Intense Raffles just the ticket for JJ Slevin in Irish Grand National

The vagaries of luck in any jockey’s life got stamped all over Easter Monday’s Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse as JJ Slevin steered Intense Raffles to success in Ireland’s richest jumps race.

Apart from a blunder at the fourth last, the Thomas Gibney-trained grey travelled like a winner for much of the race and the 13-2 second favourite ultimately had a length and a half in hand of Any Second Now with topweight Minella Cocooner in third.

It was a second success in the race for both Trim-based Gibney, who won with Lion Na Bearnai in 2012, while Slevin, who won on General Principle six years ago, was blessing his good fortune after stepping in for the big-race ride last week.

Intense Raffles was due to be ridden by Daryl Jacob, retained rider for English owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, only to break his collarbone in a fall at Newbury 10 days ago.

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Having ridden Intense Raffles to his two victories in Ireland – both at Fairyhouse – Jacob’s confidence in the horse’s Irish National chance was considerable and got frustratingly confirmed in his enforced absence.

Slevin’s lengthy association with Co Antrim-based Stuart Crawford, an integral part of Munir and Souede’s operation, helped him into a super-sub role that paid off with a vengeance in the €500,000 feature.

“They’ve had horses with the Crawfords for quite a number of years and I’ve got to know them through Stuart really,” said Slevin who quickly sympathised with Jacob’s predicament. “Let’s not forget Daryl; this will be tough to take for him.”

He added: “I thought they didn’t go quick and I was comfortable where I was, we were just pottering away. I gave the fourth-last a right belt and I thought that’d knock the stuffing out of him [but] he stuck out his head and galloped all the way to the line.”

Slevin was reminded of how quickly the fates can turn on a jumps rider in last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup when unseated from the fancied Fastorslow, a spill that inevitably generated some criticism of the 31-year-old rider, who is a nephew of renowned trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Munir and Souede’s ‘double green’ colours have become some of the most familiar in the game with high-class horses such as El Fabiolo in Willie Mullins’s care, although Intense Raffles was entrusted to Gibney’s comparatively small yard having been transferred from France.

“It’s very easy for the big owners to go to the big yards and for them to pick out a small stable like us and give us a horse, kudos to them. That takes a bit of doing and it’s great to repay them,” said Gibney.

“When he won here the last time we were just getting to know him and it’s just fallen into place. I could make out like I’m a genius but I’m not really, it’s just the way it worked out, it worked out well.

“I had huge confidence in the horse. People were asking me if I was nervous and hand on my heart I wasn’t because we had huge confidence in him. He’s the best I’ve had,” Gibney said.

The veteran Any Second Now, twice as old as the winner, ran a storming race but ultimately had to settle for an admirable if dubious double, having finished runner-up in the 2022 Aintree Grand National.

Nick Rockett started 4-1 favourite for Willie Mullins but could finish only seventh.

“I was really pleased with Minella Cocooner, he ran a cracker,” Mullins said. “Nick Rockett ran well but just had too much weight. We’llhavewan [sixth] just didn’t get home today but we do know he stays that trip.”

There was one casualty among the 20 runners with Gigginstown Stud’s Cool Survivor pulled up after making a mistake and sadly had to be euthanised.

The absence of any cross-channel runner in the National looked even more odd after Stratford trainer Olly Murphy’s pluck got rewarded with a first ever success in Ireland in the Grade Two Rathbarry & Glenview Hurdle.

Brewin’upastorm belied his years to get the better of Mullins’s odds-on favourite Zarak The Brave, also carrying the Munir & Souede silks, in a driving finish.

Murphy spent five years as Gordon Elliott’s assistant before striking out on his own in 2017. Having been present when the teenage Jack Kennedy began his riding career for Elliott, the 32-year-old’s satisfaction at seeing Kennedy power Brewin’upastorm to victory was evident.

“Ireland has been a brilliant place for me, I spent five fantastic years here. I learned an awful lot off Gordon and watched Jack grow up to be the man he is today.

“Coming over and taking on the best of the Irish, the way National Hunt racing is at the moment, on both side of the Irish Sea, it was something I always wanted to do – train a winner over here,” he said.

After his Easter Sunday five-timer at Fairyhouse Mullins had three more winners on Monday’s card including the impressive bumper winner Redemption Day.

Gavin Cromwell was out of luck in the National but earlier his Bottler’secret set himself up for a top-flight tilt at Punchestown by impressively scoring in the Grade Two Juvenile Hurdle.

An official crowd of 16,758 was at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, up from last year’s corresponding figure of 16,195.

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