BarOneRacing.com LEINSTER NATIONAL entries for 2024, by Will Reilly
The race will be run at Naas Racecourse on Sunday March 10th.
Here’s a look at the entries, with some stats and a selection at the end.
ESPANITO BELLO – He won the Leinster National last year by 7.5 lengths when rated 140. He’s now rated 149. In second that day was HISTORY OF FASHION, who will be 8lbs better off at the weights on March 10th if racing in the handicap proper.
In fifth in last year’s Leinster National was THE LITTLE YANK, who was beaten 14.25 lengths by the winner and would be 18lbs better off at the weights if not having to race from out of the handicap.
WILLIE MULLINS has seven entries in the race. These are…
ADAMANTLY CHOSEN, who won a Grade 3 chase in 2022 and was Grade 1-placed the same year. He hasn’t fared so well in his last six starts but was rated 153 a year ago and is now rated 147.
BRONN, who was Grade 1-placed as a novice chaser, ran well for a long way in the Thyestes Chase last time. CHAVEZ, who is lightly raced, was in second place when falling at the last in a valuable handicap chase at Leopardstown on February 4th. He’s been dropped 3lbs in the ratings following that good run run.
GLENGOULY finished a very good second in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park last time. He’s been raised 4lbs in the ratings following that good effort. JAMES DU BERLAIS has been placed in valuable handicaps at Leopardstown on each of his last two starts, while MINELLA COCOONER, who was Grade 1-placed over hurdles, finished third, beaten 14.5 lengths, to American Mike in the Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan last time out. He’ll be having his first run in a handicap if running in the Leinster National.
And finally for Willie, ONTEHROPES, who had been off for 699 days before his last two runs, won the Munster National off 141 in 2021 and is now rated 142.
Prices for the BarOneRacing.com Leinster National – https://t.ly/CIvgi
GLENGOULY 6/1
VELVET ELVIS 8/1
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN 8/1
JAMES DU BERLAIS, ESPANITO BELLO, MINELLA COCOONER AND CHAVEZ are all 10/1
12/1 BAR – Prices correct as at 3.30pm on Tuesday February 27th
GORDON ELLIOTT also has seven entries, which are…
DIOL KER, who won the Leinster National for Noel Meade off 137 in 2022 and is now rated 142. EMBITTERED, who won a Listed handicap chase at Navan in December off 137 and is now rated 141.
FRONTAL ASSAULT finished a decent fourth in the Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse in December when rated 139. He’s now rated 136 but was beaten 9.5 lengths that day, six-and-a-half lengths behind HISTORY OF FASHION, who will be 4lbs worse off at the weights at Naas if they both race from inside the handicap.
GEVREY won the Munster National in October when rated 138. He is now rated 145. RUN WILD FRED finished second in the National Hunt Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, second in the 2021 Troytown Handicap Chase, second in the 2021 Irish Grand National and second in the 2021 Thyestes Chase, although his recent form has not been so good as this.
Finally for Gordon, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. He ran out an impressive 16-length winner of the 3m3f Grand National Trial on heavy going at Punchestown last time out, for which he has been raised 12lbs in the ratings. He is, though, clearly on an upward curve of improvement.
The Ted Walsh-trained ANY SECOND NOW finished second in the 2022 Aintree Grand National and third in the same race in 2021. He’s now a 12yo and no horse of that age has won this race in the last ten years.
VELVET ELVIS won a Rated chase at Fairyhouse last time on what was his first run for Gavin Cromwell. He won a novices’ handicap chase at Navan in March 2023 off 133 and is now rated 145 but should be open to further improvement.
On his first run for Gavin Cromwell, HARTUR D’ARC won at Fairyhouse last time out. He has yet to run in handicap chase but is surely open to further improvement.
Henry de Bromhead’s EKLAT DE RIRE has won four times from eleven career starts. He’s run only three times in the last 671 days but ran encouragingly when second (only two finished), beaten 3.25 lengths, to VELVET ELVIS at Fairyhouse last time out and will be 5lbs better off at the weights at Naas.
Colm Murphy’s MACS CHARM has won four times from his last eleven runs and had been off for 233 days before his last three runs. Last time out he finished a respectable fifth (beaten 8 lengths) in the Thyestes Chase. His 2023 form is solid.
Pat Fahy’s STORMY JUDGE finished fifth in the 2022 Leinster National (beaten 22 lengths) and finished fifth in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown last time, 36.25 lengths behind WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. He’ll be 12lbs better off at Naas on March 10th. ANY SECOND NOW finished sixth that day.
FAKIERA finished second in the 2022 Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse when rated 128. He’s now rated 122 but his recent form is not so encouraging.
Michael J McDonagh’s BATTLE OF MIRBAT finished second in a Cork handicap chase in November when rated 118 and he’s now rated 120.
Every winner of the Leinster National since it became a €100,000 race in 2017 has been rated between 133 and 140, apart from Pairofbrowneyes (who was rated 146) in 2019 when completing back-to-back victories in the race for trainer Willie Mullins.
Michael J McDonagh also trains POSITIVE THINKER, who is very consistent, having won three times and been placed on 10 occasions from his 17 races. He’s run well in being placed in handicap chases off 113, 117 and 119 in his last three races. He’s still rated 119 and was beaten eight lengths by Denis Hogan’s YOUNG DEV last time out (at Navan). He’ll be 6lbs better off at the weights at Naas if they both got into the handicap proper.
Robert Tyner’s BETTER TIMES AHEAD, who, along with ANY SECOND NOW, is owned by JP McManus, finished sixth in a handicap chase at Cork when rated 119, which is still his rating. That was his first run for 334 days. He won a novices’ handicap chase off 107 in March 2023, but his current rating will make life tougher at Naas if he runs.
James Dullea’s KINGS HALO has won two of his last four races, including at Naas in a novices’ handicap chase (by 18 lengths) over 2m4f off 107. He’s now rated 118 but should be able to competitive from that mark at his level. He finished last of ten at Naas last time but finished lame that day.
Finally, Oliver McKiernan’s BUSHMANS PASS has won three of his eight races. He finished third from a rating of 116 at Gowran Park last time, beaten 13 lengths. He’s open to improvement, but this will be a big jump up from that.
STATS
- There has been one winning outright favourite in the last 10 years – Venitien de Mai (10/3) for Jim Dreaper in 2016, although Diol Ker (7/2) was joint-fav when winning in 2022.
- Noel Meade won in 2020 with Cap York and in 2022 with Diol Ker but will not have a runner this year. Willie Mullins is the only other dual winner in the last 10 years – Pairofbrowneyes (2018 and 2019).
- Seven of the last 10 winners carried 10st 12lbs or less
- Seven of the last 10 winners were returned at 17/2 or shorter
- Six of the last 10 winners were returned at 11/2 or shorter
- Age of last 10 winners – 7yo (one win), 8yo (4), 9yo (3), 10yo (1) and 11yo (1)
- And as mentioned above, every winner of the Leinster National since it became a €100,000 race in 2017 has been rated between 133 and 140, apart from Pairofbrowneyes (who was rated 146) in 2019 when completing back-to-back victories in the race for trainer Willie Mullins.
VERDICT –
In the last 10 years, the winner’s profile has been…
A horse aged 8 or 9, rated between 133-140, carrying 10st 12lbs or less and priced in single figures.
One horse looks set to tick all four of these boxes – WHERE IT ALL BEGAN