THE starting point for the BoyleSports Irish Grand National (5.00 Monday) should be with a novice chaser. Four of the last seven renewals have gone to that cohort. It would have been five had Freewheelin Dylan not sprung a 150/1 shock in the race last year and of the two renewals that went to non novices, one was General Principle’s success in 2019, when experience was key in atrocious conditions.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see novice chasers to the fore of the market - four of the first five. One of them is trained by Willie Mullins (Gaillard Du Mesnil), one of them by Henry de Bromhead (Full Time Score) and one of them by Gordon Elliott (Run Wild Fred).

The other is trained by Francis Casey and that’s Max Flamingo. You could say that trainer is the odd one out among that quartet, but the Irish Grand National has the propensity to throw up a big result for the small trainer, and accordingly, a great story.

Story

Max Flamingo has a bit of a story. When speaking on the Champ.ie podcast this week, Casey took it up: “He went through the sales as a three-year-old but we ended up bringing him home because we didn’t think we were getting enough.

“I was actually so disgusted with what went on, I never went with another horse to the sales again.

“Some said he was a little bit small but there was a bit of interest but then there wasn’t a single bid on him in the ring and it wasn’t as if we were looking for big money for him. The base price was 15,000 and if he made that he was gone.

“I led him around the ring myself and when I brought him out, I was nearly knocked down by those who wanted to buy him for between seven and nine thousand. I said basically said if you wanted to buy him you should have bought him in the ring.

“So I brought him home and I was still getting interest from point-to-point lads and I just thought if they could get him to win something, I could just as well. That was the story, put him into training and got him going and he has won a few now and if he never wins another one, he’s done plenty for us.”

Max Flamingo has won three times since, including over hurdles at this same Easter Festival at Fairyhouse last year. In fact, his form is very good at Fairyhouse, and it was after his run to finish second to Gabynako in a beginners’ chase at the track earlier in the year that Casey earmarked the Irish Grand National for him. He set himself up for a bid with a good win at Thurles last time out.

“I don’t have any worries about him not staying,” Casey said. “I think he’s all about staying but I’m there to be proved wrong.

“He seems to jump well, the ground should suit him and if he has a clear passage and a bit of luck, he’ll run a very big race.”

Power and Angel go head to head in quality Greenham

TODAY’S Greenham Stakes (3.00) at Newbury looks like the strongest renewal in some time with not one, but two dual Group 1 winners set to go head to head - Perfect Power and Angel Bleu. Throw in the 113-rated Lusail, and there is strength in depth which makes this contest a much watch with regard to upcoming classics.

Richard Fahey’s Perfect Power won both of his Group 1s over six furlongs (Prix Morny and Middle Park) so he has stamina questions to answer for his trainer Richard Fahey.

Fahey said: “It is a fact-finding mission, really. He has to step up from six (furlongs), but he has been working really well and we are happy with him, and we will know where we are going after this.

Chance

“They have let him in without a Group 1 penalty, so it gives him a chance to have a run. You have to think the Guineas would be an option if he came through this. He will go on any ground – he has won on fast and won on slow – no excuses, anyway. We are very pleased with him and he has strengthened up and progressed well.”

Contrast

In contrast, Angel Bleu, trained by Ralph Beckett, has already proven himself over a mile courtesy of his last-to-first win in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud in October. He also took the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp earlier that month, but both those wins came on testing ground, and in turn, his trainer is concerned about the likely quicker surface he faces today.

“I think it is a good starting place for him and that is the way we will be approach it,” said Beckett.

“He is healthy and ready to go, the ground is obviously drying but he has got to start somewhere.

“It is going to be tough. Perfect Power is going to be difficult to beat, but we’re in good from and looking forward to it.”