Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka search for Easter winner with exciting juvenile in 'fantastic form'

Smash Racing, the syndicate that includes Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka, is on the prowl for some Grade 2 glory on Irish Grand National day as Harry Derham sends over Givemefive, who has made a smooth transition to hurdles. 

The free-going juvenile may have lost his unbeaten record at Kempton but, if anything, he enhanced his reputation by making the well-touted Kalif Du Berlais pull out all the stops to master him close home. 

Paul Nicholls thinks the world of the winner, so Givemefive arrives with solid claims after missing both the Triumph Hurdle and the Boodles Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham in order to wait for this. 

Derham said: "I rang Ruby Walsh the day after he finished second in the Adonis at Kempton to ask him if he thought this horse would be good enough to compete at Fairyhouse, and he said absolutely. 

"It looks like a good little race but my hope is that some of the horses who went to Cheltenham will have had a hard race not so long ago and maybe we'll have a freshness advantage. That's why I'm going there to have a crack. 

Harry Derham: "He's a tough, genuine horse"Credit: Mark Cranham

"He's in fantastic form and I'm exceedingly happy with how he's trained. He's a tough, genuine horse, so he should deal with the heavy ground and, having come so close to winning a Grade 2 last time, we wanted to have another go at winning at that level."

Punters have had their fingers badly burned in this Grade 2 for the last few years as there have been three odds-on favourites in a row beaten. 

Blood Destiny (8-11) could not contain the late surge of 33-1 outsider Enjoy The Dream last year. Icare Allen was beaten at 4-11 in 2022, and subsequent Stayers' Hurdle hero Teahupoo was only second at 4-7 in 2021. 

Willie Mullins has won the race four times in the last decade, most recently with French Made in 2019. 

What they say 

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Bottler'secret
He won nicely at Naas and should handle conditions too, so we're hopeful of a nice run. He seems to be in very good form.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Batman Girac, Karia Des Blaises and Miss Manzor
Paul [Townend] has opted to ride for Miss Manzor, which is obviously a big plus for her. Her rating suggests she has a chance carrying just 10st 7lb. Having said that, I also think both Karia Des Blaises and Batman Girac have chances in this race for us as well.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Ndaawi
He ran a cracker at Cheltenham and was giving a lot of weight to a very good horse. He's improved with every run and looks to have a rock-solid chance. It's only 20 days since he ran in the Boodles, but he has done everything right since he came back.

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