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The Boylesports Irish Grand National will take centre stage at Fairyhouse this weekend.

A staple of the Irish racing calendar, the marathon could have a huge bearing on the trainers' title this year.

Once again Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott are battling it out and a win for Elliott in the big one, could give him a near unassailable lead heading into the Punchestown Festival.

(Image: Inpho)

Few horses have been very impressive than last year's winner Our Duke though, who demolished the field belying his novice status.

Here is all you need about this year's race:

When is it on?

The Irish Grand National will take place on Easter Monday, 2 April.

What time is the race?

The race is scheduled to get underway at 5pm.

Where is it on?

It will take place at Fairyhouse Racecourse in Ratoath, Co. Meath.

(Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)

What channel is it on?

The race will be shown live on RTE 2 with their coverage beginning at 2.30pm. You can also follow the action on the Irish Mirror's live blog:

How many runners will there be?

30 runners are set to go to post.

Who are the runners?

1 61332P Outlander (17) G Elliott 10 11-10 Mr R James (7)

2 11F3-1 Bellshill (37) W P Mullins 8 11-5(8ex) D J Mullins

3 -22111 Monbeg Notorious (43) G Elliott 7 10-13 Jack Kennedy

4 0-114P Dounikos (19) G Elliott 7 10-12 D N Russell

5 0-0PPU Lord Scoundrel (37) G Elliott 9 10-11 B J Geraghty

6 0-2315 Snow Falcon (57) (C) N Meade 8 10-10 S W Flanagan

7 06-001 Pairofbrowneyes (23) (C) W P Mullins 9 10-7(9ex) P Townend

8 50-214 Kemboy (18) (C) W P Mullins 6 10-6 B J Cooper

9 031513 Moulin A Vent (43) (C) N Meade 6 10-6 Jonathan Moore

10 5-5452 Mall Dini (18) (BF) P G Kelly 8 10-4 M P Walsh

11 0-1441 Folsom Blue (50) (D) G Elliott 11 10-3 R M Power

12 -05045 Tell Us More (10) G Elliott 9 10-3 Jody McGarvey

13 10-PP2 Isleofhopendreams (50) W P Mullins 11 10-1 D E Mullins

14 F53F-0 Jetstream Jack (24) (C) G Elliott 8 10-1 D O'Regan

15 /U1P5- The Paparrazi Kid (351) G Elliott 11 10-1 B Hayes

16 -P04PF Thunder And Roses (23) (CD) M F Morris 10 10-1 Ms L O'Neill (3)

17 -51143 Call It Magic (54) Ross O'Sullivan 8 10-0 A E Lynch

18 -40046 General Principle (24) G Elliott 9 10-0 J J Slevin

19 12F400 Arkwrisht (36) Joseph P O'Brien 8 9-12 Rachael Blackmore

20 6-PP1F Bless The Wings (19) (CD) G Elliott 13 9-12 B Hughes

21 32106F Sutton Manor (23) G Elliott 7 9-12 D Meyler

22 020013 Westerner Point (39) (C) Eoghan O'Grady 9 9-12 P T Enright

23 6020F4 Kilcarry Bridge (10) J Ryan 11 9-11 Dylan Robinson (5)

24 U-0102 Oscar Knight (57) Thomas Mullins 9 9-11 L P Dempsey

25 U-6303 Squouateur (18) (C) G Elliott 7 9-10 M Enright

26 -1P0UP Champagne Harmony (37) S J Mahon 8 9-10 C Meehan (5)

27 511-04 Killaro Boy (24) (C) A Murray 9 9-10 R C Colgan H

28 12P5P5 Woods Well (10) (C) G Elliott 7 9-10 A Ring (3)

29 340U42 Fine Theatre (4) (C) Paul Nolan 8 9-10 C A Landers (7)

30 2-F2UP Forever Gold (50) (CD) E Cawley 11 9-10 A W Short (5)

What are the best bets?

Despite dominating Irish racing in recent years Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have never won the Irish Grand National.

