The horse racing irish grand national delivered a major shock at Fairyhouse on Monday as Soldier In Milan powered away to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National in emphatic style. The Emmet Mullins-trained seven-year-old struck on just his fourth start under rules, turning a high-pressure Easter Monday feature into a one-sided finish. He crossed the line 16 lengths clear after travelling strongly throughout under Donagh Meyler.
Soldier In Milan takes control at Fairyhouse
Soldier In Milan went to post as a well-supported 6-1 favourite and was prominent from the start in the horse racing irish grand national. He moved smoothly through the race, took over from British raider Monbeg Genius leaving the back straight for the final time, and then quickened clear when key rival Kiss Will fell at the third-last fence from home.
From there, the race belonged to the Mullins runner. Showurappreciation and The Enabler tried to close the gap, but neither could make any real headway as the leader stayed on strongly to the finish. The performance was enough to earn him an early 33-1 quote for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup with some bookmakers.
Emmet Mullins praises the ride and the result
Emmet Mullins said the result had not fully sunk in after the race. “It hasn’t really hit home yet. I was pinching myself jumping the last with a lap to go, he was jumping and travelling and everything was going very smoothly, ” he said.
Mullins also highlighted the timing of the move into the lead and the importance of patience. “The biggest worry was bypassing the fourth last and hitting the front, ” he said. “I had warned Donagh that if everything is going right to wait as long as he can. He executed everything brilliantly, it was a brilliant ride. ”
The trainer added that leaving out a hurdle campaign had carried some risk, but his confidence in the horse’s class proved justified. “We always hoped he had the class to overcome the inexperience, ” he said. “He was smart out the gate and into gear. Fingers crossed we think he could be a classy individual. ”
Form, fitness, and the significance of the win
The win carried extra weight because Soldier In Milan had raced only five times under rules heading into the Fairyhouse showpiece. His record included a Punchestown Festival bumper success last spring and four runs over fences this season, plus a fourth-place finish when sent off favourite for a Grade Three novice chase at Thurles last month.
That background made the scale of the performance in the horse racing irish grand national even more striking. The seven-year-old not only handled the step up in pressure, but did so with authority, stretching the field and leaving no doubt about the result by the finish.
What else mattered on the card
The Fairyhouse meeting also produced a reminder of class elsewhere on the card, with dual Champion Chase winner Energumene rolling back the years at Grade 2 level. But the day’s defining story was Soldier In Milan, whose rise from limited experience to Grand National winner now places him firmly in the conversation after one of the most decisive recent renewals of the horse racing irish grand national.
What comes next will depend on how the horse comes out of this effort, but the performance has already changed expectations. For now, Fairyhouse belongs to Soldier In Milan, and the horse racing irish grand national has a new name stamped across it in bold.
