Dun Doire heads the field for Irish
National
 By DAVID THORPE
The traditional Easter feast that is the Irish Grand National looks like
being a tough race this year.
Beef Or Salmon is sure to come in for a lot of support from casual punters
who recognise the name. While it would be foolish in the extreme to discount
Micheal Hourigan’s charge others are certainly preferred. Beef Or
Salmon is fast enough to win but, as he shows at Cheltenham every year,
doesn’t like races with big fields and a lot of rough and tumble.
Which is exactly what he will get at Fairyhouse so it is unlikely he will
complete the race.
The likely favourite is Dun Doire a seriously-improving handicapper who
won at the Cheltenham festival, by-passed Aintree to come here and in
Tony Martin has one of the shrewdest trainers in the game.
Dun Doire has a serious chance though his odds won’t be generous
in such a good race. It’s fair to say that the Tony Martin stable
like a bet so if you see any money for this fellow pile in because his
yard rarely get it wrong.
Forget The Past finished third in the Gold Cup this year which given his
outstandingly generous weight is far and away the best piece of form in
this race.
A niggling doubt remains however about how such a relatively inexperienced
animal will cope with another tough race so soon after Cheltenham. And
being so young one has to wonder whether his jumping will hold up amid
the hurly burly of a big end-of-season handicap.
A horse I like at the price is GVA Ireland trained by Francis Flood on
the Wicklow/Kildare border. This fellow was an easy winner of the midlands
Grand National at Uttoxeter recently and still seems to be a horse on
the upgrade. His starting price of about 14/1 represents serious value
in a race where good betting propositions are thin on the ground.
Another to consider is Kymandjen. Paul Nolan trains this lad in Wexford
and he was unlucky in some tasty races last year. With his weight coming
down to a manageable level he may be able to run into a place and is another
for each-way punters to consider.
Black Apalachi and Tiger Cry represent top yards. Both ran at Cheltenham
— Tiger Cry disappointed while at a short-price in the Grand Annual
while Black Apalachi won the Paddy Power Chase at the festival.
Both horses have serious chances but Black Apalachi’s win at Cheltenham
might have drained him a little. Tiger Cry has hit a flat spot compared
to early season form so it may be between Dun Doire and GVA Ireland.
It’s interesting that Ruby Walsh rode both of these horses to their
most recent wins and whichever of these he picks is well worth a flutter,
but I would suggest that an each-way saver on Kymandjen or Tiger Cry to
make the chocolate eggs taste all the sweeter.
Its been a good week for followers of this column, with four of our weekend
selections including Numbersixvalverde in the Grand National doing the
business for Irish Post readers.
The national winner was tipped here at 16/1 two weeks ago and mentioned
again last week.
As if that wasn’t enough for you, Star De Mohasion, Black Jack Ketchum
and Detroit City all obliged over the three-day Aintree meeting. |
