Simon Rowlands / 06 April 2009 Free Bet

The Irish Grand National has a long and very distinguished history, with its winners including some of the true greats of jumps racing. Best of them all, of course, was the peerless Arkle, who frightened off all but three of his rivals when winning - at odds on and under 12-0 - in 1964, the same year as he gained the first of his three Cheltenham Gold Cup wins.

Tom Dreaper and Pat Taaffe teamed up for success again two years later with Flyingbolt, the only horse to get near to Arkle on Timeform jumps ratings. Flyingbolt, winner of the Champion Chase at Cheltenham shortly before, obliged at odds on also and under the welter burden of 12-7 from just five rivals.

Top-class winners have been the exception rather than the rule since the mid-1960s, but one very clear exception was Brown Lad, winner in 1975, 1976 and 1978, the last-named as a 12-year-old. The middle of those victories coincided with the publication of the first Timeform Chasers & Hurdlers annual, which rated Brown Lad 175.

In 1979, the race went to Tied Cottage, who had held a narrow lead when coming down at the last in the Cheltenham Gold Cup shortly before. In 1985, Rhyme 'N'Reason took the race three years before winning the Grand National at Aintree.

But one winner in the modern era stands out above all others. Desert Orchid was never better than in the 1989/90 season, when he won the third of his four King George VI Chases and a Racing Post Chase under 12-3. He rounded it all off with success in the Irish Grand National under 12-0 by 12 lengths, earning a Timeform end-of-season rating of 187 that has not been equalled in the history of Chasers & Hurdlers.

Desert Orchid had 13 rivals, but most of them were out of the handicap, and it was a great shame that Carvill's Hill - the best of his generation in Ireland by some way and due to receive 10 lb from "Dessie" - was a late withdrawal. The only serious worry for supporters of the even-money winner proved to be when he clobbered the last when already well clear.

Notable winners in recent times have included Bobbyjo in 1998 and Numbersixvalverde in 2005, each a year before they won at Aintree, and Commanche Court in 2000, two years before he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The race has usually gone to home-trained runners, and Butler's Cabin's success in 2007 was one of just six in the race for British-based raiders.

The days of few runners are a distant memory. Not since Desert Orchid's year has the field size been less than 17, and not since Omerta the following year has an outright favourite been successful. Last year's winner Hear The Echo was returned at an SP of 33/1 and a Betfair SP of 53.8!

An ante-post market is already up on Betfair for this year's contest, though, with 72 selections named and nothing at odds in single figures, it's fair to say at this stage that this looks like being one of the tougher editions to solve!