MEADE ON THE BOIL AT FAIRYHOUSE

That classic Van Morrison number `There`ll be days like this` must have been ringing around Noel Meade`s head after an Easter Monday afternoon at Fairyhouse where he certainly reached the peak of a thirty year training career, writes Alan Magee.

The Navan handler not only enjoyed his biggest success todate when The Bunny Boiler landed the Powers Gold Label Irish Grand National, but went on to complete a 6,824/1 four-timer on the day.

The Bunny Boiler is renowned as a dour stayer, but also a dodgy jumper, and rider Ross Geraghty also deserved great credit for keeping the partnership intact when the eight-year-old dived right through the final fence.

Meade went on to record a magnificent seven wins in total at the Fairyhouse Festival, with novice hurdlers Scottish Memories and Thari, and chaser Strong Run all ones to keep in mind for the upcoming Punchestown meeting.

Tony McCoy has been single-handedly rewriting the record books in recent years, and the Ulsterman cemented his place in racing history when eclipsing Gordon Richards 55 year-old record of 269 wins in a British season at Warwick. Appropriately winner number 270 came aboard the Martin Pipe-trained Valfonic, and McCoy was at pains afterwards to emphasise the crucial role that the master of Pond House has played in realising his achievements. They certainly make a formidable team, with McCoy`s will to win matched by Pipe`s frenetic work-rate.

Florida Pearl may unfortunately go down in racing folklore as one of the best horses never to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However such pigeon-holing is a giant slur on the Willie Mullins-trained gelding who once again showed his true class at Aintree on Thursday when giving weight and a real thumping to decent rivals in the Martell Gold Cup. To my eye this was one of his best performances in a glittering career, which remember includes two wins at the Cheltenham Festival (Bumper & SunAlliance Chase), the King George VI Chase and a hat-trick of victories in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.

Jim Culloty, successful aboard Best Mate in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, completed a remarkable double when partnering Bindaree to take the Martell Grand National. The Kerry-born rider really galvanised the Roselier gelding on the long run-in to overhaul What`s Up Boys in a typically memorable renewal of the famous race. The Irish luck of recent years ran out on Saturday, with none of our six runners among the 11 finishers. The Tony Martin-trained David`s Lad still held every chance when falling four out.

On the Flat scene, the defeat of Johannesburg in the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh was undoubtedly the main talking point. He is certainly not the first champion juvenile to be beaten on his reappearance, and this Group 3 event has proved a graveyard for both favourites and three-year-olds in the past. It is far too early to make rash predictions about the year ahead but Aidan O`Brien did mention the July Cup as a possible target this season. Perhaps we should be looking elsewhere (i.e. Hawk Wing) for the Ballydoyle classic contender.

Alan Magee