WILLIE MULLINS sparked a massive Irish Grand National shake-up – as he pulled a huge number of runners from the £230,000 race.
Mullins, who won the Aintree and Scottish renewals, is fighting a war on two fronts with the jumps season drawing to a close.
He is throwing everything at races in Britain in a bid to overhaul Dan Skelton and win a second champion trainer title in a row.
While his A-list names will be strutting their stuff at the upcoming Fairyhouse and Punchestown Festivals.
The Irish National is the richest race in the National Hunt calendar over there and Mullins had originally entered all his big guns.
But it was inevitable many would be withdrawn at today's five-day forfeits stage.
The fact they have has sparked a significant shake-up in the market, with the likes of Grand National 1-2-3 Nick Rockett, I Am Maximus and Grangeclare West all pulled.
It means Mullins' High Class Hero – who the trainer's right-hand man Davis Casey put up as his ‘best chance' – is near the top of the weights.
Mullins, who also bagged a 1-2 in the Scottish National, officially has four left in the 3m5f contest.
But Klarc Kent, who was second at Ayr, is all but certain not to run again.
While Quai De Bourbon also has entries in the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Sunday, bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and a Punchestown Novice Chase.
Sa Majeste was third in the Kim Muir and looks like running at Fairyhouse alongside High Class Hero, who will carry 10st 7lb compared to Gordon Elliott's 10st 13lbs top weight Better Days Ahead.
Race sponsors BoyleSports make Welsh trainer Rebecca Curtis' Cheltenham Festival winner Haiti Couleurs the 11-2 market leader.
While Gavin Cromwell's Now Is The Hour – who fell in that same National Hunt Chase when running a big race – is 8-1 second-fav.
Mullins' best chance appears to be 10-1 High Class Hero, with BoyleSports' Brian O'Keeffe saying: “It’s been Mullins mania so far in this year’s Grand Nationals, with the Closutton maestro scoring at Aintree and Ayr.
“The bandwagon rolls on to Fairyhouse on Easter Monday and punters are once again keen to keep his runners onside, with High Class Hero attracting plenty of support in the big race.”
Some 49 runners remain in the contest, which was won last year by Intense Raffles.
I Am Maximus claimed it the year before and followed up in the £1million Aintree Grand National 12 months later.
An intriguing runner this year is former Grand National fancy Any Second Now.
He is 13 and hasn't won since March 2023 but is off his lowest ever chasing mark.
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