Irish Grand National Tips: 33/1 Pick For Fairyhouse Showpiece

Billy Grimshaw has enjoyed the Grand Nationals this year, tipping the winner of the Scottish renewal and finding a few placed horses in the Aintree affair. He aims for more profit with the Irish version of the race up next on Easter Monday at Fairyhouse, and is deserting the all conquering Willie Mullins for one at a big price...

I may look a bit of a numpty come 17:!5 on Easter Monday for taking on the all powerful Willie Mullins in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National, considering the success the king of Closutton has enjoyed in the other Nationals and indeed just throughout the season as a whole, but none of his battalion made huge appeal to me. Quai De Bourbon came closest to being a tip and I do think he will be an Aintree Grand National horse in time, perhaps in 2026 but more likely in 2027 and beyond barring mishap, but he's still novicey right now and although novices have won this race in the past, his jumping needs work and I can't see him making it round without errors aplenty which could ultimately cost him his chance. He's as short as 15/2 in places and is not a betting proposition for all I admire the horse and of course respect the Townend and Mullins combo.

He is the shortest priced Gigginstown runner but there are plenty more sent here for the O'Leary powerhouse operation, with Will Do a horse I think is interesting at 20/1 for Gordon Elliott. He looks a tricky horse but coming third in the National Hunt Chase last time out considering how lethargic he looked at times in the race was a fair effort and if he is on more of a going day here, he could reverse form with the favourite for today's race and the NH Chase winner Haiti Couleurs. It'd be great were that horse to reward connections' bravery with a win as it is too rare these days we see top British horses cross the Irish Sea for big 'away games', but in against seasoned competitors I am not sure if Rebecca Curtis' stable star has anything in hand of the handicapper.

I'd be more inclined to back Now Is The Hour of those who ran in the NH Chase, for all that I'm not as confident as some that he'd have beaten Haiti Couleurs if standing up as some online seem to be. Gavin Cromwell's leading contender has classy claimer Connor Stone-Walsh taking off a valuable three pounds and enjoys a weight swing with the favourite from Cheltenham, so it'd be no surprise to see him backed into favouritism and if I were playing only at the top of the market, he'd probably just about get my vote.

This looks a race this season, however, to back one or two at a price and for all I was tempted by a host of runners, it is YEAH MAN who I've decided will be carrying my cash and I'll explain my thinking next. He's widely available at a huge 33/1 and although there is a case to be made that his best form has come at Haydock, I'm not willing to just discount him despite a somewhat poor finish of ninth at Cheltenham last time out in the Kim Muir, when quietly fancied by some at 11/1, as watching the race back he simply exhausted far too much energy early doors running freely.

With Kieren Buckley taking over from an amateur rider for today's affair, I am confident he will be able to force Yeah Man to race more efficiently and carrying just 11 stone will feel like nothing at all after being lumbered with top weight last time out. Prior to his Cheltenham run he was in the process of running a huge race at Haydock in the Grand National Trial, a race I backed him for and am still convinced he'd have bolted up in had he stood upright, and even though he lost the winner Famous Bridge has franked the form since.

He has always struck me as the type of horse who will one day enjoy marathon trips and with the ground slower than it has been for sometime, and his best performances coming in the Haydock mud, there is loads to like about his chances. As a seven year old he ran a fine race in this contest last year, jumping with zest for the most part near the front, but his stamina seemed to ebb away on heavy going and late mistakes saw him weaken right out of contention. With another year of experience and ground not quite as testing, I expect him to be up in the vanguard all the way round and think he has excellent place claims, while I wouldn't rule him out of winning the whole thing at a massive price.

Many will be drawn to another Cromwell runner, the mare Bioluminescence who has been saved for slower ground, but the reason so many rated her so highly was the manner of her close second when conceding weight to Dancing City, and that horse has been flopping since. There are loads more that a case can be made for, as we expect in these valuable staying handicaps, but I like Yeah Man quite a lot each-way and with BoyleSports paying extra places he rates a strong Easter Monday pick.