THE FAIRYHOUSE authorities are formulating contingency plans in case the weather interferes with their Easter festival but still haven’t ruled out hopes that the four days of the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National meeting can be run-off without interruption.
Extensive rain left Fairyhouse unraceable yesterday and deepened fears for the holiday weekend when racing begins on Sunday, with the €250,000 Irish National run on its traditional Easter Monday date.
Course staff were still pumping surface water off the track yesterday and manager Caroline Gray admits the next 24 hours will be vital for the chances of one of the most prestigious meetings on the Irish National Hunt calendar going ahead on schedule.
“We will have to see how things go over the next 24 hours but we are formulating contingency plans in case they are needed. The National on Monday is our priority,” she said. “But we are still in the game and from the information we have from the Met Office at the moment I would be hopeful we will be okay. The forecast is good for Thursday and although there is rain on Friday and Saturday, the Met Office has told us to expect less than they previously thought.
“They are telling us to expect 5-6mms on Friday and 2-3mms on Saturday and I think we could probably handle that. If double that comes then we would be in trouble. But from the information we have I am still hopeful,” Gray added.
Although there was no official confirmation yesterday, it is understood if the weather turns against those hopes, then the Sunday fixture could be cancelled, with the Powers Gold Cup moving to Monday’s card alongside the Irish National. Any potential decision would likely be in place before Friday morning when final declarations for the Sunday card, and for the Irish National itself, are due to be made.
A total of 51 entries were left in the National at yesterday’s forfeit stage with a number of high-profile defections resulting in the 148-rated pair of Siegemaster and Aran Concerto topping the handicap.
Bookmaker reaction was to leave the Tony Martin-trained Saddlers Storm as low as 5 to 1 favourite but champion trainer Willie Mullins has four entries in the race, including Ballytrim, as he pursues a first Irish National success.
“It’s a race I would love to win, especially since I don’t think we have even managed to hit the crossbar in it up to now,” Mullins said yesterday. “I will have to look at the race but Ballytrim I imagine would run. He doesn’t look like getting in at Aintree and although he has form on heavy I might like it a bit better for him,” he added.
“Equus Maximus also has heavy ground form and if I can get him back to form I think he may run as well.”
Mullins’s other potential hopes are Polmar and Pomme Tiepy who ran fifth to Niche Market in last year’s National.
Jim Dreaper took out the original topweight Notre Pere yesterday, and revealed he won’t be going to Aintree either, with a return to the Punchestown Festival where he won last year’s Guinness Gold Cup now on Notre Pere’s agenda.
Instead it will be the smart novice Telenor who carries the Notre Pere colours on Easter Monday and Dreaper is hopeful of a good run in a race he has won four times with Colebridge (1974) and Brown Lad’s hat-trick (1975-’76-’78.)
“We think we have isolated a reason why they were under-performing but haven’t had a runner since then. I would rather some evidence that the horses are alright,” the local trainer said yesterday.
Telenor dead-heated with Uimhiraceathair in the Grade Two Ten Up Chase at Navan on his last start and the National has a reasonable record for novices.
“It is a race that suits novices but he doesn’t know he is a novice – and I’m not going to tell him!” Dreaper joked.
A total of six cross-channel-trained hopes remain in the race which has fallen to British horses in three of the last six years and Ferdy Murphy, a winner with Granit D’Estruval in 2004, has the option of running Gallant Nuit and his Cheltenham winner, Poker Di Sivola.
Bob Buckler, trainer of last year’s winner Niche Market, could rely on Double Dizzy this time.
Venetia Williams also has two entries in Officier De Reserve and Flintoff, but the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Midlands National winner Synchronised was among a list of high-profile defections that also included the National Hunt Chase runner-up Becauseicouldntsee.
Alpha Ridge continued to be backed in some lists yesterday but it didn’t threaten Saddlers Storm position as favourite although Tony Martin has reported he doesn’t want ground conditions to be too testing.
“He’s a lovely-moving horse and wouldn’t want it too heavy,” he said. “He’s a massive horse and has taken a long time to come to himself. He’s eight but has only made the racecourse nine times.”
With Aran Concerto far from a certain starter, Siegemaster is set to carry topweight and his trainer, Dessie Hughes, said: “He is very well and won’t mind the ground. He will love the three and a half mile trip and I think he has his chance.”
PADDY POWER BET:13-2 Saddlers Storm, 8 Alpha Ridge, 10 Ballytrim, 12 Oscar Time, Poker Di Sivola, 14 Telenor, Gallant Nuit, Hangover 16 Dancing Tornado, Siegemaster, One Cool Cookie, Whatuthink, Equus Maximus, Moskova 20 others.
