Tipping 
/ Stuart Jones / 22 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Champion trainer Willie Mullins is still looking for his first winner of the Irish National
"Some Target is still unexposed over fences, especially at extreme distances, and current odds of [14.0] look to underplay his potential".
The Irish Grand National is the feature race at Fairyhouse on Easter monday and Stuart Jones takes you through the most interesting runners......
Beautiful Sound will have gone onto plenty of people's shortlists for this race after an eye-catching third to Holmwood Legend in the Byrne Group Plate at Cheltenham last month and it's not that surprising to see him as short as [8.0] at the time of writing. Lightly raced and progressive, Beautiful Sound did well to get as close as he did to the winner at Cheltenham, given plenty of time to recover from blunders at the second and third, and hampered when starting to make ground four out. However, he's not even guaranteed a run in the race yet (currently second reserve), didn't look totally happy on the ground at Cheltenham (hung left), and represents little ante-post value at the current odds.
Prince Erik took a while to get his act together over fences, jumping errors blighting his early efforts, but he appears to have put those problems behind him this term and has won two of his last four starts over the larger obstacles, beating Montan by a neck in a novice at Naas in March. Prince Erik has been hit hard for those wins, though, this chase mark 25 lb higher than his last winning one over hurdles, whilst he's far from certain to stay this far. Therefore others make more appeal.
Willie Mullins has a predictably strong hand in a race he has somewhat surprisingly never had the winner of, and Some Target looks to have the best chance of his five entries. Better than the result suggests when a never-nearer fifth behind Chicago Grey in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last month, Some Target is still unexposed over fences, especially at extreme distances, and current odds of [14.0] look to underplay his potential.
The [16.0] about Organisedconfusion looks plenty short enough given what he's actually achieved over fences. Lucky to win a minor event at Clonmel in February, Organisedconfusion admittedly showed improved form when touched off by Ruler of All in a novice hurdle at Gowran since, but his suspect jumping has to be a concern in a big field like this and he's already been beaten from lower chase marks in the past.
Leading owner JP McManus has enjoyed his fair share of success in the race and he is represented by several of those prominent in the betting. Running plans are yet to be confirmed for British raiders Quantitiveeasing, Sunnyhillboy and Synchronised, but none of the trio would be of any real interest were they to take part, anyway. Quantativeasing has never shaped like one crying out for this marked step up in trip, similar applies to the suspect jumper Sunnyhillboy, and although proven over marathon distances, Synchronised is coming to the end of a hard season and the ground appears to be going against him.
The Paul Nolan-trained See U Bob also sports the famous McManus silks, but whilst he's been in very good heart over fences of late, narrowly beaten by Hughies Grey at Navan last time, he looks an extremely doubtful stayer and is of more interest for place-laying purposes than win ones.
Whatuthink is an interesting runner from the Oliver McKiernan yard. Third to Bluesea Cracker in last year's corresponding event, the formerly smart hurdler has had a much lighter campaign this term (reportedly suffered a broken jaw at Aintree), and hinted that a return to his best was close when a patiently-ridden third to Hughies Gray at Navan last time, finishing best of all. Whatuthink is just a pound higher in the weights than last year and looks to have excellent each-way claims at [14.0].
The aforementioned Hughies Grey has really come good over fences since the turn of the year, winning the Ulster National at Downpatrick and then showing useful form to beat See u bob in a Grade 2 at Navan last time. He's unlikely to get things his own way up front to such an extent this time, though, and the handicapper appears to have overreacted to that recent improvement.
In summary, the participation of current favourite Beautiful Sound is obviously going to be a major factor in a typically competitive renewal of one of Ireland's premier staying events, but there is sufficient doubt about him to want to look elsewhere, and punters could do a lot worse than backing Some Target and Whatuthink in the win and place markets.
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