You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 Irish Grand National Preview
The traditional Easter Monday showpiece, the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse Racecourse, was first run in 1870 and is run over three miles and five furlongs for five-year-olds and upwards, tackling twenty-four standard national hunt fences.
The Irish National is a handicap chase carrying Grade 3 status; the roll of honour includes an impressive list of equine legends like Arkle, Flyingbolt, Tied Cottage, Desert Orchid, and Aintree Grand National winners Rhyme N'Reason, Bobbyjo, and Numbersixvalverde.
Usually staged pretty close to the Aintree and Scottish equivalents, depending on the Easter calendar, it is not surprising that no Irish Grand National winner has won the Aintree National in the same season. Still, those three former greats listed above are among those to have done the double.
Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde both won the Irish version before winning at Aintree the following year, so it's worth making a note of the Irish Grand National winner for future tips.
Irish Grand National Information:
- Irish Grand National Past Winners
- Irish Grand National Trainer Statistics
- Irish Grand National Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Fairyhouse tips page that will cover this race, as well as all the other races on the day. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Fairyhouse Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Irish Grand National market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2024, when the race had an over-round of 133%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 153%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Irish Grand National, the over-round has been 143%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ143 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Irish Grand National Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Irish Grand National Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Irish Grand National races over the last 20 renewals:
- Butlers Cabin (7:21.60) in 2007
- Niche Market (7:31.70) in 2009
- Organisedconfusion (7:35.10) in 2011
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Irish Grand National next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +5.50. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Irish Grand National, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2018 renewal when General Principle from Gordon Elliott under the guidance of J J Slevin, won in a time of 9:02.20, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Butlers Cabin, trained by Jonjo O'Neill and ridden by A P McCoy set the quickest time of 7:21.60 in the 2007 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Irish Grand National Past Winners
Here are the Irish Grand National past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Irish Grand National are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 7:50.50 | Soldier In Milan (IRE) 7yo 11-0 6/1F | Donagh Meyler Emmet Mullins (IRE) |
| 2025 8:11.80 | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo 10-13 13/2 | Sean Bowen Rebecca Curtis (GB) |
| 2024 8:39.80 | Intense Raffles (FR) 6yo 11-4 13/2 | J J Slevin Thomas Gibney (IRE) |
| 2023 8:24.50 | I Am Maximus (FR) 7yo 11-1 8/1 | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2022 8:03.80 | Lord Lariat (IRE) 7yo 9-12 40/1 | P J O'Hanlon (7lbs) Dermot A McLoughlin (IRE) |
| 2021 7:48.10 | Freewheelin Dylan (IRE) 9yo 10-8 150/1 | Ricky Doyle Dermot A McLoughlin (IRE) |
| 2019 7:47.60 | Burrows Saint (FR) 6yo 10-8 6/1F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2018 9:02.20 | General Principle (IRE) 9yo 10-0 20/1 | J J Slevin Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2017 7:47.20 | Our Duke (IRE) 7yo 11-4 9/2F | Robbie Power Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2016 7:55.70 | Rogue Angel (IRE) 8yo 10-6 16/1 | Ger Fox (3lbs) M F Morris (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Irish Grand National have been based:
- IRE: 16 winners with an additional 56 placings from 503 runners
- GB: 4 winners with an additional 2 placings from 39 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2026 Irish Grand National Replay
Irish Grand National Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Irish Grand National over the last 20 renewals, with W P Mullins, M F Morris, Jonjo O'Neill, Thomas Gibney, and Dermot A McLoughlin having all won the race two times. W P Mullins winners have been with Burrows Saint (2019) and I Am Maximus (2023). M F Morris winners have been with Hear The Echo I (2008) and Rogue Angel (2016). Jonjo O'Neill winners have been with Butlers Cabin (2007) and Shutthefrontdoor (2014). Thomas Gibney winners have been with Lion Na Bearnai (2012) and Intense Raffles (2024). Dermot A McLoughlin winners have been with Freewheelin Dylan (2021) and Lord Lariat (2022). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Irish Grand National. Noel Meade (0-26), A J Martin (0-18), Paul Nolan (0-15), Gavin Cromwell (0-14), Michael Hourigan (0-13) and Joseph Patrick O'Brien (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Irish Grand National trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 57-2-12 | -41.00 | -20.36 |
| M F Morris | 14-2-6 | +37.00 | +35.01 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 11-2-4 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
| Thomas Gibney | 7-2-2 | +34.50 | +19.69 |
| Dermot A McLoughlin | 5-2-2 | +187.00 | +115.75 |
| Gordon Elliott | 80-1-10 | -59.00 | -36.74 |
| A L T Moore | 8-1-2 | +5.00 | +1.00 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 5-1-1 | +0.50 | -1.19 |
| Bob Buckler | 2-1-1 | +32.00 | +19.63 |
| Mrs D A Love | 1-1-1 | +50.00 | +25.00 |
Irish Grand National Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Irish Grand National over the last 20 renewals is J J Slevin, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from General Principle (2018) and Intense Raffles (2024). Multiple jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Irish Grand National. Mark Walsh (0-16), Danny Mullins (0-11), Sean Flanagan (0-11) and Phillip Enright (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite having multiple rides in the race.
