Willie Mullins trio among 26 left in Irish Grand National

Early fancies Nick Rockett, Intense Raffles, Desertmore House, Yeah Man and Hartur D'arc top the 26 acceptors for the €500,000 BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.

Nick Rockett is one of three horses in the mix to give Willie Mullins a back-to-back win following last year's success for I Am Maximus. The seven-year-old could be joined in highlight by his stable companions We’llhavewan and Minella Cocooner.

A National winner with Lion Na Bearnai in 2012, Tom Gibney is set to run Intense Raffles which is fast becoming a Fairyhouse specialist as he’s unbeaten on two visits to the course.

Martin Brassil, successful himself with Numbersixvalverde in 2005, is responsible for Desertmore House, winner of the Kerry National at Listowel in September of last year, while Gavin Cromwell boasts two leading fancies with both Yeah Man, a winner at Haydock on his last start, and the recent Naas winner Hartur D’arc, set to line out.

While Gordon Elliott still boasts the greatest number of entries. Favori De Champdou and Where It All Began are perhaps the two that give Elliott his best chance of winning the race for the second time after General Principle’s victory in 2018.

Henry de Bromhead looks set to rely on Senior Chief while Ted Walsh has the far more experienced Any Second Now, already placed second and third in recent renewals of the Aintree equivalent and a former winner of the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.

The Tony Martin-trained Good Time Jonny and Karl Thornton’s Where’s Frankie, a four-time Fairyhouse winner, are certainly interesting contenders along with Dermot McLoughlin’s Digby. McLoughlin was the first trainer in almost 50 years to win consecutive renewals of the National when successful with 150/1