Connell sets sights on Irish National with Espanito Bello

Victory at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday would add further lustre to dream season.

Espanito Bello has the chance to cap a fine season for trainer Barry Connell in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National on Easter Monday.

While Connell has enjoyed plenty of high-profile victories as an owner, he is in just his third season with a licence, enjoying a halcyon campaign from his operation in Nurney, Kildare.

Marine Nationale and Good Land have both provided the former hedge fund manager with Grade One success this season, while the former gave him his first Cheltenham Festival winner as a member of the training ranks when downing Facile Vega with ease in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Now Connell is targeting the feature of Fairyhouse’s Easter Festival with Espanito Bello – who is as short as 12-1 with Paddy Power for the three-mile-five-furlong contest following his romp in the recent Leinster National.

“The plan is to run and the only way we wouldn’t run is if the ground dried up too much. But there looks to be rain due tomorrow and a bit more again at the weekend,” said the trainer.

“He’s in good shape and on the form of his run in Naas where he was back to his very best, we’re hoping he will acquit himself really well.

Trainer Barry Connell bids for Irish Grand National success at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday
Trainer Barry Connell bids for Irish Grand National success at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday (Brian Lawless/PA)

“Easter is early this year and he did run in the race once before. That was on good ground and he wasn’t in as good form as he is now.”

The nine-year-old was raised 11lb to a mark of 151 following his seven-and-a-half-length stroll at Naas, but Connell believes the handicapper has been fair in his assessment and his charge heads to Fairyhouse in great shape.

“He’s gone up 11lb, but he was on 145 during his novice season,” explained the handler.

“In his beginners’ (chase) he beat Coko Beach by 18 lengths at Naas and then finished second in a Grade Two at Navan behind Coko Beach having made a mistake at the last. So he was 145 and he was dropped to 140. I suppose he is 6lb higher now than he was in his novice season and you would expect that with a bit of experience and age, so I think the weight allocation is fair.

“He won easily the last day and you can’t argue with the penalty he got. I think Michael (O’Sullivan, jockey) still has five (winners) left on his 5lb claim, so he is still in with a nice weight.

“I know the last few years bottom weights have been favourite, but you do get the likes of Burrows Saint and Our Duke going there and winning it and our guy is going there in great shape physically and mentally, and if he gets his ground I think he will run his race.

“We’ve only been training two and a half seasons and this is the first full season we’ve had. We’ve had three Grade One winners, a Grade Three and a Cheltenham Festival winner – if we don’t train another winner this season it will still have been a great season.”

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