Fairyhouse fairytales still capturing the hearts of racing royalty

All roads will lead to Fairyhouse when the Easter Festival of racing featuring the Boylesports Irish Grand National on Easter Monday takes place.
The iconic ‘People’s Race’ with a staggering €500k prizemoney will be the most eagerly anticipited event of a mouthwatering three day festival and will come hot on the heels of the Ryanair Gold Cup on Sunday.
Local trainer Noel Meade traces his love affair of the Irish Grand National back to the days of watching the Grade A Handicap Steeplechase run over a marathon 3 miles and 5 furlongs and 24 fences to his childhood when he watched the excitement from the hill. 

 

Little did he realise that many years later he would train a champion in The Bunny Boiler winning the 2002 race with Ross Geraghty - brother of Barry - on board.
“Well, I’m a county Meath man and a proud one at that and I remember as a boy been packed up into the car and down to Ballyhack where we watched the racing with a picnic and so Easter Monday has always been a special day in my heart.

“It just carried on from there I suppose when I got into racing myself and I was lucky enough to one day win the National with Bunny Boiler and it was without doubt one of the proudest days of my life.
“I’ve seen so many great horses win it over the years and also some great trainers too and my idol growing up was Tom Dreaper who won it as good many times so to stand there in the winner’s enclosure and say ‘I’ve done it now’ is special.

Looking ahead to Easter Monday Meade has his hopes pinned on a potential nine runners with one six-year-old mare in particular stirring ambitions of glory.
“The one we’d love to see go well is Bonny Kate. Whether she gets in or not we’ll have wait and see, it’s a pretty good race this year.”
It’s the Fairyhouse fairytales that capture the imagination of the racing public and will bring over 100,000 people pouring into the south Meath venue from April 16-18. The Irish Grand National in particular holds great affection because it is the one race where the ordinary man and woman, small-time syndicate, the small or part-time trainer with just a few horses in their yard can beat the racing royalty like Michael O’Leary and his Gigginstown House stud operation, top trainers Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott (who have unbelievably never won the Grand National In Ireland) and well known owners like JP McManus and Rich Ricci.

Last year’s renewal produced another magical and emotional result, this time for Ardcath jockey Ger Fox who came home on the Mouse Morris trained Rogue Angel (above). In the jubilation that follwed victory Mouse’s thoughts were for the son he lost just months earlier. “That’s for Tiffer,” the veteran trainer said as he headed for the winner’s enclosure, referring to Christopher, who died in Argentina from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. “Tiffer was looking down on me today. He helped me there. That’s just special.”
Winning jockey Fox told the Meath Chronicle: “It’s such a great atmosphere and brings a wonderful crowd in from Meath and all over the country. When you have Noel Meade, Gordon Elliott, Mouse Morris and Willie Mullins all coming here with great horses having a great season it makes it such a special meeting.”

 

Fox’s first ride was in the National for Elliott three years ago and the 27 year-old was over the moon to finish fourth on board Jamsie Hall. Just two short years later he would land the big pot.
“Last year was incredible, picking up a spare ride for Mouse with Rogue Angel. Never thought I could win it, I would have been happy to just get around, so it was unreal to beat Ruby Walsh (on Bless The Wings) by a head.
“I used to watch the National every year as a kid and to get a ride in it was special but to win it was just incredible, even now I still can’t believe it happened.”

This year sees a huge increase in sponsorship at the Fairyhouse Racecourse Easter Festival with the showpiece Irish Grand National become the most valuable Irish jumps race and third richest between Ireland and UK with a prize of €500,000 more than the total prize-fund of last year’s equivalent of €275,000.
The Easter Festival requires a mammoth effort from the team at Fairyhouse led by General Manager Peter Roe (checking the course above) and preparations are well underway to mark another unique occasion.
“It’s the tradition of the Easter Festival here at Fairyhouse that’s so special. You look at the winners, the stories and what it means to local people here and yet it’s a national race.
“This year it will also become the third richest race in Ireland and the UK thanks to Boylesports’ sponsorship and we’ll see the best horses in Ireland running. When you think of Arkle and Desert Orchid all winning here before you realise how special this race is and ingrained it is on the Irish psyche and it will be that way again this Easter Monday at 5pm.
Roe knows he’ll have thousands of returning race fans over the three days but has some good advice to first time visitors.

“If you’re going to come, come early and soak it all in because there will be a great story to be told here on Grand National day.

“When you think of Barry Geraghty who lives only a good golf drive’s distance from here, had won practically every race there was to win before finally tasting glory here on Shutthefrontdoor in 2014. Then you have the Meades, Carberrys, Dreapers where this race and this festival means so much to them.
“Gordon Elliott has yet to win the Irish Grand National so it really is, and promises to be, a terrific occasion.”
Legendary stories over the years have included the likes of 33/1 shot Lion na Bearnai trained by small-time trainer Tom Gibney in Co Meath winning it for a syndicate of tradesmen.
“We had 50/1 shot Liberty Counsel a mare for small trainer and former international Danish dressage rider Dot Love, all-female team of Katie Walsh riding on Thunder and Roses for Sandra Hughes, Nina Carberry winning on Organisedconfusion for her trainer uncle Arthur Moore.
“Last year to commemorate the 1916 winner we had Jack Lynn present the winning connections with their trophy, Jack is the son of the winning jockey Johnny Lynn who rode All Sorts to victory in the Irish Grand National back in 1916,” concludes Roe.

Tickets for the Easter Festival are on sale now at
www.fairyhouse.ie or t: 353 1 825 6167