Ruby Walsh: Espanito Bello ticks all the right boxes for Irish Grand National

This time of year, as the ground starts to dry and the pace starts to crank up, is always a strange time of year

Espanito Bello. Picture: Healy Racing.

Last Tuesday, whilst walking across the Curragh riding work for Willie Mullins, I passed a throwaway comment that the sunshine on a beautiful spring afternoon would put you in good form, to which I got the very sharp reply from Paul Townend: “Easy spot the retired lad!” 

And that made me chuckle, because this time of year, as the ground starts to dry and the pace starts to crank up, was always a strange time of year. 

Which horses, coming off the winter ground, would handle the drier ground of the early spring festivals? Cheltenham have done such a good job watering lately that you don’t really get to find out there, so it’s usually Fairyhouse at Easter.

An early Easter probably suits Fairyhouse because you haven’t had the long spring days to dry wet winter ground.

In today’s feature, the RYBO Handicap Hurdle, Paul has plumped for Ruaille Buaille. She was eighth in that race in Leopardstown - the one which subsequent Coral Cup winner Heaven Help Us won, subsequent Pertemps winner Mrs Milner fell in, and subsequent Mares’ Novice Hurdle winner Telmesomethinggirl finished third in - so I can see why he has gone for her.

He could easily have gone for Hybery, on the drying ground, but maybe Paul has given him enough chances and maybe the horse is always going to be unlucky.

But I think the one of Willie’s that could be value is the one ridden by Aubrey McMahon: Uradel. I thought he ran really well on his first run after a long lay-off, at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he could be the one to collect.

That’s today’s feature. In the other decent race on today’s card, Elimay will try and make amends for her Cheltenham defeat. That’s probably the wrong phrase because no matter what she does today in Fairyhouse, it isn’t going to make up for not winning in Cheltenham, but she can get back to winning ways, and beat the Kim Muir winner, Mount Ida. I think she has too much class for her, and there’s no Colreevy in this race.

Tomorrow’s card at Fairyhouse is all about the novices. Six of the races have ‘novice’ in the title, and the other two are a maiden hurdle, so you have to be a novice, and a bumper, which is pre-novice.

The feature is the Grade 1 Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase and Willie runs three. Asterion Forlonge will be most people’s choice, while Janidil was travelling well when tipping up in the Grade 1 won by Monkfish at the Dublin Racing Festival, but I think the step up in trip could see a huge improvement in Franco De Port and he could be the one.

IN the other Grade 1 contest on the card, the mares’ novice hurdle, I’m not sure where you pick the winner from. I think the mares’ programme has been a huge boost for the breeders because it has given fillies a value as racehorses and not just as breeding stock, and that has to be a boost for anybody when they’re waiting to see if they’re going to have a filly or a gelding. With this new programme, National Hunt fillies have a real value.

It’s a really competitive race, and Willie runs plenty, but I’m a fan of Atlantic Fairy. I thought Henry de Bromhead’s mare was very good in Navan, but I would probably shout the loudest for Santa Rossa, trained by Dermot McLoughlin. She’s a really good mare, and he is a really talented small trainer.

But it is the 22nd of Fairyhouse’s 23 Easter races – the BoyleSports Irish Grand National - which is undoubtedly the highlight of the three days and, in fact, it is one of the highlights of the whole season. It has a famous history and an interesting future if you look at Monday’s teatime event. Trends, if you read them coldly, will put you straight off the favourite, Latest Exhibition. They tell us 16 of the last 17 winners carried less than 11 stone, but that one horse, Our Duke, who belied the burden of weight was remarkably similar to this year’s favourite.

He had run in the same two Grade 1 novice chases prior to his Grand National victory. He won one and was second in the other but didn’t run into one certain Monkfish. Although he carried 6lb less, at 11-4, he was a runaway winner.

Back in 2000, Commanche Court carried 11-4 too and, in 1998, Bobbyjo lugged 11-3 to beat Papillon, who carried 12 stone, by half a length. The point I’m making is that class horses come to the fore in this great race, and when a novice as talented as Paul Nolan’s charge lines up in this contest, it deserves the upmost respect.

Willie Mullins runs five and if you are into taking an edge, have a little on Robin De Carlow now with a view to trading out because, after the public has had its say, there is no way the horse ridden by Rachael Blackmore will be 50-1 by post time on Monday evening.

Rain would help Salsaretta and Dragon D’estruval, while a few bypassed fences would be a help for Brahma Bull. As you complete the process of elimination, it is easy to figure out why Paul Townend opted for Agusta Gold.

It will be her first start since joining Willie, and she has each-way claims.

Of Denise Foster’s four, I would probably side with Escaria Ten, even though a quick turnaround for long-distance chasers is not my preference. The handicapper could have Foster’s other three runners in his grasp.

Joseph O’Brien runs the consistent Home By The Lee and last season’s Albert Bartlett sixth, Sempo. The latter looks the least exposed of Joseph’s four, if you think he will stay.

The Big Dog, trained by Peter Fahey, will have his supporters too. His rider, Jamie Codd, was probably happy to see Tiger Roll head for Aintree, but the 9lb rise he got for his Punchestown win under a good ride from Jamie might be too much for him for here.

So, what do I fancy? Espanito Bello. I like everything about this horse’s profile: his age, his relevant experience without exposing himself, all at tracks that require good jumping, and an eye-catching prep for this off the back of a break.

I view his mistake at the last at Navan behind Coko Beach as a good learning curve for this horse and, at around 14-1, he could give Mark Bolger and Barry Connell a dream win in their first season together.