Fairyhouse races don’t come any bigger than the Irish Grand National of 2025 on the final day of the track’s Easter Festival on Monday, 21 April. The Emerald Isle’s equivalent of the Aintree and Ayr showpieces we’ve seen in recent weeks is as late as it can be.
Traditionally a three-day meeting, this year’s Easter Festival lost its opening day to torrential rain in Ireland. This caused waterlogging at the track and leaves the Easter Sunday card in doubt. That includes two Grade 1 races in the WllowWarm Gold Cup for novice chasers and Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle.
Rain-softened ground in springtime suits some horses more than others. Easter Monday isn’t just about the Irish Grand National in 2025, but three Grade 2s including the John McInerney Memorial Fairyhouse Chase and a juvenile hurdle.
The Fairyhouse races during the Easter Festival provide plenty on horse racing betting sites to wager on, if punters look across the Irish Sea. There are other handicaps and events of interest as well as the Emerald Isle’s most valuable handicap chase.
We turn to our horse racing experts for their analysis of the highlights across the Easter Sunday and Monday cards. Check out their thoughts from the respective days in Ireland below…
Fairyhouse Races Preview for Easter Sunday, 20 April – Gold Cup & Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle
1:52 – Listed 2m 140y Novice Handicap Chase (0-150)
Springt De La Mare could have more to offer back at Fairyhouse races where he landed his chasing debut over course and distance. Conor Stone-Walsh now takes the ride and 3lb off with his claim. Cromwell also has Path D’Oroux, but he’s relatively exposed compared to most in the field.
Nolan pair Conyers Hill and Release The Beast both finished sixth last time out, but both retain potential for further progress. The former came home behind Henry De Bromhead’s Jasko Des Dames in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival. Both can run from 2lb lower in Ireland than that day, so can have a say in the finish.
2:22 – 2m 4f Grade 1 Gold Cup Novice Chase
@PTownend gets it right on board Spindleberry, who progressed through the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase nicely, and picks off Bioluminescence at the last 🏆@WillieMullinsNH | @IrishEBF_ | @Fairyhouse pic.twitter.com/07ZRkYU74G
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) February 22, 2025
Willie Mullins has won the Easter Sunday feature in five of the last six seasons. He runs three with Paul Townend on Champ Kiely, but gong chasing relatively late in his career is a concern. The stable’s mare SPINDLEBERRY has form figures at Fairyhouse races of 12 including when runner-up on this card last year.
She receives a 7lb sex allowance from the geldings and split two useful females in the Honeysuckle race. Spindleberry arrives seeking a hat-trick over fences. Ile Atlantique, left fresh for this, may be the biggest danger with Closutton seemingly holding all the aces.
Gordon Elliott runs two with Down Memory Lane and Firefox, but both must improve on their best chasing form to get in amongst the Mullins mounts. Kilbarry Saint completes the line-up, but has most to find on official ratings with the other five.
4:10 – 2m 4f Grade 1 Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle
De Bromhead has a very strong hand himself, however, courtesy of The Big Westerner and AIR OF ENTITLEMENT. Preference is for the latter. Air Of Entitlement needed every yard in the Dawn Run to get up and land Grade 2 glory last month.
She also beat Sixandahalf, plus plenty of re-opposing Mullins mounts in the process. Air Of Entitlement wants to go back up to this trip on that evidence. The Big Westerner, meanwhile, just didn’t have the Flat speed of Champion Bumper hero Jasmin De Vaux when they met in the Albert Bartlett.
That other De Bromhead runner may lose out in that department again, but still rates a big threat. He also runs Tareze out to atone for a last time out fall. At bigger odds, meanwhile, Limerick Grade 3 winner World Of Fortunes is worth her place in the line-up and could outrun her price.
Fairyhouse Races Preview for Easter Monday, 21 April – Irish Grand National 2025
2:40 – 2m Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle
Not a very deep renewal of the race registered as the Percy Maynard. While Wendrock tops official figures and heads the market, he was no match for Puturhandstogether or Murcia at Cheltenham or Aintree. Blue Lemons pulled up in the Triumph Hurdle, meanwhile, so ITS BILBO looks the value.
Another De Bromhead inmate, he kept on into fifth in this grade when never near to challenge around Leopardstown through the festive fog at Christmastime. Its Bilbo now has Rachael Blackmore aboard for the first time and that may be a tip in itself.
The others make little appeal. Andrew Slattery filly Preparations has totally different conditions facing her upped in class, while Messerschmitt, Ephesus and Holy See fall short of this level on both all known form and ratings.
3:50 – 2m 3f 180y Grade 2 Rathbarry & Glenview Stud Hurdle
If KALA CONTI can bounce back after only finishing seventh against fellow females at the Cheltenham Festival, then she looks a bit of each-way value. Rain is no problem for her, so conditions will suit and as the joint-youngest in the line-up aged five, there could still be more to come.
Kala Conti’s stable companions Maxxum, Staffordshire Knot and Beacon Edge have less upside than the Mullins mounts, however. Nolan’s pair Feet Of A Dancer and Sandor Clegane often flatter to deceive, while victory continues to elude Colonel Mustard. Lantry Lady and long absent course and distance winner Spread Boss Ted are ones to note in the event of market support.
4:20 – 2m 4f Grade 2 John McInerey Memorial Fairyhouse Chase
Saint Sam is always dangerous in these small-field conditions races and commands respect from the Mullins mounts. Closutton also has Blood Destiny and Killcruit lining up. De Bromhead and Robcour run Journey With Me alongside his owner-stable companion.
Elliott pair Found A Fifty and Ash Tree Meadow have bits and pieces of form that mean they could also have a say in the finish, however. None has the upwardly mobile profile of Heart Wood, albeit he’s well-found in the market on this occasion.
5:00 – 3m 5f Grade 3 Irish Grand National 2025
Bioluminescence faces any number of dangers in the Irish Grand National of 2025, of course. From within her own stable, both Now Is The Hour and fellow mare Malina Girl rank high on the list. The former fell, but still may have had something left in the National Hunt Chase won by Haiti Couleurs.
Rebecca Curtis crosses the Irish sea with her stable star from Wales and this progressive novice should go well, provided he handles conditions. Leading owner JP McManus runs five and has one of the reserves. Besides Bioluminescence, Sa Majeste looks interesting back on home soil.
On Kim Muir form from Cheltenham, there’s something to find with front two Daily Present and Johnnywho. Sa Majeste is better off at the weights with both, however, and it brings him into calculations. Johnnywho will like the ground, but seems best caught first time out.
McManus and Ted Walsh veteran Any Second Now and Martin Brassil’s Panda Boy have both placed in the race before. Whether they can do so again remains to be seen, though. Kinturk Kalanisi is a notable novice from last year’s successful Thomas Gibney yard.
Another is second reserve Will Do, but whether Elliott and Gigginstown can secure enough defections that he takes part is in doubt. Similar comments apply to McManus bottom weight Canal End.
