Talking Horses: Max Flamingo can take leap forward in Irish Grand National

The 150-1 success of Freewheelin Dylan last year was a reminder that the Irish Grand National can be every bit as unpredictable as the original, and this year’s renewal also includes six runners who failed to complete the first circuit at Aintree last week.

That half-dozen includes Run Wild Fred, who was backed down to just 8-1 shortly before the off but fell at the Canal Turn, and Enjoy D’Allen, another fancied runner, who unseated his rider when stumbling on landing over the first.

The record of Aintree Grand National runners on Easter Monday is poor, however: of 22 runners to have gone on from Liverpool to Fairyhouse since 2004, 14 were pulled up, five more finished 10th or worse and only one (in fourth) has even made the frame.

Gaillard Du Mesnil, the early favourite, is making his handicap debut off 154 having run third in the Grade One Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and clearly has scope for progress after just four chase starts.

This is a very different test, however, and there are other contenders at better odds with as much, if not more, potential for improvement over extreme distances. Max Flamingo (nap 5.00) is perhaps the most interesting of these.

Francis Casey’s seven-year-old has improved steadily over fences this season during a campaign that has seemingly been planned with Monday’s race in mind, and the move up to a marathon trip could well see him take another big step forward.

Fakenham 1.00 Obey The Rules 1.35 Forever William 2.10 Restitution 2.45 Equus Millar 3.20 Bermeo 3.55 Law Of Gold 4.30 Coin Basket 

Redcar 1.39 True Warfare 2.14 Wilkins 2.49 Jems Bond 3.24 Il Bandito 3.59 Asjad 4.34 Mount Kosciuszko 5.09 London Eye 5.44 Ey Up Its The Boss

Kempton Park 1.45 Ocean Cloud