JJ Slevin’s William Hill blog: Intense Raffles has the profile for the Grand National

William Hill ambassador JJ Slevin runs through his rides at Aintree’s Grand National Meeting, including his thoughts on Intense Raffles’ chance in the big one itself.

I’ve been tipping away since the Cheltenham Festival, but I’m now looking forward to getting on some good rides up at Aintree and hopefully finding a winner or two.

Aintree, Thursday

First up for me on Thursday is Naturally Nimble in the 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (2:20pm) and he is the joint-second highest rated horse in the race off 138. I would have thought it would have been hard for him to win a Fred Winter off his mark so it was decided that we keep him fresh for Aintree. He ran well enough in the Grade Two at Leopardstown behind Hello Neighbour on ground that was probably a bit soft for him. I expect him to enjoy the ground at Aintree better than the last day and hopefully he will like the track. I think the nature of a race like this he should enjoy and I’d like to think he could run into a place.

The Red Rum (4:40pm) is a competitive two-mile handicap chase, which you always need a bit of luck in, but hopefully Hunters Yarn can recapture his best form in it. If he does he would have a decent shout. He went off favourite for the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase the last day, but things just didn’t quite happen for him. If he can get back on the right track, which I’m sure Willie Mullins is very capable of doing, then he could have a live chance. The ground will probably be dry enough for him at Aintree, but hopefully he will be fine on that.

Aintree, Friday

I’ve got three rides on the Friday starting with Jordans in the three-mile one furlong Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase (1:45pm). It is well worth having a punt with him in a race like this as I think the trip on this ground will suit him. He could have a good each-way chance as hopefully the race will set up well for him. He ran a good race in the Plate behind Jagwar at the Cheltenham Festival. He did a lot of things right and he went through the race well enough. I think watching the race Joseph (O’Brien) got the feeling that stepping up in trip would help him so hopefully it will.

It will be the first time we see Matata race over two and a half miles in the Melling Chase (3:30pm), but he did win a point-to-point in his younger days over three miles. There might only be four runners in the race, but it looks a good one with El Fabiolo, Jonbon and Protektorat all in there. I’m sure if he bowls away in front they will all be happy enough to follow him, although Protektorat does like to get forward too. He took a lead at Windsor so he is not that headstrong, and in that regard I wouldn’t be too concerned if he sat in behind one. He is a very uncomplicated horse and if he can get into a rhythm he could have a decent shout at a big price. He is a very honest horse that has been saved for Aintree and I think it was a good shout to keep him back for this race. It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he springs a shock as he is a fresh.

I’m really looking forward to being back on board James Du Berlais in the Topham (4:05pm). He put up a great run in the race last year to finish second off a big weight so we know he handles the fences. He has had a couple of nice runs at Leopardstown this season, especially his last one when he wasn’t beaten too far in a Listed race over this sort of trip. We know that he likes decent ground and if he can reproduce his effort from last year’s race he should be on the premises once again.

Aintree, Saturday

We go again with Home By The Lee in the Liverpool Hurdle (3:05pm) where hopefully he can put his bad luck in unseating me in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival behind him. Thankfully he was alright after it and I’m looking forward to him. He schooled on Tuesday and he felt good. He seems in a good place at home. Decent ground here should be no bother to him at all. Given what happened at Cheltenham he is going there relatively fresh so we are hopeful of a big run. I think the one time he ran in the race before he wasn’t at his best as he had a hard race at Cheltenham the time before, but he is an older and stronger horse now and hopefully he can get a bit further than he did the last day.

The Grand National (4:00pm) is the same lottery it always was despite the reduction in runners, but my lad Intense Raffles has a good profile for the race having already won an Irish Grand National. I think when you have a horse win the Irish Grand National you then think of Aintree the next season. Tom (Gibney) has done a great job with him. He had those couple of runs over hurdles to get him going, but it was a good run back over fences in the Bobbyjo Chase last time out. He was wrong at the weights with Nick Rockett, but he enjoyed it being back over fences.

The ground could possibly be the only negative, but although most of his form is on soft ground he is a classy horse and his form is pretty strong. I think a good horse like him will get away with it, but they will water it enough to make sure that it is perfectly safe ground. I jumped him over some of the Aintree style fences last week and he jumped them really well. He seems to have a nice weight on his back and we are hoping for a good run, however you can never be too confident in the Grand National. I’m looking forward to it as you always want a ride in it. All we can now hope for is the best.