Willie Mullins Pair Joint BoyleSports Irish Grand National Favourites

Willie Mullins’ chances of claiming his first victory in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National received a boost today as Pairofbrowneyes joined stablemate Bellshill as joint favourite for Easter Monday’s showdown.

The 9-year-old impressed on his first outing for the Clonsutton handler when winning the Leinster National at Gowran Park earlier this month and was backed into 9/1 from 10/1 overnight to follow up at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Pairofbrowneyes joins Bobbyjo Chase winner Bellshill as joint favourite for the winning prize of €270,000 in Ireland’s richest National Hunt race.

Gordon Elliott now provides Mullins with one of his nearest challengers in the betting after Monbeg Notorious was backed all the way into 10/1 from 14/1 on Tuesday for what could be a crucial result in the Trainers’ Championship race between the top two trainers.

The total €500,000 prize fund up for grabs on Easter Monday could be crucial in the trainers’ battle and it says it all that Mullins and Elliott saddle three of the front four in the betting.

Neither of the two dominant figures have ever trained a winner in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National, but with significant money this week for Pairofbrowneyes and Monbeg Notorious, we won’t be surprised to see that one of them break their duck this time around.

*Prices correct at time of publication