Cheltenham is barely in the rear-view mirror, but ‘National season’ quickly takes over on Saturday when Willie Mullins is set to pitch Mr Incredible into Uttoxeter’s marathon feature.
A handful of Irish-trained winners during the last two decades shows how profitable a festival diversion the Bet365 Midlands Grand National has been, including with Screaming Colours in 2022.
Denis Hogan’s Young Dev was runner-up on that occasion over the gruelling 4¼ mile test and is back for another crack at it.
He is technically 2lbs ‘wrong’ at the bottom of the handicap although it’s a very different story for Mr Incredible with topweight of 12st.
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It’s his first attempt at the race although Mullins did enter Brian Hayes’s mount for the race last year only to run him in the Kim Muir two days earlier instead where he finished third.
On the back of that he went to Aintree for the biggest ‘National’ of all and was running well until his saddle slipped and he unseated Hayes at Valentines.
The quirky eight-year-old hasn’t run since but is a general 33-1 shot for a return to Liverpool next month. The Irish Grand National takes place in just over a fortnight on its traditional Easter Sunday date at Fairyhouse while a week after Aintree (April 13th) comes the Scottish National in Ayr.
Ground conditions are sure to be particularly testing at Uttoxeter and it won’t be a picnic either back home for Sunday’s St Patrick’s Day action at either end of the country at Down Royal and Wexford.
The northern track has a National Trial of its own with a seven-runner chase for which Mr Incredible has also been declared.
Roi Mage, winner of this race in 2022, and seventh at Aintree last year, is lining up again although on figures the Mullins runner Classic Getaway is hard to get away from.
Officials are monitoring ground conditions at Wexford with up to 10mms more rainfall anticipated on already heavy going before Sunday’s card.
That shouldn’t be an issue for the ex-Ronan McNally trained Full Noise who has a second start for new trainer Katy Brown in a handicap chase.
Full Noise won over hurdles and fences for McNally, the controversial former trainer who last year received a record 12-year disqualification from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board for breaching racing’s integrity rules.
Before that, the horse had also won for David Dunne, also suspended in the integrity case involving McNally, and who last week received a 15-month prison sentence for the assault and false imprisonment of a former stable hand.
Full Noise first ran for Brown over hurdles at Navan last month and found only Aodhan May too good. The latter has won twice since, and Full Noise has a chance to exploit a 9lb lower rating over fences. He also has Danny Gilligan’s valuable 5lb claim on his side.
Saturday’s Thurles card depends on passing a 7.30 morning inspection. The track was heavy but raceable on Friday but there is a forecast of persistent rain on race day. The feature race is the Grade Three Pierce Molony Novice Chase.
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