It is a race that top owners Gigginstown House Stud and JP McManus have enjoyed plenty of success in though and McManus could have a very lively runner in the Thomas Mullins-trained Oscar Knight.

(Image: ©INPHO/Oisin Keniry)

The nine-year-old scraped into this race last year off the same mark and looked to be running a decent race when unseating his rider at the 18th fence.

This year he has some smart hurdles form including beating Glenloe, a subsequent runner-up at Cheltenham, and a three lengths second behind the well handicapped Total Recall at Leopardstown latest.

It looks like Oscar Knight could have been preserving his chase mark for this race and a big run looks likely.

Peter O'Hehir's view of the big race

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Classy Bellshill must be strongly fancied to give Willie Mullins a first victory in the €500,000 Boylesports Irish Grand National in Fairyhouse.

The traditional Easter Monday showpiece has eluded both the champion trainer and his arch-rival Gordon Elliott.

And the destination of today’s €270,000 winner’s prize could not only end a long wait for one of our leading trainers, but also have a major impact on the battle for the Trainers Championship.

Elliott is responsible for 13 of the 30 runners today while Mullins will saddle four, including market- leaders Bellshill and Pairofbrowneyes, both penalised for recent wins.

(Image: Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan)

Bellshill, lightly-raced over fences and boasting a record of three wins from five starts in the discipline, makes most appeal.

Trained for a spring campaign with either today’s race or Aintree as his prime target, Bellshill made his belated seasonal debut when beating Genie In Abottle and Val De Ferbet in the Bobbyjo on this track in February.

That was his first start since finishing a creditable third behind Might Bite in the ‘RSA’ at Cheltenham last year, an effort which follow a fall in the Grade 1 ‘Flogas’, won by Disko, at Leopardstown.

His earlier form include a defeat of this year’s ‘Ryanair’ winner Balko Des Flos on his fencing bow and victory I a Grade 2 ‘novice’ at Limerick.

David Mullins, who partnered Bellshill in the ‘Bobbyjo’ will be re-united with him today. And even the 8lb. penalty given to him by the handicapper for that last- time-out success, mightn’t prevent the eight-year-old bagging the spoils.

He has never tackled a trip as demanding as this (three miles and five), but travels well and saw out the trip three miles and one) well in the ‘Bobbyjo’.

The Mullins-trained Pairofbrowneyes, penalised 9lb. for his win in the Leinster National in Gowran Park last month, on his stable debut, is open to more improvement and, like the selection, if he sees out this extreme distance, in testing ground, should be involved.

Gordon Elliott’s battalion will be spear-headed by novice Monbeg Notorious, winner of the ‘Thyestes’ off 137 before landing a Grade 2 at Navan and Folsom Blue, which beat another of the Mullins runners Isleofhopendreams in Punchestowns’ Grand National Trial and was handed a 9lb. hike for his troubles.

The Elliott team also includes Bless The Wings, runner-up for the last two years and a faller in the ‘cross-country’ at Cheltenham last time, Squoateur, third in the ‘Kim Muir; at Cheltenham, when Pat Kelly’s Mall Dini, the mount today of Mark Walsh, was second and Davy Russell’s mount Dounikos, pulled up in the ‘RSA’ at Cheltenham (behind Presenting Percy), having earlier finished a creditable fourth to Monalee in the ‘Flogas’ at Leopardstown.

Others to consider in a typically competitive renewal of the race include Noel Meade’s novice Snow Falcon and the Tom Mullins-trained Oscar Knight, runner-up the well-handicapped Total Recall.

Gordon Elliott's Diamond Cauchois is napped to bag his second Grade 2 in the Keelings Irish Strawberry Hurdle.

This fellow has gone up 26lb in the ratings since joining Elliott, for whom he has won a handicap hurdle at Navan and the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle on the same track when he slammed Lieutenant Colonel.

He also finished a creditable third to subsequent RSA winner Presenting Percy in the Galmoy at Gowran Park.

How long is the race?

It is run over three miles and five furlongs.

(Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

What time is the first race and last race?

The first of eight races gets underway at 2.10 on Easter Monday with the last race taking place at 6.15.