THE Grand National itself has always been a big draw for Irish horses, but the broader Aintree meeting has become more of a focus for our runners recently, with winner totals of nine, 11 and 10 in the last three years.

It was not always that way, Irish-trained horses managing more than eight winners at Aintree just once between 2008 and 2023, and four times in the that period there were either zero or one Irish-trained winner at the meeting.

Irish representation at the meeting has grown markedly in the last five years.

In that period, the average number of Irish-trained at Aintree was 89.6, whereas between 2010 and 2019 that figure was down at 51.1. The success this year came without Willie Mullins running his best horses too. Just one of his top 10 hurdlers (judged on official ratings) ran over the three days, and just two of his top 10 chasers. Aintree’s loss will be Punchestown’s gain.

Mullins still landed the Grand National, I Am Maximus regaining his title, though the third-placed Jordans shaped best at the weights, his rider making a monumentally premature move to lead. Jordans should be back next year, but he may never get a chance like this.

Joseph O’Brien enjoyed a terrific meeting, two winners and four total places from seven runners. Home By The Lee was better than ever in landing the Cheltenham/Aintree double while Zeus Power was value for more than the margin in winning the Sefton, doing well to recover from a last hurdle mistake. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that he was the best horse in the Turners, given the troubled trip he had.

Title race

There may be a championship on the line at home, theoretically at least, but Aintree has become a major target meeting for Gordon Elliott, and he landed a pair of Grade 1 winners with Mange Tout and Brighterdaysahead.

Mange Tout proved better suited by decent ground than the testing surface she encountered at the DRF and benefited from a fine Jack Kennedy ride. She could back up at Punchestown where the Grade 1 Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle looks one of the most competitive races of the week.

Away from the headline acts, Bill Durkan had a fine few days, a winner (later disqualified) and a runner-up from two runners at Aintree, both in handicap hurdles. He added a winner on the flat at Gowran midweek too and had a fine season at home on the numbers.

At the time of writing, his strikerate for the Irish jumps season is 22% (eight winners from 37 runners) while his winner to run ratio is 58% (seven winners from 12 individual runners), excellent figures for a small yard.

THERE was some decent ground at Leopardstown on Sunday for the first proper set of classic trials, and it brought out some highly rated types for their first runs of the season, the outside route seeming a big advantage throughout the card.

True Love was the highest rated runner on the card on 115 and she made a positive return to win the Priory Belle, staying seven furlongs well in a race run at a true gallop, though Aidan O’Brien was concerned about stepping up to a mile afterwards, suggesting that the French Guineas over an easier track might suit her better than Newmarket.

She was one of three who came clear having raced up the near side, though the runner-up Magny Cours shaped well in defeat, coming from further back than ideal. She seems to stay this trip well now having looked more of a sprinter at two.

Perhaps the other one to take from the race is the sixth Mayflower. She was hard down the inside rail for much of the race and stuck on well considering, while she was also having just her second run, the first having come way back in July.

Weaker affair

The Red Rocks Stakes for colts and geldings looked a weaker affair, though Thesecretadversary won with a bit in hand. The form would look held down by the 89-rated Redemption Road, for all that he is from a Marnane yard in excellent form.

Like True Love in the Priory Belle, Power Blue had to prove his stamina for this and did so to a degree in finishing second. This was his first run since winning the Phoenix Stakes last August, and he was weak in the betting, so the run was likely needed.

There was a nasty incident involving Warsaw slipping up on the turn and his stablemate Trojan Warrior was most impacted by it. He made a big impression when winning on debut at the Curragh last backend but had no chance here.

The Ballysax was another race dominated by horses who raced near side, Christmas Day improving again to win. He may lack the class of some in Ballydoyle, and there has been little chat about him, but he is a likeable type who should improve again up in trip and is not to be underestimated in various Derbys.

Pierre Bonnard was a disappointing favourite, but he was described as ‘just ready to start off’ by his trainer so conclusions about him are best left to another day, while he also raced on the worst of the ground.

ALL eyes were on Aintree last Saturday, but there were a couple of notable winners later that evening at Bellewstown which was hosting its first meeting of the year.

New Radical won the opening mile maiden, building on a decent debut at Dundalk 57 days previously, showing sharp turn-of-foot having been held up in his run, sweeping down the outside to pull clear with the runner-up who was race-fit and had a good level of form.

His final furlong split per Course Track was bettered by only one horse on the card which was notable, given there were two five-furlong sprints to come, while his trainer commented on his inexperience afterwards so there should be more improvement to come.

The only horse to go faster than New Radical in the final furlong was Bay Of Supremacy in the five-furlong handicap and he could be one to keep on side. He has quickly built up a consistent record in five-furlong handicaps, his form figures now:131, the third coming when racing on the wrong part of the track at Navan on return.

I am not entirely sure he was suited by racing down the inner here either, several winners on the card coming wide, while it was also notable that he was a three-year-old sprinter winning against older horses early in the season.

The weight-for-age structure makes it difficult for those horses: since 2020, three-year-olds competing in 3yo+ handicaps in Ireland over five and six furlongs on turf in March, April and May are only eight winners from 203 runners.

His rider said afterwards that soft ground is important to him, so we may not see much of him over the summer, but something like the Joe McGrath at the Curragh in September makes sense as a long-term target.