Monday Racing Tips: Chief can be the boss at Fairyhouse

We’ve got a bumper day on our hands on Easter Monday, with no fewer than nine meetings taking place across the afternoon in the UK and Ireland.

Huntingdon kicks us off and is swiftly followed by Fakenham, Wolverhampton, Kempton, Cork, Redcar, Fairyhouse, Plumpton and Chepstow.

We have three strong fancies on Monday and these include a thoroughly unexposed Henry de Bromhead horse in the big race of the day, the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.

17:00 Fairyhouse - Senior Chief @ 10/1

The €350,000 Irish Grand National is the feature race of the day and it should be a very competitive affair. Recent trends suggest seven-year-olds are worth looking out for and Henry de Bromhead’s SENIOR CHIEF fits the brief.

Having had just three starts over fences to date, it’s highly unlikely that he has reached his full potential as of yet. It was always going to be a tough task when up against Gaelic Warrior on his chasing debut at Punchestown back in December and finishing third over an inadequate 2m3f was a fair effort.

He wasn’t beaten far when second to Minella Cocooner at Navan in January and he went one better at Punchestown last time out. Improvement will be required but he’s entitled to find it and the switch to handicaps will suit.

An opening handicap mark of 141 looks manageable and there should be loads more to come, with Rachael Blackmore on board.

14:25 Plumpton - Kotmask @ 9/2

Gary Moore is always a trainer to look out for at Plumpton and his runner in the Sussex Champion Chase, KOTMASK, is a bit of a course specialist. The six-year-old has been busy this season and he has made a good start to his chasing career.

Already a three-time winner over the larger obstacles, two of those victories have come here at Plumpton. This includes a length-and-a-half success over this trip on his penultimate start, where he beat the useful Scarface whilst giving him 4lb.

His jumping let him down at Sandown last time out but that is a notoriously challenging jumping track. Likely to find the Plumpton fences a little easier to negotiate, an improved effort is expected this time around.

16:20 Fairyhouse - Appreciate It @ SP

One who is on the comeback trail and could be worth looking out for is Willie Mullins’ APPRECIATE IT. Jockey bookings indicate that he’s the yard’s second string but if reproducing his best form here, he should be much too good for his opposition.

Finishing in front of stablemate and two-time Gold Cup-winner Galopin Des Champs when a narrow second in the Grade 1 John Durkin Chase in Punchestown in November, he has to be the one to side with on that evidence.

The 10-year-old didn’t stay when a well beaten fifth in the Savills Chase over Christmas and was probably feeling the effects of that run when disappointing at Clonmel last time out. He’s now been given plenty of time to get over that and he should be fresh and well here.

Mullins is more than capable of getting this horse back to his best and he should prove difficult to beat if finding his form once again.

Check out our Irish Grand National Tips here.