Danny Mullins called on to ride leading Irish Grand National fancy Agusta Gold

Danny Mullins has been switched to the lucrative big-race ride aboard Agusta Gold in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National in the absence of Paul Townend following the heavy fall he suffered at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Townend crashed out aboard Egality Mans in the Grade 2 2m novice hurdle on the second day of the three-day Irish National meeting and was taken to hospital for x-rays, with the IHRB tweeting on Sunday evening that Townend would sit out the action on Easter Monday at the County Meath track.

He crucially misses the 3m5f marathon contest on the Willie Mullins-trained Agusta Gold, who is a well-fancied 9-1 chance behind market leader Latest Exhibition and will now be ridden by the trainer's nephew as he seeks a first success in the prestigious race.

With Mullins switching to Agusta Gold his previous mount Salsaretta will be ridden by Conor McNamara, with Kevin Brouder stepping in for the mount on Dragon D'estruval, while Rachael Blackmore and Brian Hayes remain on Robin De Carlow and Brahma Bull.

The rider change requests need to be confirmed by the stewards at Fairyhouse, but represents a big opportunity for Mullins, who has ridden Agusta Gold in all bar one of her starts when she was trained by his mother, Margaret.

The Grade 1-winning jockey has also been requested to ride Stormy Ireland in the Grade 2 Underwriting Exchange Hurdle (3.50), while Brian Hayes will deputise on Easy Game in the Devenish Chase (4.20).

Latest Exhibition strong at the top market as rival ruled out

Latest Exhibition has strengthened his position at the head of the market in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National (5.00), while one of his main rivals, The Big Dog, was ruled out of the race on Monday morning.

Latest Exhibition was available at 5-1 on Sunday for the 3m5f marathon at Fairyhouse, but has shortened into a general 9-2, and 4-1 in some places, to provide trainer Paul Nolan and Jockey Bryan Cooper with more big-race success following their victory at the Cheltenham Festival with Mrs Milner.

Despite being the clear favourite, Latest Exhibition has only won once over fences so far, but has finished a gallant second to Monkfish at Grade 1 level on his last two runs and wears cheekpieces for the first time for this assignment.

Irish Grand National card and betting

Punchestown Grand National Trial winner The Big Dog was one of the leading fancies in the betting at a general 10-1, but was scratched due to the quickening ground conditions along with the JP McManus-owned Ten Ten.

Their defections leaves 28 runners to go to post, with Agusta Gold next in the betting at a general 9-1 ahead of 10-1 chance Run Wild Fred, while there has been each-way support for the Noel Meade-trained outsider Eurobot, who is now as short as 25-1 in some places (from 40-1).

Sempo, who was subject of major support last week and was a short as 8-1 on Saturday, is very weak in the betting and is now available at a general 14-1.

The going at Fairyhouse is yielding, good to yielding in places following selective watering overnight.

Stayers' Hurdle fourth Beacon Edge is a notable non-runner in the Grade 2 Hurdle (3.50) due to a temperature while Fakir D'oudaries – who was a short-price favourite for the Grade 2 Devenish Chase – was withdrawn due to the going.

Skelton set for crucial day in jockeys' championship

In Britain, Harry Skelton has a strong book of rides at Plumpton as he bids to close down Brian Hughes again in the jump jockeys' championship, and he got off to the perfect start.

Skelton had drawn level with the reigning champion in the standings last week, but Hughes extended the gap to three with a double at Market Rasen on Sunday.

However, Skelton hit the ground running with victory on his first ride at the track aboard Aheadfullofdreams, narrowing the gap to two with five more single-price figure rides on the card, including 11-8 shot Dothraki Prince (3.20) and 7-4 chance Getariver (4.25).

His biggest-priced mount is 4-1 chance Solomon Grey in the feature Sussex Champion Chase (3.55), while Hughes heads to Chepstow for three rides, with 9-1 shot Court Royale (3.10) appearing his most likely chance of a winner.

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