Brown Eyes On The Prize In BoyleSports Irish Grand National

The BoyleSports Irish Grand National takes centre stage on Monday with 14 trainers bidding to win the race for the first time, including both Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott and we even have a former winner of the race with 2015 hero Thunder And Roses back for Mouse Morris.

Elliott fires 13 at the race but it could be Mullins that adds spice to Punchestown by winning the €500,000 contest for the first time.

Keep your Eyes on Townend
It must have been a difficult choice for Paul Townend to choose between Bobbyjo winner Bellshill and Leinster National winner Pairofbrowneyes but the former champion jockey may well just have got it right in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National today.

What factors were used by Townend in his decision will have to be told by him himself but there is a chance that ground and weight were favouring factors for Pairofbrowneyes.

Although the ground won’t be a massive concern for the classy Bellshill, he is at the top of the weights and trying to buck a negative trend in the race, Pairofbrowneyes comes in under the 11st mark and may yet be at the ceiling of his ability having won on his first start since joining Mullins in Janaury when taking the Leinster National a few weeks ago.

Bellshill may well be able to follow Our Duke and win the race with more than 11st and you can see exactly why David Mullins will be excited to ride him, but Pairofbrowneyes is a tough nut and stamina shouldn’t be an issue for him so he is the one that is picked in an open enough race but one in which we can expect fewer finishers as each drop of rain falls tonight. It’s going to be very testing.

Last year’s winning rider and BoyleSports ambassador Robbie Power would hold a strong chance of winning the race again, this time on Folsom Blue for Gordon Elliott and the veteran looks to be Elliott’s best chance after he impressed by winning the National Trial.

Ilseofhopendreams and Snow Falcon are two others worthy of a mention although the ground would be a worry for the latter.

Good day in store for Mullins
Elsewhere at Fairyhouse on National day it should be a profitable afternoon for Mullins with Getabird and Un De Sceaux likely to both return to winning ways as they take a drop in class.

Poormans Hill has to post a career best if he is to win the penultimate handicap chase but Gordon Elliott seems to have found the key to him and his recent form can see him over the line there.

Recommended Bet:
Pairofbrowneyes 8/1 – 5.00 Fairyhouse

*Prices correct at time of publication