Before the off: Irish Grand National Facts and Figures
€500,000 prizemoney on offer for the BoyleSports Irish Grand National which makes it the most valuable handicap chase in Ireland
3 miles and 5 furlongs: The distance of the BoyleSports Irish Grand National
30: The maximum number of runners in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National
24: The number of fences jumped in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National
8:39:80: The winning time of Intense Raffles, the 2024 BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner
The BoyleSports Irish Grand National is the sponsor’s biggest betting race in Ireland
350,000: The peak TV viewing audience for the 2024 BoyleSports Irish Grand National on RTÉ – the most watched race on RTÉ
1.1m: Viewed the race on ITV
Arkle, widely regarded as the greatest steeplechaser of all time, won the BoyleSports Irish Grand National in 1964
Sir Robert Peel was the first horse to win the Irish Grand National
Tom Dreaper is the most successful trainer of the Irish Grand National with a remarkable 10 successes
Pat Taaffe is the leading rider in the race with six victories
Brown Lad, trained by Jim Dreaper is the most successful horse, winning the race three times - 1975, 1976, 1978
Brendan Sheridan, Fairyhouse’s Clerk of the Course, won the race as a jockey on the Dermot Weld-trained Perris Valley in 1988
Ann Ferris was the first female jockey to win the race in 1984 on Bentom Boy
Jenny Pitman was the first female trainer to win the race with Mudahim in 1997
Katie Walsh and Sandra Hughes are the only female jockey/trainer team to win the race with Thunder And Roses in 2015
Nina Carberry, the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Midlands–North-West since the 2024, was the BoyleSports Irish Grand National winning rider in 2011
In 2014, Shutthefrontdoor was the 8/1 favourite and to this day, he remains BoyleSports biggest ever loser in the race which resulted in a six-figure loss for the Dundalk-based betting company
Liberty Counsel was the last mare to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National when scoring for at odds of 50/1 for trainer Dot Love in 2013
EASTER MONDAY
The BoyleSports Irish Grand National is traditionally held every year on Easter Monday at the County Meath racecourse. However, there have only been two renewals not held on Easter Monday. In 1988, the race was held on Saturday April 16 as a trial, while in 2001 an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in late February meant that the Irish Government suspended racing for a period of seven weeks which resulted in the race being held on Sunday May 6.
The race has been cancelled three times; In 1919 due to the War of Independence, in 1941 due to foot and mouth disease, and more recently in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
HISTORIC HORSES
The first running of the race was in 1870 and resulted in a success for a horse named Sir Robert Peel, owned and trained by L. Dunne, who proved best in a field of 12 runners.
A horse called Grand National won the 1876 renewal of the race where only six runners faced the starter.
Scots Grey was the first horse to win the race more than once – he proved successful in 1872 and then again three years later in 1875.
Other horses to win the race on more than one occasion were Little Hack in 1909 & 1913 and Halston in 1920 & 1922.
The first consecutive winner of the race was The Gift who triumphed in 1883 and 1884 but Brown Lad takes pride of place on the roll of honour. Trained by Jim Dreaper, he is the only three-time-winner of the race having won in 1975, 1976 and 1978.
In 2021, the BoyleSports Irish Grand National was run behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic and was won by Freewheelin Dylan under jockey Ricky Doyle and local trainer Dermot McLoughlin, becoming the biggest-priced winner in the race's history at 150-1.
FAMILY AFFAIRS
Many racing families are associated with the BoyleSports Irish Grand National.
12-time Champion Jockey Ruby Walsh won the race on Commanche Court in 2000 for his dad Ted who trained the horse. Ruby’s sister Katie also won the race on Thunder And Roses in 2015.
Siblings Paul Carberry (Bobbyjo), Philip Carberry (Point Barrow) and Nina Carberry (Organisedconfusion) have all won the race. Bobbyjo was trained by their dad Tommy. As a jockey Tommy Carberry won the race twice in 1975 and 1976. Organisedconfusion was trained by Arthur Moore - Paul, Philip and Nina’s Uncle. Arthur also rode the winner in 1971 (Kings Sprite) and trained the 1996 winner (Feathered Gale). Arthur’s dad, Dan Moore won the race in 1947 on Revelry.
Jockeys and brothers Barry and Ross Geraghty have both won the famous race – Ross in 2002 on The Bunny Boiler while Barry took the spoils in 2014 on Shutthefrontdoor.
