The headline race of the Easter weekend is saved until the very end of the bank holiday. The Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse takes place at 5pm on Easter Monday, with British as well as home interest.
Joe Napier previews what should be another thrilling renewal of the marathon handicap. He fancies one at huge odds of 40/1 to win for one of the leading stables…
2026 Irish Grand National Runners
There has been a wave of support for The Jukebox Kid in the past two weeks. Ben Pauling’s novice chaser is a natural jumper of a fence, which should bode well for this lengthy test, while he saw out 3m at Ascot excellently. Whether he is well-treated is another matter, but his profile is similar enough to last year’s winner Haiti Couleurs.
The Willie Mullins charge looks to rest on novices too. Argento Boy is not always the most genuine, but his win two starts back, coupled with a respectable eighth in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham puts him in the mix. C’Est Ta Chance, meanwhile, has improved significantly for fences. He is on a hat-trick and looks likely to stay further than any trip he has faced so far. Whether that applies to the consistent Kiss Will is another matter, but he did win a Listed 3m novice hurdle last year.
Also among the Mullins ranks is the mare Karia Des Blaises. Her profile screams stamina, winning a 2m2f French bumper when only a three-year-old. She has regularly stayed on over 2m4f in the past and excelled for a 16-length win over 2m5 1/2f last time out. The further she had gone so far the better and she is on a reasonable enough mark.
Of the remaining Closutton lot, Joystick will want more rain, Shanbally Kid looks a questionable jumper and Sa Majeste has proven disappointing. Conversely, Emmet Mullins’ main hope Soldier In Milan has form which ties in with C’Est Ta Chance though he may be the stronger stayer.
In JP McManus’ colours, the four-timer chasing Showurappreciation has to be respected. He is improving quickly, while Better Times Ahead was beaten on the nod in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park. He has won over 3m6f though and could still have more to offer.
Lastly, could there be more depth to the British challenge? Monbeg Genius ran a big race in the Kim Muir and is even more fairly treated in Ireland. One Big Bang still looks the wrong side of the handicapper’s hand, but he did stay on thoroughly in the National Hunt Chase. Newton Tornado has to recover from a bitter disappointment in that race, but does represent last year’s winning trainer in Rebecca Curtis.
2026 Irish Grand National Racecard
Awaiting racecard…
2026 Irish Grand National Trends
Dave Young has already provided a detailed trends round-up for the Irish Grand National here. The key trends can be seen summarised below.
2026 Irish Grand National Tips
Although Willie Mullins has a few towards the head of the market, Karia Des Blaises is backed to cause a surprise. The mare has shaped like a stayer despite never going beyond 2m6f and thus could be well-handicapped if she excels in this marathon discipline. Stablemate C’Est Ta Chance and the Emmet Mullins-trained Soldier In Milan are feared most, though the British challenge should not be discarded after last year’s success. Monbeg Genius is preferred to The Jukebox Kid as the top two for the raiding party.
- Karia Des Blaises
- C’Est Ta Chance
- Soldier In Milan
- Monbeg Genius
FAQs
When and where is the Irish Grand National run?
The Irish Grand National will take place at Fairyhouse racecourse on Monday 6 April, 2026 at 5pm.
How can I watch the Irish Grand National on Monday?
The Irish Grand National is shown live on ITV4 at 5pm on Monday.
When were the Irish Grand National tips published?
The tips for the Irish Grand National were published at 11.25am on Saturday 4 April.
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