Dream Looks Well Treated For Irish National

All eyes will be on Fairyhouse tomorrow for what is one of the biggest days in the Irish National Hunt calendar. The Irish Grand National is a race that every Irish owner and trainer would like to win, and with 14 runners for Gigginstown it is evidently a race that they are keen on winning for the third year in a row. Rogue Angel was the one last year for Mouse Morris, and this year I think Measureofmydreams looks overpriced for the same owners.

Measureofmydreams looks well handicapped on last year's form.

This 9yo son of Shantou is now trained by Noel Meade, and he has yet to find his best form since moving there from Willie Mullins’ yard. His recent form is more letters than numbers, but he is a better horse than he has shown this year and hopefully the return to slightly better ground can help him to revive his fortunes. He was last sighted unseating at the 15th at Aintree in the English National, but he didn’t have a hard race and he should be in good shape coming into this contest.

This horse was sent off at just 8/1 for the Scottish National last season but he fell at the third fence. He had previously run a massive race in the 4 miler at Cheltenham behind Minella Rocco and Native River off level weights, and he was only 6L behind the subsequent Gold Cup 2nd and 3rd placed finishers. The ground was good to soft for that contest, and he should get a similar sort of racing surface on Monday. Rain is forecast, and while I would prefer better ground he has won a Grade 2 on heavy before.

He will be ridden by talented young claimer Dylan Robinson who will take off a handy 5lb. That means that Measureofmydreams effectively races off a mark of 138, and if he can get back to the form of his Cheltenham run he has the ability to be very dangerous off that sort of rating. Robinson will be having just his 5th ride for Gigginstown, and of his previous four rides for the owners he has won on three for a very impressive 75% strike rate.

Obviously, given this horse’s recent form it is hard to be super confident about his chances, so stakes should be kept low. However, he has undoubtedly got the talent to figure and if he puts his best foot forward I think he is capable of running a big race. Noel Meade has his string in decent shape too, and he has already won this race with The Bunny Boiler back in 2002. Measureofmydreams can be backed at odds of 40/1, and at that sort of price he has to be worth chancing each way in a wide open looking race.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: MEASUREOFMYDREAMS E/W @ 40/1