Irish Grand National Result: Soldier In Milan wins at Fairyhouse after late drama
The irish grand national result was settled at Fairyhouse on Monday, where Soldier In Milan took top honours in the Easter Festival showpiece. The favourite delivered over three miles and five furlongs, with the race shaped by an early pace from Monbeg Genius and a late surge from the winner. The irish grand national result also carried a fall in the closing stages, as Kiss Will came down with Paul Townend aboard.
Soldier In Milan delivers when it matters
Soldier In Milan travelled strongly and jumped well throughout, then moved clear when the race began to tighten inside the final half-mile. Monbeg Genius had led for much of the contest, but that advantage faded as the favourite pressed forward and put the race beyond reach. The irish grand national result was completed with Showurappreciation in second and The Enabler in third, while Argento Boy and Monbeg Genius filled the next spots in the frame.
Jukebox Kid and Argento Boy had been expected to make a stronger challenge, but mistakes in the middle part of the race left both out of contention. That left Soldier In Milan free to stride on, and the margin at the line reflected how decisively the contest swung in the latter stages.
Reaction from the winning rider
Donagh Meyler, who rode the winner, said the victory felt “unbelievable” and described the horse as travelling and jumping “everything right throughout the race. ” He added that Soldier In Milan “did everything” and was “out the gate sharp” before settling into a rhythm that carried him through to the finish. The response captured the scale of the moment after a race that had already delivered drama before the winner crossed the line.
The fall for Kiss Will added another layer of tension to the finale, though horse and jockey immediately rose to their feet. No formal update had been issued at the time of the race.
How the race opened up
Monbeg Genius set the early tempo and stayed ahead for most of the way, helping stretch the field before the decisive move from the eventual winner. Once Soldier In Milan hit the front, the others had no clear answer, and the race quickly turned into a procession to the line. The irish grand national result gave Fairyhouse a clear headline on a day when the meeting’s showpiece lived up to its billing.
More broadly, the race was the centrepiece of the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse and brought together a field that produced both a strong winning display and a late scare. The top finishers were confirmed in a race that mixed control, pressure and one significant fall late on.
What comes next
For now, the irish grand national result belongs to Soldier In Milan, with Meyler, Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne taking the major prize on a day that ended in clear style. The next focus will be any official update on Kiss Will and whether the race’s leading runners emerge from the contest in good order, but the immediate story is the favourite’s decisive win at Fairyhouse.
