irish National Weights

Historically, this has not been a good race for weight carriers. In the nineteen-year span leading up to 2019, only five horses managed to carry more than 10-06 to victory—and on each of those occasions, the ground was described as good. The prevailing wisdom, mirroring that of Aintree, held that heavy ground would inevitably sink those burdened with substantial weights. However, the last two renewals of the race have fundamentally undermined this long-standing pattern. In 2023, I Am Maximus carried 11-01 to victory on soft ground, and in 2024, Intense Raffles went one better, carrying 11-04 on heavy ground. These back-to-back performances represent a significant shift in the race’s weight/going dynamic and call into question the conventional assumption that heavy ground neutralizes topweights. While Freewheelin Dylan (2021) and Lord Lariat (2022) had continued the established trend—winning on yielding ground with weights of 10-08 and 9-12 respectively—the last two results may suggest a new era in which classier, higher-rated animals are beginning to prevail regardless of testing conditions. This evolution may reflect changes in training regimes, ground management, or the increasing dominance of elite stables fielding horses capable of defying both weight and ground.  For those that favour the old system two horse stand out:  Will Do and Kinturk Kalanisi.  Good Luck.