Here are some of the top Irish Grand National jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| J J Slevin | 7-2-3 | +21.50 | +15.19 |
| Paul Townend | 15-1-4 | -6.00 | -6.12 |
| Donagh Meyler | 8-1-2 | -1.00 | +0.00 |
| Ricky Doyle | 3-1-1 | +148.00 | +91.75 |
| P J O'Hanlon | 2-1-1 | +39.00 | +24.00 |
| Sean Bowen | 2-1-1 | +5.50 | +3.06 |
| Harry Skelton | 1-1-1 | +33.00 | +20.63 |
| Mark Walsh | 16-0-3 | -16.00 | -10.44 |
| Danny Mullins | 11-0-4 | -11.00 | +2.13 |
| Sean Flanagan | 11-0-0 | -11.00 | -11.00 |
2027 Irish Grand National Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 7, 6, (2, PU), 4, UR, 3, PU, PU, 1, PU, PU, 1, F, 1, 4, 3, PU, 7, 3, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Break of 21 - 480 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Not BL/BR/BZ/CH/RG/WH in colour
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved a TS of 71+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Fewer than 4 races (Class)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Had 2 - 13 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not on GD/GF (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Off a break of 17 - 173 days
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Furthest ran 2m5f - 4m½f
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Won within last 9 starts
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 5 - 31 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved a TS of 76+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - In a field of 6 - 22 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 84+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Had 1 - 8 placings (Chase)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 3 - 10 races (Season)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Fairyhouse racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Irish Grand National. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over ÂŁ6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Irish Grand National by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Irish Grand National Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +156.00, is when runners had 0 career places in higher class races.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 career start on the going, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-83.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Irish Grand National is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 510 runners, while female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 35 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Irish Grand National; that stallion, Presenting, has produced 3 winners (2016,2015,2009).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Irish Grand National despite multiple attempts:
- Old Vic (0 Wins from 19 runners)
- Flemensfirth (0 Wins from 17 runners)
- Beneficial (0 Wins from 12 runners)
- Westerner (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- Saddlers Hall (0 Wins from 10 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Freewheelin Dylan in 2021, winning for Dermot A McLoughlin at odds of 150/1 under the guidance of Ricky Doyle. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2027 Irish Grand National, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Irish Grand National
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Irish Grand National. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Soldier In Milan Thurles - 4th of 6 (11/8) | Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase |
| 2025 - Haiti Couleurs Cheltenham - 1st of 18 (7/2) | National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup |
| 2024 - Intense Raffles Fairyhouse - 1st of 4 (4/6) | Book Your Advanced Tickets Rated Novice Chase |
| 2023 - I Am Maximus Cheltenham - 4th of 10 (29/1) | Brown Advisory Novices' Chase |
| 2022 - Lord Lariat Fairyhouse - 5th of 9 (4/1) | Fairyhouse Easter Festival 16th - 18th April Rated Chase |
| 2021 - Freewheelin Dylan Punchestown - 8th of 8 (50/1) | Irish Daily Star Salutes Our Frontline Heroes Chase |
| 2019 - Burrows Saint Limerick - 1st of 6 (6/5) | Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice Chase |
| 2018 - General Principle Leopardstown - 6th of 10 (5/1) | TRI Equestrian Handicap Chase |
| 2017 - Our Duke Leopardstown - 2nd of 6 (11/4) | Ladbrokes Novice Chase |
| 2016 - Rogue Angel Leopardstown - 4th of 13 (16/1) | TRI Equestrian Handicap Chase |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Irish Grand National Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal races at Fairyhouse Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Fairyhouse racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in February
Races in April
Races in November (Winter Festival)
Irish Grand National FAQs
FAQ
Irish Grand National FAQ
What time is the Irish Grand National?
The 2027 Irish Grand National will take place on Easter Monday, the 29th of March 2027, with the race taking place at 17:00 (GMT).
Who is the most successful Irish National horse?
With three wins in the 1970s, Brown Lad is the most successful horse in the race. He won the race in 1975, 1976 & 1978 for trainer Jim Dreaper. Tommy Carberry rode him in 1975-76 and then Gerry Dowd in 1978.
Who is the Irish Grand National leading trainer?
With an impressive ten wins, Tom Dreaper is the most successful trainer in this race. He won it three times, with Brown Lad the most successful horse in the race; his first win came in 1942 with Prince Regent and his last in 1966 with Flying Bolt.
Who is the leading jockey in the Irish National?
With a total of six wins, Pat Taaffe holds the record for most wins in the Irish National. His first win came in 1954 with Royal Approach, and his last in 1966 with Flying Bolt; four of his six wins came for trainer Tom Dreaper.
