MONDAY evening’s racing coverage was completed with the excellent Irish Grand National – Chasing a Dream documentary produced by Bankos Tales Productions and screened on RTE at 6.30pm.

The programme chartered the history of the Irish Grand National from its first winner in 1870, Sir Robert Peel, who won the sum of 167 sovereigns.

The history of how the race came to be, from the Ward Union Hunt and a reinactment of the first ever steeplechase across all obstacles from Buttervant to Doneraile, was a nice addition.

Production values were high with some lovely shots of the track, behind the scenes and from Nationals over the last 50 years as well as old footage and newspaper cuttings of the crowds thronging to Fairyhouse through the ’20s and ’30s when it was a day out for the people of Dublin.

With memories from Guy Williams and Robert Hall, contributions came from practically every famous Irish racing family, Dreapers, Mullins, Taaffes, Moores, Carberrys, Walshes and each showed what a win in the race meant to them.

Julia Clarke, daughter of a former Fairyhouse manager John McCaul recalled “People came in everything, even hearses brought people!”

Jim Dreaper recalled the years of his father Tom’s dominance through the 1960s bringing six wins in a row for the Dreaper yard. “Simple job, every Easter Monday, get yourself cleaned up, tidied up, go over to Fairyhouse, and one of the horses will win.”

His father was renowned for giving his horses time and even Arkle had to be tutoured along, with Jim perhaps coming out with the understatement of all time. “Arkle was a very modest horse at the start.” In later years he recalled: “He was what in modern times would be called a ‘poser’ – but he was entitled to be a poser!”

SUCCESS

Maureen Mullins had many Fairyhouse memories and recalled the success of her husband Paddy with Herring Gull, Vulpine and Dim Wit, who was one of his notable achievements, bought for £100 as a foal.

She also had an eye on the fashion. “There was nothing like as many knees to be seen, now at the Grand National everybody has short skirts, that time it was the opposite.”

There were insights into Brown Lad’s owner Connie Burrell, the first lady rider to win, Ann Ferris, who remembers the commentator calling “the silence is deafening” as she won at 33/1, to more current winners in Nina Carberry, joining the rest of her family in success, to the Hughes family with Dessie and Sandra on the role of honour.

David Elsworth, Richard Dunwoody and Jenny Pitman also contributed and every winner got a mention, up to the emotional win last year of Rogue Angel for Mouse Morris. To round up, a selection of racing names were asked for their best National winner. And Ted didn’t pick Arkle!

It’s well worth catching to pass an enjoyable hour or so. It can viewed on the RTE iplayer, and will be released on DVD later this year. Amerca and Canada.