*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Farclas
Farclas has been very popular with Meath magician Gordon Elliott bidding to land a second Irish Grand National following General Principle’s success in 2018.
The eight-year-old was in fine fettle last season when finding only The Shunter three lengths too powerful in the Paddy Power Plate at the Cheltenham Festival before finishing a highly-creditable fifth behind compatriot Minella Times in the English Grand National at Aintree.
Those two efforts earned him a deserved break over the summer and when he returned in the Kerry National at Listowel in September, he unshipped pilot Jordan Gainford three fences from home.
On his sole start since then he finished a fine second behind favourite and stable companion Run Wild Fred, who was a subsequent runner-up in both a Grade 1 novice chase at Leopardstown at Christmas and the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, in the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November, form which entitles him to be there or thereabouts at Fairyhouse on Monday.
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Max Flamingo
Max Flamingo is one of our worst results at the moment as Meath-based Francis Casey bids to train the highest profile winner of his career.
The old maxim ‘horses for courses’ seems to apply nicely to this fellow as he has run three times at Fairyhouse, won a handicap hurdle and been placed in two beginners chases behind Gabynako and Lieutenant Command.
The Kalanisi gelding was then upped in class dramatically in a Grade 1 novice chase at Leopardstown over the festive period when he was far from disgraced when finishing fourth of eight behind Fury Road.
Denis O’Regan, who rides him in the big one and has always got on well with him, returned to the plate in a handicap chase at Leopardstown last month when the pair were beaten 11 lengths by Discordantly before winning later that month in another beginners chase at Thurles from Bacardys.
Novices have a marvellous recent record in the race and the cash has come.
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Gaillard Du Mesnil
Almost incredibly multiple champion trainer Willie Mullins has only scooped this event once courtesy of Burrows Saint in 2019, but he looks to have another fine chance with well-backed favourite Gaillard Du Mesnil.
This lad was always going to be a decent chaser having won top-class hurdles at Leopardstown and Punchestown last year as well as finishing second to Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
So far on four starts over the bigger obstacles he’s finished third on all four occasions, but as three of his conquerors have been Bob Olinger again, Galopin Des Champs in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival in February and L’Homme Presse in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, the lack of a win is far less worrying.
He’s only 4lb below top weight, but the reason why is in the last paragraph and if he runs to that kind of level again, he’ll surely go close.
Death Duty
Death Duty is another of Gordon Elliott’s and one at a bigger price although that hasn’t stopped him from securing a place in our worst five results list.
This guy was a brilliant novice chaser winning the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse in 2017 before a subsequent last fence tumble at Leopardstown unfortunately didn’t see him in action for 758 days.
After some mixed form he returned to the track after over another year off over Christmas when he put up an improved performance to finish fifth to School Boy Hours in the highly-competitive Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown.
He was then well beaten at Gowran Park by Longhouse Poet, who has since advertised the form with a sixth in the English National, before returning to winning ways in Punchestown’s Grand National Trial in February.
The 11-year-old was then furiously backed for the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, but could only muster a sixth before unseating Jordan Gainford at the Canal Turn in the English National last weekend.
Presumably he has come out of that mishap unscathed and he’s a high-class animal on his day.
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Ronald Pump
Ronald Pump is also still a decent double-figure price as he bids to go one better than when last seen in action in last month’s Leinster National at Naas where he was headed by Diol Ker towards the finish to go down by half a length.
That was his first start over fences since January 2020 as he’s been competing with the best over timber, finishing runner-up to Lisnagar Oscar in that year’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the following campaign filling the same position behind the mighty Honeysuckle in Fairyhouse’s Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.
That recent second shows he still retains his appetite for chasing and a runner-up spot behind Fakir D’Oudairies in the 2019 Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase here is evidence that he’s more than capable of mixing it at this level.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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