It was a perfect spring day, yet an undeniable sense of anticipation hung in the air at Fairyhouse racecourse, as if a storm was poised to descend from the Dublin Mountains. Billy Rogers, a representative for Seamus Mulvaney bookmakers, captured the mood perfectly. ‘As soon as we walked onto the track, there was only one horse being spoken about,’ he said. ‘Soldier In Milan was the name on everyone’s lips. It reminded me of what happened with I Am Maximus in 2023.’
A Novice's Daring Victory
Rogers’ grim foreboding proved accurate. Soldier In Milan had run just four times over fences, a novice amongst seasoned professionals. Yet, who needs extensive experience when endowed with raw talent and a Rolls-Royce engine? The Boyle Sports Irish Grand National is famed for nail-biting finishes, but this transformed into a procession that left mouths agape and the satchels of on-course bookmakers empty. Rogers estimated his pitch was €10,000 lighter by 5.15pm. The sponsors fared even worse.
‘You could have got 20/1 for Soldier In Milan last week,’ revealed Brian O’Keefe, spokesperson for Boyle Sports. ‘But they really came for him on the day, to such an extent he went off the 6/1 favourite. We have been left licking our wounds. It was a nightmare result.’ For the bookmakers, perhaps, but not for the vast majority of the 18,753 crowd, up from 16,577 in 2025, who squeezed into Fairyhouse. Their roaring cheers made ears ring as an old-fashioned gamble spectacularly landed, offering a giddy afternoon of much-needed escapism that only racing can provide.
Remarkable Stories Across the Card
Everywhere you looked, there were stories. The remarkable 12-year-old Energumene won the Grade Two Fairyhouse Steeplechase with such class, jockey Paul Townend sitting motionless, reminding all why he was once the quickest horse over two miles. But the spotlight soon shifted decisively. Soldier In Milan had been prepared for this assignment by trainer Emmet Mullins, whose audacious plan execution led owner Paul Byrne to proclaim him a magician—a description that felt far from hyperbole.
Only last May, Soldier In Milan was running in a bumper, a race without obstacles, at the Punchestown Festival. He failed to complete his first chase start at Leopardstown on December 28 and was underwhelming at Thurles 32 days prior. Yet here, as he skipped across the fences down Ballyhack, making 31mph galloping look like a stroll, he revealed his true potential. The hoarse screams of the crowd indicated they knew it was coming.
Owner and Trainer Revel in Success
‘It was as easy a watch as you could get,’ gasped owner Paul Byrne. ‘It was just a case of hoping he would get over the last but he did. Donagh (Meyler) was brilliant on him. I can’t believe it. We thought he was well handicapped and it’s nice to get the odd thing right. We found a nut!’ Byrne and Mullins’s day started perfectly when Jet To Monte Carlo scooted away with the opening handicap hurdle, but everything revolved around the race that creates legends, a staple of the Easter sporting programme.
‘I pinched myself when he jumped the last fence with a circuit to go,’ said Mullins. ‘He was jumping, he was travelling and everything was going very smoothly. I had warned Donagh to wait as long as he could before hitting the front but he gave him a perfect ride.’ Once Soldier In Milan hit the front four fences out, the three-and-a-half mile contest was over. Showurappreciation, The Enabler and Argento Boy filled the minor places, but they merit only a passing mention in what was essentially a one-horse race.
Future Prospects and Strategic Planning
‘A well-backed favourite winning an Irish National is something special and it was greatly received,’ added Mullins, nephew of perennial champion Willie Mullins, who seeks his third straight Grand National win at Aintree on Saturday. ‘It’s an honour and privilege to be associated. We decided in August or September that we were going over fences and here we are. We wanted to keep low mileage and get the four runs you need to qualify. It was well executed, I suppose. There are lots of plans that go awry. You can have a plan but, really, you are only hoping. There is no replica at home for a situation such as that.’
Mullins elaborated on the challenges: ‘You are hoping the horse has got the mentality for it and the courage to cope with the cavalry charge down to the first fence and come out of it with a good position. We thought we had a classy individual and, thankfully, it has played out that way.’ No sooner had Soldier In Milan crossed the line than he received quotes for the 2027 Cheltenham Gold Cup. With this ability, it’s easy to envision him mixing it with Gaelic Warrior in the Cotswolds next March.
Keeping Options Open
When posed with that prospect, Mullins’s reaction was unexpected. ‘There is a route back from the Aintree Grand National as well, remember,’ he said, recalling his 2022 Liverpool victory with novice Noble Yeats. ‘We won’t be nailing our colours to the mast just yet.’ Nor should they: Soldier In Milan could take Mullins and Byrne anywhere. This journey warrants close attention as it unfolds.
