The Irish Grand National horse race is a National Hunt steeplechase held at the Fairyhouse Racecourse in Ratoath, County Meath, in the Republic of Ireland. This annual race is held every Easter Monday during the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. As the biggest steeplechase and one of the most prestigious races in Europe, the Irish Grand National attracts some of the best quality racehorses in the region. This handicap race is only open to horses at least five years of age. 

The Fairyhouse Racecourse

The famous Fairyhouse Racecourse has hosted the Irish Grand National throughout the race’s entire long history. This course is a grueling 3 miles and 5 furlongs long and the horses must jump 23 difficult fences by the time they cross the finish line. Because the Fairyhouse Racecourse is so challenging, European trainers like to test their horses out on this course. Horses that perform well at Fairyhouse typically have the stamina needed to excel at other European racecourses.  

Brief History of the Irish Grand National Horse Race 

The Irish Grand National was established way back in 1870. A horse named Sir Robert Peel won the very first race. Because it is held on Easter Monday, the event attracts many racing fans from Dublin, which earned this race the nickname of “The Dub’s Day Out.” The Irish Distillers sponsored this race under various names for much of the race’s history, but Ladbrokes took over the sponsorship in 2010.

Legends of the Irish Grand National 

The horse named Brown Lad is the Irish Grand National’s most successful racehorse, winning three times in 1975, 1976 and 1978. Pat Taaffee is currently the event’s most successful jockey, winning the race six times on six different horses from 1954 to 1966. The most successful trainer during the history of the Irish Grand National is named Tom Dreaper. Mr. Dreaper trained ten winning horses from 1943 to 1966. 

Several of the Irish Grand National winners went on to win the Grand National race held at the Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, but no horse has won both races in the same year. The first horse to complete the double was named Ascetic’s Silver, who achieved this feat in the early 1900s. More recent double winners include the horses named Bobbyjo, Numbersixvalverde and Rhyme ‘n’ Reason. 

The Irish Grand National’s Top Jockey Family

The Carberry family has had several family members perform successfully as jockeys in the Irish Grand National horse race. Tommy Carberry began the family tradition when he was a jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the overall champion Irish jockey twice before retiring in 1982 to train racehorses. 

Tommy’s son, Paul Carberry, also won the champion title twice. Paul took the Irish Grand National in 1998 on Bobbyjo, a horse that his father trained. Tommy’s son Paul has also won this prestigious race, jockeying to victory in 2006. The most recent Carberry to win the Irish Grand National is Tommy’s daughter, Nina Carberry, who won the race in 2011 on Organisedconfusion, a horse trained by her uncle, Arthur Moore.  

Jockey A.P. (Tony) McCoy is undoubtedly the most successful and greatest jump-jockey in the history hunt racing. A.P. McCoy has snatched a record of 16 successive jump jockey titles. He has ridden more than 3,000 winners since 1992 and well on his way to breaching the 4,000 mark. It was in 2002 when he finally broke the record for most number of winners in a single season of 269 held by Sir Gordon Richard by riding a record of 289 winners during the 2002 season.

AP set a new milestone in his stellar career as a jump-jockey after he ruled the Grand National on Don’t Push It at Aintree in April 2010. What made this victory even sweeter for AP is the fact that it was one of the few remaining titles that have eluded him and the win came only after 13 failed attempts. Indeed, his triumphal ride at Aintree is the last remaining piece of his personal racing puzzle after having won in the Cheltenham Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and King George VI Chase.

Anthony Peter McCoy was born on the 4th of May 1974 in County Antrim, Ireland. He snatched is first ever winner in March 1992 in Ireland at the age of 17. Known for his grit and iron will, A.P. McCoy dedication to the sports is legendary. During his maiden season, he was able to log a record 74 winners and snatched the conditional jockey’s title, and in the following season (1995/96), AP was declared champion jockey. AP McCoy reached the 1000-winner mark with the fastest time and won titles in virtually all big races.

