MALL Dini and Squouateur are 10/1 joint favourites with the sponsors for the €500,000 BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, April 2nd.

The weights for the famous handicap chase were released this week at Jessica Harrington’s yard where the trainer paraded last year’s Irish National winner Our Duke, who is now a leading Gold Cup contender.

Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe said: “I have this dream that Our Duke will come out of the Gold Cup so well that he will be ready for the Irish Grand National!”

Connections of Our Duke have not ruled out the possibility, while work rider Tracy Piggott reported that the horse is in fine form. “He’s a mixture of a Ferrari and a hovercraft on the gallops’, she said.

Irish Gold Cup first and second Edwulf (11st 8lb) and Outlander (11st 7lb) are towards the top of the weights, along with Tony Martin’s Anibale Fly (11st 3lb).

Gordon Elliott has yet to win the race but has entered an incredible 30 horses, with Willie Mullins responsible for 18.

Bachasson (11st 3lb) and Total Recall (11st) are among Mullins’ team, while Elliott can call on the likes of Mala Beach (11st) and Monbeg Notorious (10st 10lb). Harry Fry’s American (11st 1lb) and the Warren Greatrex-trained Keeper Hill (10st 1lb) are the only two British-trained horses among the 99 entries.

IRISH GRAND NATIONAL

BoyleSports: 10 Mall Dini, Squouateur, 12 Folsom Blue, 14 Monbeg Notorious, 16 Acapella Bourgeois, Invitation Only, Our Duke, Total Recall, Al Boum Photo, Any Second Now, Dounikos, Kemboy, The Storyteller, 20 bar.