Easter Fairytales

This time of the year, we’re usually surrounded by chocolate eggs, bunnies and bank holiday sunshine. However, over in Ireland, it’s the most anticipated race in the country.

A full three-day Easter celebration at Fairyhouse got underway on Saturday with a low-key card but featured the Ladies’ Grand National, which this year was won by former showjumper Nicole Lockhead Anderson.

Born in Aberdeen, Anderson won Team Gold at the Pony European Showjumping Championships and went on to compete at a five-star level, including at the Longines Global Tour in London. However, in November 2024, Anderson switched discipline and took up a career in point-to-
pointing down in Kent before moving to the Sam Curling yard, riding eight winners between the flags. This was also, coincidentally, her first ride over fences, and she rode The Gradual Slope to victory, narrowly winning by a head against Vaureal.

Sunday saw the start of the Graded action, and Gordon Elliott kept up his pursuit of the Irish Trainers’ Championship as Koktail Brut won the Grade 2 Novice Hurdle over two miles. Willie Mullins fought back in the next Grade 2, which was the 2m 4f Novice Hurdle, with He’s On Fire announcing himself as another potential superstar in the Ricci colours, winning by an impressive 12L.

Trainer Colm Murphy may not be one of the leading Irish trainers nowadays, but he was very bullish about Zanoosh’s chances in the G1 Honeysuckle Mares’ Hurdle. Oldschool Outlaw was looking to return to winning ways, but Murphy’s words should have been heeded as Zanoosh powered to victory for Murphy’s first Grade One victory in over 14 years. A shock was provided in the Willowarm Gold Cup as Sixmilebridge failed to fire as favourite, and Fleur In The Park won at odds of 22/1 for Andrew Slattery for his first Grade/Group One success.

Easter Monday is the traditional day for the Irish Grand National, a race won by legends like Bobbyjo, Fortria and Desert Orchid. Prior to the big race, Proactif bounced back from Cheltenham Festival disappointment to
deny stablemate Macho Man by a neck in the G2 Juvenile Hurdle. Slade Steel’s last victory was in the 2024 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but he had failed to find success subsequently.
However, the application of first-time cheekpieces seemed to work, as he beat Kawaboomga by almost two lengths in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Hurdle. Energumene looked evergreen as the twelve-year-old put his younger rivals to shame, winning by six lengths in the Fairyhouse Chase.

The clock then ticked over to 5pm, and 30 runners were sent on their way for two laps of the Fairyhouse course. Monbeg Genius led for much of the way, with One Big Bang, C’Est Ta Chance, and The Jukebox Kid all prominent. But as they rounded for home, the favourite Soldier In Milan was travelling much the best under Donagh Meyler. The Emmet Mullins-trained six-year-old has never seen a racecourse hurdle and had only started five times over fences, making him one of the most unexposed in the race. He subsequently met the last three fences with aplomb and careered away to win the Irish Grand National by 16 lengths with one of the most dominant victories produced in the race.