The Fairyhouse Festival: Did you know?
It's the one of the biggest racing, if not sporting, events of the year in Ireland - the Fairyhouse Easter Festival - and this year it promises to be as intriguing, gripping, entertaining as always.
The centre-piece of the the three-day racing programme is, of course, the so-called 'Race of the People' the Irish Grand Naional on Easter Monday while another big race the Ryanair Gold Cup will be staged on Easter Sunday.
There is so much to know about the famous racecourse - and the festival itself.
THE FAIRYHOUSE FESTIVAL - DID YOU KNOW?
* The much loved Irish Grand National race is known as the 'Race of the People’ 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. They can get the better of 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. In 2018 the winning owners were the Cooper Family syndicate from Coleraine, Co Laois.
* The very first winner of the Irish Grand National in 1870 was a horse called Sir Robert Peel, with 167 sovereigns for the winner, in comparison to the €500,000 on offer today.
* The Grand National quickly became Ireland's most valuable and prestigious steeplechase and each success has its own rich tale, none more amazing than the win in 1929 of a six-year-old mare ‘Alike', owned and ridden by 5'4” Frank Wise who was missing three fingers and who rode with a wooden leg.
* There are many legendary stories connected the running of the race like 33/1 shot Lion na Bearnai trained by small-time trainer Tom Gibney in Co Meath winning it for a syndicate of tradesmen, 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.
* This year sees a huge increase in sponsorship at the Fairyhouse 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. The total prizemoney for the three days is €1.55 million.
*The race has been held annually since it started with the exception of 1919, due to the First World War, and 1941 due to the Second World War.
* The most successful horse in the history of the famous race is Brown Lad, Trained by Tom Dreaper, who claimed victory in the event three times, in 1975, 1976 and 1978. He is also the only horse in the last 50 years to have won it more than once.
* In 2015 the Sandra Hughes-trained Thunder and Roses, ridden by Katie Walsh became the first female trainer and female rider combination to win the Irish Grand National with Thunder And Roses.
* It is the most watched race on Irish terrestrial TV with over 380,000 turning in to watch the 2016 race.
* Arkle won the Irish Grand National in 1964 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1965 and Our Duke will be bidding to be the 1st horse to complete this double in 2018.
* €100,000 Grade 1 Ryanair Gold Cup was won in 2015 by Sir Anthony McCoy on what proved to be his last winner as a jockey in Ireland and a first Grade 1 success for the King of the Cross Country trainers, Enda Bolger.
* Over 5,000 litres of water are used to cool the horses.
* There will be 55 men on the track repairing all the divots and preparing the track for each days racing.
* Over 21,000 individual birch sticks will be used to construct the fences.
* Over 8,000 cars will be parked in the car park on Easter Monday.
* Nine people are employed at Fairyhouse but this explodes up to 1,000 people working at the venue all through the Easter Weekend.
* 30,000 people are expected in through the turnstiles over three days of Easter Festival (1,000 visitors will come from the UK).