Intense Raffles, in a display of sheer determination, emerged as the triumphant champion in a nail-biting finish at the 2024 BoyleSports Irish Grand National, outpacing the seasoned 12-year-old Any Second Now.
The Thomas Gibney-trained Intense Raffles performed well, staying close to the lead and jumping excellently with JJ Slevin as the jockey.
Any Second Now, trained by Ted Walsh and owned by JP McManus, emerged as a strong contender at the last fence.
13/2 shot Intense Raffles emerged victorious, with Any Second Now in second, Minella Cocooner in third, Frontal Assult in fourth, and History of Fashion in fifth place.
Trainer Gibney, the mastermind behind Intense Raffles' success, lauded the horse's performance, describing it as fantastic and a joy to train.
The user had their first conversation with Munir and Souede last February, and they commended the boys for their actions.
"Kudos to the big owners for choosing a small stable like us and giving us a horse," said the speaker, acknowledging the difficulty smaller stables have in attracting such opportunities. It is satisfying to repay someone after putting in effort.
"When he won here the last time, we were just getting to know him, and it's just fallen into place." The user claims to have appeared as a genius but admits that it was just a fortunate outcome.