fall, but we hope he can find the form that got his head in front at Clonmel in November.

It looks like we will send a nice team to the Irish Grand National itself (5pm). Now Is The Hour looks to be our top contender here. He took a hard fall at Cheltenham when looking to be running a huge race, but he’s come out of that well and we think he could have a big chance here. If the rain arrives that’ll likely suit him, and it won’t matter how soft it gets for him.

Bioluminescence also comes here and while it was a shame she got beat on her last start, she was probably in against a smart enough mare. She is a really smart mare and she showed that when second to Dancing City earlier in the season. she is one who’d like the ground to be plenty soft, so hopefully, for her, she gets the going she goes best on.

While Malina Girl was beaten a fair way in the Ultima, she did finish third and she was probably in against a very well-handicapped rival that day. She has been a little in and out this season, but if things fall right for her she can go well at a track she’s won at in the past.

Yeah Man didn’t run to his best form at Cheltenham in the Kim Muir and obviously unseated Sean Flanagan in the Grand National Trial at Haydock on the last run. The Irish Grand National has always been the plan, however, and although he was well beaten in the race last year, we still like him for this.

Mint Boy, Final Orders and Noble Birth are also all intended runners and in good form at home, and while they are bigger prices, they could still outrun their odds, but you can never be sure in a race like this, as it is super competitive.

In the three-mile handicap chase (5.40pm) after the Irish National, we look to run Union Station. He could run well and the step up in trip could be no problem to him. He’s been running pretty well this season and we were encouraged by his effort last time out at Leopardstown.

Court Canyon is a nice horse we send to the bumper (6.10pm). He won a point-to-point for us in February and he’s a horse we like. This bumper is obviously likely to be very competitive but he’s a horse he hold in good stead, so hopefully he can put in a good show.