Five key runners for the BoyleSports Irish Grand National

Billy Ocean’s When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going might be worth a spin over the Tannoy at on Monday before the tapes rise for the Boylesports Irish .

Heavy rain Friday night into Saturday means the €500,000 feature is going to take place on deep ground with stout stayers and mudlarks at an obvious advantage. If you happen to be both, then so much the better.

We’ve been here many times before, of course, including as recently as 12 months ago when Intense Raffles ploughed through heavy ground to prevail. The ground was also soft in 2023 when only six of the 27 runners completed. Eighteen horses were pulled up that day.

A final field of 30 has been declared for Monday’s edition with Haiti Couleurs, trained by Rebecca Curtis, clinging on to favouritism and seeking to become a rare British-trained winner. However, he’s on a career-high mark after winning at the Cheltenham Festival last month and, perhaps more significant, his progressive form over fences this term has all been achieved on ground no worse than good to soft.

At least he hasn’t got more than 11st 4lb to carry. The last horse to hump more than that to victory in the race was Flashing Steel, 30 years ago, which doesn’t augur well for Better Days Ahead or Quai De Bourbon.

Below are five runners who look capable of making a bold bid. And if you want more clues, be sure to see to watch our On The Wire study the big race. Click on the below.

Weight: 10st 7lb. RaceiQ Jump Index: 6.8 (out of 10). Best odds: 12-1. 

I put him up as an ante-post tip at 16-1 earlier this week and the wet weather has done his prospects no harm because he’s got plenty of form on testing ground, including at Fairyhouse. 

He was cantering when unseating his rider, a 7lb conditional, two out in the Leinster National at Naas last time and I make him a winner without a penalty. His penultimate effort, when second to Three Card Brag, in a hot beginners’ chase at Navan, also looks rock-solid form as he had such as Captain Cody and behind that day. 

Darragh O’Keeffe has been snapped up to ride him for the first time, which looks a shrewd move, and rainer Tom Gibney is seeking his third winner of the race. 

Weight: 10st 13lb. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.0.  Best odds: 13-2. 

He was giving it a good go in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last month when he came down two out – not helped by the winner (Haiti Couleurs) jumping across him. 

Would he have won? That’s open to debate, but he’s 4lb better off with the winner and the more testing ground on Monday (it was good to soft at Cheltenham) will play more to his strengths. Now Is The Hour relished heavy conditions when winning big-field novice hurdles at Fairyhouse and Haydock. While others were slowing to a walk, he was still powering on. 

Gavin Cromwell has also booked crack 3lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh for the ride. Six conditional jockeys have scooped the spoils since 2002. 

Weight: 10st 11lb. RaceiQ Jump Index: 6.9.  Best odds: 20-1. 

You have to travel back to 1953 to find the last 13-year-old to win the race but the sapping conditions should help make things a more level playing field for this evergreen teenager. 

He runs off a mark 1lb lower than when beating all bar Intense Raffles on heavy ground last year and, of course, has twice been placed in the Grand National at Aintree. 

His two spins this term (we didn’t see him until February) have been creditable and Mark Walsh is staying loyal to him. If it wasn’t for his age, he would surely be trading at half the odds he is now. 

Weight: 11st 3lb. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.6.  Best odds: 10-1. 

This Gavin Cromwell-trained mare has had only eight races and arrives here completely unexposed, having had just three starts over fences. 

She’s already shown a decent level of form and we know the seven-year-old is very effective when the mud is flying, and that her trainer has few peers when it comes to readying one for the big days. 

Her one blip came at this meeting last year, when she ran too bad to be true, but she’s put that behind her. The trip is an unknown but she’s out of an Old Vic mare and there’s stamina in her family. 

Weight: 11st 1lb. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.2.  Best odds: 40-1. 

He’s trading at chunky odds, perhaps not surprisingly after failing to make much impact at Leopardstown (at the Dublin Racing Festival) and at Cheltenham on his past two starts. 

His jumping let him down on each occasion, but this novice has got some useful form to his name and testing ground will hold no fears for him. 

Search For Glory’s close third behind Impaire Et Passes and Jordans over an inadequate trip in the Grade One Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over Christmas reads well and he had run Stellar Story to a short head in a Grade Two contest before that, albeit that was a muddling affair. 

He usually races up near the pace and if he can find some rhythm, then he might easily outrun his price.