The Taaffe family also have a close connection to the race. Pat Taaffe who will forever be associated with the great Arkle, won the race on six occasions, his brother Toss won in 1960 and Pat’s son Tom took the glory in 1987.
The Dreaper family are entwined in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National history and are the most successful family associated with the race. Father and son Tom and Jim trained 14 winners of the race between them. Ten by Tom Dreaper and four by Jim Dreaper.
Paddy Woods rode winners in 1963 (Last Link) and 1965 (Splash) while his son Francis also won the race on two occasions – in 1994 on Son of War and 1996 on Feathered Gale.
The late, great Dessie Hughes trained Timbera to win the race in 2003 and his daughter Sandra followed suit with Thunder And Roses in 2015.
Dermot McLoughlin trained Freewheelin’ Dylan to victory in 2021 and Lord Lariat in 2022 while his dad Liam won on Kerforo as a jockey in 1962.
TRAINERS
The legendary Tom Dreaper holds the record with a remarkable 10 successes beginning with the classy Prince Regent in 1942 and ending with Flyingbolt in 1966. In between those victories, Shagreen scored in 1949 and Royal Approach in 1954 before an incredible seven straight wins from 1960 to 1966 courtesy of Olympia (1960), Fortria (1961), Kerforo (1962), Last Link (1963), Arkle (1964), Splash (1965) and Flyingbolt (1966).
Tom Dreaper’s son, Jim Dreaper, has four successes to his credit as he was the man behind Brown Lad in 1975, 1976 and 1978 while he also saddled Colebridge to win in 1974.
Multiple champion trainer, Paddy Mullins, also enjoyed four successes with Vulpine (1967), Herring Gull (1968), Dim Wit (1972) and Luska (1981) while Michael O’Brien won the race three times with King Spruce (1982), Vanton (1992) and Glebe Lad (1999).
Trainer Michael ‘Mouse’ Morris saddled Hear The Echo to win in 2008 and Rogue Angel in 2016 and he also rode the winner, Billycan, in 1977 while trainer Arthur Moore also saddled two winners of the race with Feathered Gale in 1996 and Organisedconfusion in 2011 having partnered King’s Sprite to triumph in 1971.
The two leading trainers in Ireland in the last number of years, Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott, had to endure their share of placed efforts but Elliott made the breakthrough with General Principle in 2018 while Willie Mullins triumphed for the first time with Burrows Saint in 2019 and followed-up with I Am Maximus in 2023.
Dermot McLoughlin (Freewheelin Dylan in 2021 and Lord Lariat in 2022) is the only trainer to train back-to-back winners of the BoyleSports Irish Grand National since Jim Dreaper in 1970s.
Tom Gibney, who trains from his Trim base has won the famous race on two occasions - Lion Na Bearnai in 2012 and Intense Raffles in 2024.
JOCKEYS
Pat Taaffe is the leading rider in the race with six victories - Royal Approach (1954), Umm (1955), Zonda (1959), Fortria (1961), Arkle (1964) and Flyingbolt (1966).
In the early days, Mr R.H. Walker rode five winners courtesy of Lord Rivers (1908), Little Hack (1909), Small Polly (1912), Little Hack (1913) and Punch (1915).
12-time Irish Champion Jockey Ruby Walsh ended his career with three successes on Commanche Court in 2000, Numbersixvalverde in 2005 and Burrows Saint in 2019.
Another 3-time winner was Martin Molony who partnered Knights Cress (1944), Golden View (1946) and Dominicks Bar (1950) to success.
The winner of the 1929 race was Alike, who was owned and ridden by 5’ 4” Frank Wise who was missing three fingers and had a wooden leg.
Wexford jockey JJ Slevin has two BoyleSports Irish Grand Nationals on his CV – General Principle for Gordon Elliott in 2018 and Intense Raffles for Tom Gibney in 2024.
AMATEUR RIDERS
There have been the only five amateur riders to win this great race since the end of the Second World War. In contrast, between 1870 and 1945, there were 32 successful amateur riders.
There have been three successful female amateur riders. Ann Ferris created history by becoming the first female rider to win the Irish Grand National on Bentom Boy in 1984 while Nina Carberry guided Organisedconfusion to success in 2011 and Katie Walsh partnered Thunder And Roses to score in 2015.
