Sean Flanagan’s William Hill blog: Vanillier can go one better in National

William Hill ambassador Sean Flanagan talks through his Grand National ride Vanillier, hoping to go one better after a gallant second a year ago.

Aintree, Saturday

Vanillier (4.00pm)

He gave me a really good spin in last year’s race when he was second. I did a podcast with someone earlier in the week which talked about a few statistics and things like that. Statistically he made ground at every fence in the race bar the first four fences last year. I kind of rode him that way as I didn’t light him up. He got in a really nice rhythm and came forward all the way to the line. Second is a frustrating place to be, and you are left wondering what could have been, but we are back, and reloaded, and we feel like we are in a really good position with him. I always felt that getting to Corach Rambler was just one step too far. I didn’t think I was going to be anywhere even jumping the last, but then I really got going from the back of the last to the line. I felt like I was a really fast finisher, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I was going to get to him before the winning post was upon us, and unfortunately we didn’t. As a whole we are really happy with his season. If you cast back to his last run at Fairyhouse it was probably more positive than his last run in the same race last year.

Although he was beaten further, he was beaten further by a much more superior horse than the one that beat him a shorter distance 12 months before, and it was on slower ground which wouldn’t have been ideal. If it were possible it would be ideal if the ground could dry out at Aintree, but that is not up for negotiation as the ground will be what it will be. If the ground is a little bit slower then it might just slow everything down for him in the early stages of the race, and I might be a little bit closer in the race early on than I was last year. You would be looking at him thinking he is a big, heavy topped, slow looking horse that you would imagine slow ground would be a help to him, but it isn’t as he just labours a bit in it.

I’ve sat on him nearly twice a week every week since his last run, and I sat on him on the beach last week. (see video feature below)

He is a really hard horse to get fit, and everything was slow and steady to get him fit, so instead of having him standing in his box on a Sunday Gavin (Cromwell) decided to start taking him to the beach. The horses that went recently enjoyed their day out, and it was a very positive thing to do. He was enjoying his splash in the water, and his small hack. It was just a little trip away for him.

I jumped him over a couple of the Aintree style fences at the Curragh on Monday. He jumped those fences really well, and he seems in really good form. Malina Girl, another of Gavin’s Grand National runners, went with him for the trip over the fences and they both jumped good and smart over them. It was a positive day away.

I’m going into the race on the back of a horse that had a very positive experience of the race last year, and he seems like a horse that really enjoyed it. He is going there as a horse with a live chance. The cheekpieces just help him travel a bit better, and he always runs in the tongue tie so that will be left on and we will see how we go. A lot of riders would be in the same frame of mind as myself in that you are just trying to keep everything as simple as possible on the day.

I’d normally get there for the talk in the morning, which all the riders are expected to be at. I will listen to the talk then go have a walk of the track and then take it from there. The Grand National has its own bit of a buzz about it, but it is a nice relaxed buzz, however there is then the sense of anticipation as to what is to come. My kids Lilah, LJ and Libby are going to come over there this year with my partner Lauren so it will be great to have them there as well. The kids have been racing over in Ireland, but they have never been over to Britain to watch me race so it will be great to see them there.

I don’t think I’d be able to explain how I would feel if I won the race as it has been a dream of mine to win the race. It would simply be phenomenal if I could win it.