Duke success transforms Irish National landscape

The Irish Grand National had been in decline for a number of years, but one’s faith in Ireland’s premier National Hunt race was renewed by a scintillating display from Our Duke at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Those of us old enough to remember the likes of Arkle, Flyingbolt and Brown Lad have watched, if not exactly in horror, but certainly with disappointment, as the race gradually went down hill.

What it had developed into was a battle between numerous average enough horses for a lot of money, with Monday’s offering shaping as the same old story, for even more money.