Better Days Ahead indeed: 14 of top 20 Irish Grand National weights taken out

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The Irish Grand National, which will be run at Fairyhouse on 21 April at 17:00, has seen a huge shakeup in its field of runners. Originally 78 initial entries had been named for the Irish equivalent of the Grand National, but following Wednesday’s confirmations, only 49 horses remain. 

As many as 14 of the top 20 weights did not feature, with some big names including Intense Raffles, Nick Rockett, I Am Maximus, Grangeclare West, Iroko, and Meetingofthewaters, all missing. 

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Better Days Ahead, trained by Gordon Elliott, is now the top weight. Next in the weights is Monbeg Park, trained by Sean Doyle, and then High Class Hero and Quai De Bourbon, both trained by Willie Mullins.

The Irish Grand National follows the Grand National at Aintree and the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. As such, it isn’t unusual for there to be a lot of withdrawals as the race approaches and leading names get tired or suffer injuries. 

Intense Raffles, which won last year’s Irish Grand National, has not been confirmed after running at Aintree. Similarly, Nick Rockett, I Am Maximus, and Grangeclare West have been withdrawn.

The trio completed an incredible one-two-three finish for Irish trainer Willie Mullins in the Grand National. 

Iroko, which headed the betting at the Grand National but could only finish fourth, won’t feature in Ireland along with Meetingofthewaters, another Mullins horse, which finished fifth in the main event, will also be missing. 

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When discussing Mullins’s likely stable for the event, the trainer’s assistant David Casey, said:

“The way the season has gone, a few of our biggest bullets will have been fired at Ayr and Aintree. So numerically we might not be as well stocked as we have been in other years. But we have a few nice horses going in there.”

The withdrawals mean that Better Days Ahead leads the weights. Better Days Ahead has enjoyed a mixed season. He won on his chase debut but has come up short during the rest of the season and now carries top weight. As such, he is priced at 12/1 for Monday’s event. 

It is Haiti Couleurs that heads the betting, installed as an early 6/1 favourite. Haiti Couleurs has racked up three wins from four starts, including an easy win at the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. Although he is carrying 7 lbs more this start, he is still hotly tipped to do well. 

Next in the betting is High Class Hero. Although High Class Hero has not had the best of seasons, as a beaten 8/15 favourite last time out, he looks to be Mullins’s best chance and is one of a few horses the trainer is running in Ireland. Having won the Scottish and English Grand Nationals, Mullins could complete the Grand National sweep with the 8/1 joint second favourite. 

Casey said of the horse: “High Class Hero and Sa Majeste will be the standouts. And I have to go with High Class Hero as our best chance. The trip will not be an issue. We have had really dry weather but that won’t be an issue for him either. He is only a novice, but he has plenty of experience from point to pointing as well. He is a pretty good jumper. A lot of the top weights will come out, so he will carry a lot of weight. That could be a negative, but he’ll be the top one of ours.” 

Odds via Paddy Power and are correct at the time of writing.