CLASS ENTRY FOR 2003 POWERS GOLD LABEL IRISH GRAND NATIONAL Quality is in abundance for the 132nd running of the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National which forms the centrepiece of the Fairyhouse 3-Day Easter Festival on Easter Monday April 21st, writes Brian Fleming. Among the 67 entries for the ?170,000 stamina-sapping contest over three miles and five furlongs are 19 from the UK including last month's Cheltenham Festival winner Sudden Shock, trained by the in-form Jonjo O'Neill. Top-weight First Gold is the first French-trained entry in the race and the manner of his runaway Martell Cognac Cup victory at Aintree last Thursday April 3rd means he will be a force to be reckoned with if fully over his Liverpool exertions in two weeks time. Davids Lad, whose owners Eddie Joe's Racing Syndicate recently failed in their Supreme Court appeal to have a 42 day ban incurred at Naas in February overturned, is also set to reappear on Easter Monday. The nine-year-old will be making his first appearance in public after the ban for using the racecourse as a training ground ends on April 14th and supporters will be hoping for a repeat of his Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National victory two years ago. Noel O'Brien, Ireland's Senior NH Handicapper, is delighted with the entries, 'I must say it is a very high class line up. Having Foxchapel King, who has performed at the highest level, among the entries along with three previous winners namely Commanche Court, who finished runner-up in the 2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Davids Lad and The Bunny Boiler, is great for the race.' 'The likes of Takagi, multiple winner Moscow Express, Barrow Drive which ran the best race of our novices at the Cheltenham Festival, Colonel Braxton and Rince Ri help make it a real quality race.' 'The addition of recent Aintree winner First Gold is very exciting as he would be the first French-trained runner in an Irish handicap while the British entries include a large proportion of high class handicappers,' says O'Brien. Dick Sheil, Fairyhouse General Manager, is looking forward to the Easter Festival. 'The Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National is without doubt the highlight of the year at Fairyhouse and a look back at some of the previous winners shows just why this is such a quality chase in the latter half of the season. We are expecting a bumper crowd and they'll be glad to know that our admission prices have remained the same for the last three years. My special thanks must go to Irish Distillers Limited for their continued support of Fairyhouse Racecourse as well as our many other loyal sponsors.'
