One of the first Nationals of the season takes place in Ireland next Wednesday, 25th September with Listowel hosting the Kerry National. Run over 3m, it is one of the showpieces of early autumn jumps racing, with plenty of those campaigned over the summer having this as one of their final targets until the spring due to traditionally good ground prevailing.
Defending champion Desertmore House returns to try and go back-to-back in the race. He is 9lb higher this year, but having just missed out on making the Grand National weights at Aintree, another sterling performance here could ensure he does not miss out on the race this time around.
Joseph O’Brien had sent out the two previous winners of this race. One of those, Busselton, returns to try and regain his title, while two-time Grade 1 winner Fakir d’Oudairies is also in the line-up towards the head of the weights. The nine-year-old is in his twilight years now, though retains plenty of class as only Gordon Elliott’s former Galway Plate winner Ash Tree Meadow is above him in the handicap here.
Other noteworthy names towards the head of the handicap are 2023 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner The Real Whacker, who may be sent over from North Yorkshire by trainer Patrick Neville, Willie Mullins’ own Grade 1 scorer Janidil, and dual Stayers’ Hurdle hero Flooring Porter on his continued return to chasing action.
Gavin Cromwell’s charge is one of those towards the head of the betting, although he trails current market leader Zanahiyr. Another for Gordon Elliott, he was third in this year’s Galway Plate, but may now be ready for this step up in trip and can boast of plenty of classy performances back in the day.
Also well-fancied are Ashdale Bob, who has returned much more smoothly to fences of late, the JP McManus-owned Perceval Legallois, who continues to threaten a win in a big handicap, and the less exposed seven-year-old Thecompanysergeant for Denis Gerard Hogan. He only made his chase debut in March of this year.
Kerry National 2024 Runners
| Number | Horse | Trainer |
| 1 | Ash Tree Meadow | Gordon Elliott |
| 2 | Fakir d’Oudairies | Joseph O’Brien |
| 3 | The Real Whacker | Patrick Neville |
| 4 | Janidil | Willie Mullins |
| 5 | Flooring Porter | Gavin Cromwell |
| 6 | Zanahiyr | Gordon Elliott |
| 7 | Chemical Energy | Gordon Elliott |
| 8 | Churchstonewarrior | Cian Collins |
| 9 | Duffle Coat | Gordon Elliott |
| 10 | Desertmore House | Martin Brassil |
| 11 | French Dynamite | Mouse Morris |
| 12 | Amirite | Henry De Bromhead |
| 13 | Busselton | Joseph O’Brien |
| 14 | Solitary Man | Enda Bolger |
| 15 | Ashdale Bob | Jessica Harrington |
| 16 | Lucid Dreams | John Patrick Ryan |
| 17 | Perceval Legallois | Gavin Cromwell |
| 18 | The Goffer | Gordon Elliott |
| 19 | Horantzau d’Airy | Willie Mullins |
| 20 | Hurricane Georgie | Gordon Elliott |
| 21 | Senior Chief | Henry De Bromhead |
| 22 | Embittered | Eric McNamara |
| 23 | Grandero Bello | Eddie & Patrick Harty |
| 24 | Toss Again | Henry De Bromhead |
| 25 | Falco Blitz | Eric McNamara |
| 26 | Thecompanysergeant | Denis Gerard Hogan |
| 27 | Real Steel | Eric McNamara |
| 28 | Flanking Maneuver | Gordon Elliott |
| 29 | Moonovercloon | Matthew J Smith |
| 30 | The Big Chap | Paul W Flynn |
| 31 | Battleoverdoyen | Gordon Elliott |
| 32 | Good Time Jonny | Catherine O’Leary |
| 33 | Walnut Beach | Patrick J Flynn |
| 34 | Flash De Touzaine | Liz Doyle |
| 35 | Stuzzikini | Gordon Elliott |