Pre-race favourite Soldier In Milan wins Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse

SOLDIER IN MILAN delivered a big win for the Easter Monday punters as he bolted clear to win the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

The Emmet Mullins-trained seven-year-old had run just five times under rules heading into the showpiece, a sequence incorporating a Punchestown Festival bumper success last spring followed by four runs over fences this season.

While he was beaten into fourth as a hot favourite for a Grade Three novice chase at Thurles last month, confidence was clearly high ahead of this acid test as he was a well-supported 6-1 favourite as the tapes went up, and he raced up with the pace throughout under Donagh Meyler.

After taking over the lead from British raider Monbeg Genius leaving the back straight for the final time, Soldier In Milan tanked his way to the third fence from home and the heavy fall of his nearest pursuer and chief market rival Kiss Will left him clear.

Showurappreciation and The Enabler did their best to bridge the gap, but neither were able to lay a glove on the hugely impressive winner, who passed the post with 16 lengths in hand, seeing him earn a quote of 33-1 for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup with Paddy Power.

– Energumene rolls back the years –

Dual Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Energumene proved the fire still burns bright with an emphatic victory in Monday’s Grade Two chase.

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The Willie Mullins-trained veteran claimed the two-mile chasing crown at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and 2023 and while he is now in the twilight of his career at the age of 12, he clearly retains plenty of ability and enthusiasm for the game.

Stepping up to two and a half miles for the first time since November 2020, Energumene was a 9-4 chance in the hands of Paul Townend and the extra stamina test clearly suited as he travelled strongly throughout and was not hard-pressed to score by six lengths from stablemate Blood Destiny, with Gordon Elliott’s 13-8 favourite Found A Fifty well beaten in third.

– Proactif leads Mullins 1-2-3 –

Proactif bounced back from Cheltenham Festival disappointment with a battling success in the Grade Two juvenile hurdle.

Impressive over the course and distance on his Irish debut, the Willie Mullins-trained four-year-old finished down the field as the 7-2 favourite for last month’s Triumph Hurdle, but he was a heavily supported 5-4 shot to reward those who kept the faith back on home soil.

Proactif took over the lead from stablemate Kai Lung three flights from home and while he was strongly pressed by another Closutton inmate in Macho Man after the last, he dug deep for Mark Walsh to prevail by a neck, with Majolique rounding off a Mullins one-two-three.