Intense Raffles lands Irish Grand National success
The six-year-old outshone his older rivals under JJ Slevin for trainer Tom Gibney
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Trainer Tom Gibney and jockey JJ Slevin with Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles
I could pretend it was all a great plan but it just fell into place that way. - Tom Gibney
Tom Gibney hailed Intense Raffles for running ‘exactly as we thought he would’ after the six-year-old trumped his elders to land a stunning BoyleSports Irish Grand National success.
The youngest of the 20-strong field was towards the front of the pack throughout and stepped on the accelerator under JJ Slevin after recovering from a mistake four from home.
Any Second Now flew up the home straight but Gibney’s grey held on to land his trainer a second victory in this race 12 years after Lion Na Bearnai’s shock success.
What a thriller!
— Horse Racing Ireland (@HRIRacing) April 1, 2024
Intense Raffles - the only six-year-old in the line-up - makes it three from three in Ireland with a brilliant success in the @BoyleSports Irish Grand National.
Mnay congratulation to Tom Gibney, JJ Slevin and Simon Munir and Isaac Souede 👏 pic.twitter.com/qAKtrg67K8
“I’m buzzing, it’s every much as bit of a thrill for different reasons,” Gibney told Racing TV. “He went off second favourite, we had huge confidence in him and he ran as he expected he would.
"I could pretend it was all a great plan but it just fell into place that way. We were supposed to go to England with him, in December we did go to England with him and Haydock was frozen solid.
"The travelling took a lot out of him so I didn’t run him for at least five weeks after that. Who knows what might have happened if it had gone a different way - we’ve had a lot of luck.
"The ground did cut up for an Irish National and for the weather to stay the way it did was a big plus for us.
"He’s only six, so I wondered if he could carry the weight at this stage of his life. The fact he could was great.”
Intense Raffles is now three from three at Fairyhouse but needed a new pilot for this lucrative triumph following an injury to Daryl Jacob.
Slevin stepped in to don the Double Green colours of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and played the role of super sub perfectly to claim a second National win of his own, having partnered General Principle to victory in 2018.
"It’s unbelievable, a massive race to win,” the jockey told Racing TV.
I found out (I had the ride) last week, I had a winner for the lads and they needed someone – thankfully they let me up on him. They are great people to work with.
We didn’t go quick, I was very comfortable where I was, three mile five on soft ground, I was just pottering away.
Down to the last, he was starting to look around a bit. But he’s big and scopey, he stuck down his head and galloped to the line.”
There was plenty more to enjoy on the final day of the 2024 Easter Festival from Ireland’s richest National Hunt race.
Grade 2 honours were shared on either side of the Irish Sea, with travelling raider Brewin’upastorm claiming the spoils under Jack Kennedy for British trainer Olly Murphy.
Victory for travelling British raider Brewin'upastorm 🌧️
— FairyhouseRacecourse (@Fairyhouse) April 1, 2024
The 11-year-old rolls back the years under @jackkennedy15 and holds off Zarak The Brave in an exciting finish 🎉#EasterFestival24 | @O_J_murphy91 pic.twitter.com/XmOxwcSMGX
“I’m delighted we came over,” Murphy said. “I’ve really enjoyed this, as much as I have any winner since I started training.
“He got a magic ride off Jack and this is very special. I’d love to bring a few back over for Punchestown, we’ve loved today and got a massive thrill out of it.”
Henry de Bromhead’s Journey With Me claimed the McInerney Properties Fairyhouse Chase as Darragh O’Keeffe held off the highly-fancied Closutton pair of Appreciate It and Saint Sam, while Gavin Cromwell’s Bottler’secret made it two from two over hurdles by winning the O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle.
Winning jockey Keith Donoghue said: “He is a really straightforward horse who jumps brilliantly and stays well.
“We were pretty confident it would take a good run to beat him and he couldn’t have been any better.”
Willie Mullins may have missed out on Graded honours but he added three more victories to another successful weekend.
The day was bookended by Townend victories as Paul landed the Farmhouse Foods Novice Handicap Hurdle in a photo finish on board Implicit, who pipped Ossie’s Lodge, and Jody led home Redemption Day in the closing bumper.
In between those, Danny Mullins triumphed on Macdermott in the Envirogreen Building Services Handicap Chase.