The Irish Grand National is one of the great National Hunt chases in the racing calendar. Held annually on Easter Monday at the Fairytown racecourse, in County Meath, Republic of Ireland, it was first run in 1870 when inaugural winner, Sir Robert Peel, picked up the grand prize of 167 guineas. Last year’s winner, by comparison, took home prize money of over £120,000.

Since 1870, the race has been staged over the marathon distance of 3 miles and 5 furlongs (3 miles and 4 furlongs prior to 1991), or 5,834 meters, with only two exceptions. The 23-fence race was cancelled in 1919 and 1941 due to the small matter of the two World Wars.

The race is open only to horses aged five years or older, but the majority of winners have been aged between 7 and 11. Prior to Organisedconfusions win in the 2011 race, at 6 years old, the last winner who was under seven years old was back in 1985, when legendary chaser Rhyme ‘n’ Reason romped home. Last year’s winner also made history for being ridden by Nina Carberry, the first female jockey to take the title, and only second in the race’s history, since Ann Ferris in 1984. Her winning ride made such an impact that she went on to claim the Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year title off the back of her victory.

Carberry’s name was added to an impressive roll of honour. As well as Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, such legendary horses as Arkle and Desert Orchid, in 1964 and 1990 respectively, have won at Fairytown. Also, while Red Rum was winning the English Grand National three times in the mid-to-late 1970s, it was Brown Lad making history in County Meath. This record-breaking ride picked up three wins in 1975, 1976 and 1978. The race’s leading jockey is Pat Taaffe, who won six times in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, the all-time leading trainer is Tom Dreaper, whose ten wins from 1942 to 1966 included a spectacular seven-in-a-row in the early 1960s – with Taaffe in the saddle for three of those seven! The winning blood is obviously strong in the Dreaper family, with Tom’s son Jim training four winners himself in the 1970s, including all of Brown Lad’s victories. Two of those historic victories saw Nina Carberry’s father Tommy riding the winner.

It is still a rare achievement for an Irish Grand National winner to go on to achieve victory in the Aintree Grand National. The feat has still never been achieved in the same racing year. The first to complete the double was the 1904 Irish winner, Ascetic’s Silver, who won the English National in 1906. The achievement has since been completed just other three times in the 140 runnings of the race, by Rhyme ‘n’ Reason, Bobbyjo and Numbersixvalverde.