About
Irish Grand National is a 5,834 metres handicap race held annually on Easter Monday. The race is restricted to five years old and above horses. The contest is held at Fairyhouse in County Meath, Ireland. During the National Hunt steeplechase, the horses jump twenty-four fences. With a prize fund of €500,000,it is the most prestigious Irish national hunt racing.
History
Irish Grand National was started 1870 with a horse named Sir Robert Reel emerging as the winner. The award then was 167 sovereigns. Given that anyone can enter his or her horse in the competition, most also refer to
it as ‘The Race of the People.’
Records
Brown Lad is the only horse that has won the competition three times. The horse won in 1975 and 1976 under a jockey called Tommy Carberry. Gerry Dowd rode the horse during its third victory in 1978. Jim Dreaper was the trainer during the three wins.
Pat Taaffe holds the record for the jockey with the most wins. He has won six races with different horses. His first win was in 1954 with Royal Approach while Flyingbolt gave him the last win in 1966.
The most successful trainer at the contest is Tom Dreaper with 10 wins. He recorded his first win in 1942 with Prince Regent. The Irish trainer’s last win was in 1966 with Flyingbolt.
Overshadow was the oldest horse to win the race at 13. A jockey named A. Power rode the 1953 champion. Seven horses have won the race at the youngest age of six. They are Dominick’s Bar (1950), Royal Approach (1954),
Olympia (1960), Vulpine (1967), Herring Gull (1968), Groupe (1970), and Rhyme n’ Reason (1985).
Previous Winners
General Principle won the top prize on April 2, 2018. James Slevin was his jockey. It was the first win for trainer Gordon Elliot.
Robbie Power powered a horse named Our Duke to victory in 2017. Ger Fox had won the previous year’s race riding Rogue Angel. Ms. Katie Walsh rode Thunder and Roses to victory in 2015.