As we bring the curtain down on the 2025 Irish Grand National and another successful year, it might be easy to think the job is done and the showpiece of Irish racing is exactly where it needs to be. After all, the Fairyhouse Easter Festival is a thriving event. With a purse of half a million euros, the National is one of the most lucrative races.

However, if you ask anyone anywhere in the UK or Ireland about “the National”, they will default to the Aintree showpiece. Very few will point to the Meath festival and the Easter Monday race. With our country being a hotbed of racing talent and home to some of the best trainers in the industry, it’s a sad indictment of the promotion of the race.