Since his triumph in the 1996 edition of the Grand Annual Chase, AP has strung up 13 successful rides and among his notable wins was in 1997, where he won the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup on Make a Stand. He again set a new record of sorts when he was named Personality of the Year in 2010 by BBC Sports, the first jockey that ever won the award.

Having a 1.78 meter frame, A.P. McCoy diet regimen is as newsworthy as his triumphal rides. In order to maintain his low weight, AP would literally starve himself to 63.5 kg, although his natural weight is pegged at 73 kg. He would go through excruciating and strength sapping routine of going on a run, having a bath and getting out of the routine totally exhausted. He has been through more than 680 falls throughout his storied career and he has come out of some of these bone-crashing incidents with fractures in the lower and middle vertebrae, ribs, cheekbones, shoulder blades, a leg, an ankle and a wrist.

How To Pick a Grand National Winne

When Mon Mome romped home in the 2009 Grand National as a rank 100/1 outsider pundits everywhere were stunned. It just proves that picking a National winner is very difficult but the good news is that it’s not impossible. We can show you a couple of things to look out for when selecting your horses.

1. Weight is critical to Grand National Success

Hedgehunter became the first winner since Corbiere to carry over 11st to victory. A pound here or there over 11st should not be a major worry but do not bet on a horse to win if it carries over 11st 3lbs. The simple fact is only one other horse in history has managed to win with that kind of weight and that was Red Rum! The 2008 Grand National winner, Comply or Die, weighed 10-09 and the 2009 winner, Mon Mome, weighed 11-00!

2. Stamina is a major factor

The Grand National is a grueling race for any horse but only those with experience winning at over 3 miles can be expected to be in the running at the end of this race. Not all horses entered will actually have won in previous races over long distances but try to pick one that has at least finished and placed in one. Don’t rule out horses that have previously entered and completed the Grand National, even if they finished nowhere.

3. The age of the horse is very important

Experience counts for much in the National. Eleven out of the last 17 winners were aged ten or above but nine is the new ten and horses are so well trained now that nine year olds are very much in favour. First, second and third place in both the 2008 and 2009 Grand Nationals were all nine years old. Eight is a little on the young side and don’t back any seven year olds as it’s been 67 years since one won and few even finish the course!

4. Nationality of the horse

Previously I would have suggested that you forget the French bred horses and despite the tremendous win from Mon Mome in 2009, I still stand by that because regardless of what people may say, they just can’t go the distance in this race. Irish and British horses are specifically trained day in and day out, all year around, for this kind of steeplechase so go with one of them!

Summary Every now and then a major upset happens at the Grand National and the rule book goes out the window but if you want to give yourself the best chance of picking a winner then consider our tips… Go for a nine/ten year old horse that weighs approx. 10-07 to 11 stone, who has run and finished at least one previous race of at least three miles, entered with an experienced jockey and, if possible, make it Irish or British! And finally… sign up with an online bookmaker to avoid the queues at the local bookies on saturday morning. Paddy Power are giving new customers a free bet if you sign-up today.

After his success in the 2010 Grand National, jockey A.P. McCoy is heavily tipped to win the The BBC Sports Personality of The Year award.

Horse racing, of course,  still a minority sport in Britain, watched by a hardcore few. In the past amazing Jockey’s like Frankie Detorri have failed to claim the BBC title even when hugely popular with non racing fans like Frankie was.

However A.P. has over amassed over 3,000 winners, broken every record in the sport: Number of winners in a season, fastest jockey to reach the 1,000 winners mark, all-time top jumps jockey. Surely this year it will be impossible to ignore the steeplechase jockey. Considering the England team failed to impress in the world cup, Andy Murray didn’t win Wimbledon and no other star is in the running, maybe it will be A.P.’s year.

A.P. is also likely to ride one of J.P.’s horses again in the Grand National 2011 race which is set to be run on the 9th of April.