Amateur jockey, Tony Robinson partnered Tied Cottage to win in 1979 while Adrian Maguire was still an amateur rider when he won on Omerta for Martin Pipe in 1991.
WEIGHTS
In more recent times, the top weight generally carries no more than 11st 10lb but back in the day some fine weight-carrying performances have been recorded none more so than the 1900 winner Mavis Of Meath. This six-year-old mare shouldered 12st 12lbs to victory which is a record.
When Halston won for the second time in 1922, he carried 12st 11lb while since 1960 the best weight carrying performance came from Flyingbolt who triumphed under 12st 7lbs just a month after winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham over two miles.
In two of Brown Lad’s successes, he defied the burden of 12st 2lbs while the last top weight to succeed was Flashing Steel in 1995 who carried 12st.
GRAND NATIONAL DOUBLES
Ascetic’s Silver in 1904 was the first Irish Grand National winner to subsequently go on and win the Aintree Grand National which he won in 1906.
Other horses who have managed to repeat that feat have been Rhyme N Reason in 1985 (won English Grand National in 1988), Bobbyjo (1998 Irish Grand National and 1999 English Grand National) and Numbersixvalverde who won the Irish Grand National in 2005 before taking the English equivalent 12 months later. I Am Maximus won in Fairyhouse in 2023 and then in Aintree in 2024.
ENGLISH WINNERS
Since 1960, there have been eight English trained victors with Rhyme N Reason in 1985, Desert Orchid in 1990, Omerta in 1991, Mudahim in 1997, Granit D’estruval in 2004, Butlers Cabin in 2007, Niche Market in 2009 and Shutthefrontdoor in 2014 proving successful.
AGES
In the early years there were plenty of five-year-old winners (14 in total) but Poolgowran in 1934 is actually the last five-year-old to win the race.
In more recent times six-year-olds have struggled to win and Burrows Saint in 2019 was just the third six-year-old to win since 1980.
Organisedconfusion in 2011 and Rhyme N Reason in 1985 were the other six-year-olds to win in this period.
The last thirteen-year-old to win was Overshadow in 1953 while in the long history of the race just two 14-year-olds have proved successful namely Little Hack in 1913 and Be Careful in 1923.
OWNERS
Mrs Peter Burrell enjoyed four wins with Colebridge scoring in 1974 while the famous Brown Lad won three times for her in 1975, 1976 and 1978.
Flashing Steel, the 1995 winner, was owned by former Taoiseach Charles J Haughey
In more recent times, Gigginstown House Stud owned by Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, has also enjoyed four successes with Hear The Echo in 2008, Thunder And Roses in 2015, Rogue Angel in 2016 and General Principle in 2018.
J.P. McManus first tasted victory with Bit Of A Skite in 1983 and more recently his colours were carried to victory by Butler’s Cabin in 2007, Shutthefrontdoor in 2014 and I Am Maximus in 2023.
Intense Raffle’s win in 2024 gave overseas owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede their first BoyleSports Irish Grand National winner.
BETTING
There have only been three winners of the Irish Grand National returned at odds-on and they were Tipperary Boy at 4/6 in 1901, Arkle at 1/2 in 1964 and Flyingbolt two years later at 8/11.
Desert Orchid was returned the 1/1 favourite when scoring in 1990 becoming the shortest priced winner since 1964.
In 2014, Shutthefrontdoor was the 8/1 favourite and to this day, he remains BoyleSports biggest ever loser in the race which resulted in a six-figure loss for the Dundalk-based betting company.
Burrows Saint (6/1 favourite) and Our Duke (9/2 favourite) gave punters plenty to cheer about by winning two of the last three renewals.
There have been plenty of long-priced winners since the year 2000 with Granit D’Estruval (2004), Hear The Echo (2008), Niche Moment (2009) and Lion Na Bearnai (2012) all proving successful at 33/1 while Bluesea Cracker (2010) popped up at 25/1 and three 20/1 winners were Point Barrow (2006), Thunder And Roses (2015) and General Principle (2018).
At the other end of the spectrum, Liberty Counsel won in 2013 at 50/1 in 2013. However, in 2021, 150/1 shot Freewheelin Dylan, trained beside Fairyhouse Racecourse by Dermot McLoughlin, became the longest priced winner in the history of the race.