No Fairyhouse fairytale for Royal contenders
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The Noel Meade trained Fierce Handay clears the last and goes on to win the Fairyhouse Steel Handicap Hurdle. Photo: David Mullen/www.cyberimages.net David MullenImage 2 of 15
Dunboyne’s Sophie McElroy, Meabh Brady, Lauren Reilly, Ryan Crehan, Isabel Byrne and Izy Boucher at Fairyhouse on Monday. David MullenImage 3 of 15
Galway girl Sharon Burke with Callum Ryan from Dunshaughlin and Drumree’s Leanne McMorrow at Fairyhouse on Monday. David MullenImage 4 of 15
Locals Alex Randles, Dearbhla Fairbairn, Sophie Anne and Nicholas Randles at Fairyhouse on Monday. David MullenImage 5 of 15
Dunshaughlin and Ratoath racegoers Shane Duggan, Darragh Vallence, Shane Dowling, Olivia O’Driscoll, Ciara Eiffe, Aine Cooney, Jessica Chalkley and Jordan Bruce at Fairyhouse on Monday. David MullenImage 6 of 15
Ratoath’s Danu Bergin and Conor O’Brien with Cara Alice and Theo O’Brien at Fairyhouse. David MullenImage 7 of 15
Ashbourne’s Jillian Ryan and Aoibheann Shortt. David MullenImage 8 of 15
Walterstown’s Rosanna O’Neill and Sarah Jane Lyons. David MullenImage 9 of 15
Dunshaughlin’s Sophie Reilly and Abbi Roche. David MullenImage 10 of 15
Summerhill racegoers Scott Williams, Rhys King and Dylan Mooney. David MullenImage 11 of 15
Kilmessan’s Lily O’Callaghan and Dunshaughlin’s Eve Moore at Fairyhouse on Monday. David MullenImage 12 of 15
Ratoath’s Summer Kremer, Caitlin Flanagan and Freya Jordon. David MullenImage 13 of 15
Navan’s Aoibhinn Lyons, Megan McGuinness, Jane Smyth and Síofra Maguire. David MullenImage 14 of 15
Boardsmill’s: Emilie Buffini, Isabella McKeown, Ciara Duffy and Anamay Cribbin. David MullenImage 15 of 15
Dunboyne’s Cillian Fitzpatrick, Daragh Higgins, Hugo De Miranda and Ty Finn. David MullenNine winners for Meath trainers over Easter Festival
There was no Fairyhouse fairytale for the Royal protectors on their home turf as Emmet Mullins Soldier In Milan held off all-comers to claim the Irish Grand National in sensational style on Easter Monday.
Gordon Elliott's The Enabler got closest for local connections, but he was still 20 lengths adrift of the 6/1 favourite who enjoyed the easiest of wins under Donagh Meyler to finish 16 lengths clear of Mark Walsh on board Jonathan Sweeney's Showurappreciation in second.
Bective Stud's Better Days Ahead was sixth for Elliott with the only other Meath finisher of the 10 that completed the race being Born Braver for Gavin Cromwell back in 10th.
While the big race eluded Meath trainers the Royal raiders did saddle nine winners across the three day Festival with Gordon Elliott maintaining his hopes of claiming the champion trainers title with three wins.
Gavin Cromwell and Noel Meade shared four winners between them, while Robinstown's Cian Collins and Batterstown's Eddie Cawley were also in the winners enclosure at their local track.
It only took Cromwell until the second race of the Festival to get off the mark when Me Wee Bonnie Lass landed the Mares Chase, while Elliott scored with an 80/1 winner in the handicap hurdle when Sept Etoiles won under Danny Gilligan to ease the pain of Willie Mullins winning the big race of the day, RYBO Hurdle worth €100,000, with 22/1 shot Kalix Delabarriere.
Cromwell completed a first day double when Belladaball won the concluding bumper at odds of 9/1.
Noel Meade was quick out of the traps on Sunday as Colcannon won the opening race to justify 5/2 favouritism and Collins made it a Meath double from the first two races when his Katie Daniels won at odds of 33/1.
Elliott followed up with his first winner of the weekend when Koktail Brut won the €60,000 Novice Hurdle.
Cawley's Come Walk With Me took the Novice Handicap Chase at 9/2 to complete the Royal winners on Sunday, while the feature Honeysuckle Novice Hurdle went to Westmeath trainer Ciaran Murphy's Zanoosh.
Meade's second winner of the Festival came in the third race on Monday as Fierce Handay scored under Harry Cobden for JP McManus to justify 11/2 joint favouritism.
Energumene put a dent in Elliott's champion trainer title challenge by landing the €100,000 Fairyhouse Chase for Willie Mullins, but the Summerhill man did claw back some money in the concluding race of the Festival when the highly regarded Charismatic Kid won the bumper at 3/1.
John Sheridan, General Manager of Fairyhouse, said: “This has been a phenomenal weekend of racing with a modern-day record attendance over the three days. Today's Irish Grand National saw an incredible winner in Soldier In Milan.
“I am incredibly proud of the team and all the effort that has been put into this Festival. The learnings were taken from last year in terms of customer experience improvements and I'm thrilled to see this result.”