Navy: Leopardstown won't be a problem for Barry Connell star, Sean Flanagan tells Unbridled | Racing News

Sean Flanagan is set to once again partner champion fighter Marine Nationale when he lines up at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend, aiming to emulate the heroics of his triumph at Prestbury Park in March.

Asked in the latest episode of Unbridled whether his previous highs and lows of a long career came to mind after crossing the finish line that day in Gloucestershire, Flanagan replied: “They didn't really cross my mind, but I'm very mentally aware of the hardships I put everyone around me – and myself – through to be where I am today.”

The result was particularly poignant in the wake of the tragedy that befell National Navy trooper Michael O'Sullivan, who died after a fall in Thurles a month earlier.

Reflecting, Flanagan said: “I was riding horses before the incident with Michael, but even after that there is still a lot of Michael attached to the horse. I came across the same fence that day. [at Thurles] and I was very involved – it brought a lot of emotion to the whole day.”

Lining up alongside stars such as Jonbon and former winner Captain Guinness at Cheltenham a few weeks later, Marine Nationale did O'Sullivan proud – climbing the hill to claim Grade 1 glory by a margin of eighteen lengths.

Recalling the moments that followed, Flanagan recalls: “I was walking to the top of the slide thinking, 'Jesus, it's all paid for.' It’s amazing, it only takes one winner to think that, but it’s Cheltenham, isn’t it?”

What makes the French Navy so good?

Asked about the nuances surrounding Connell's star, the 37-year-old explained: “I've run a few hurdles, but not many. A few of them don't really feel like they're jumping. They swing, bend the knee, don't take any shape and they're gone. This boy feels the same over a fence.

“Forget his mistake at Leopardstown, his mistakes he makes are jumping too cleanly for a two-mile chaser. He usually does that in his first race or two of the season and he might lose a modicum of ground – but that's only early in the game.

“If I were to blindfold someone and put them on the Marine Nationale by sending them over two fences, they might not know when they leave the ground – they are so adept in the air.”

Redemption of Leopardstown on agenda at Dublin Racing Festival

The Boherbaun Stables team are aiming to write the wrongs of Marine Nationale's last trip to Leopardstown, when a mistake at the second hurdle saw them beaten by half a length in the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase on December 27.

Looking back on the incident which almost saw him separate from the horse, Flanagan said: “It was a mistake. I watched the recording the next day to see what happened and he left the ground a step before the wing and he literally landed right on top if the belly meets the birch itself.

He just threw me forward, almost hit the ground, stopped and I'm almost on top of his tail. If Keith [Donoghue, aboard Only By Night] wasn't there, I could have ended up in the ambulance because I was trying hard not to fall off him. Pat Healy has a photo of him and he's more or less in the fence, so he made a mistake.

Looking ahead, optimism appears to be rising at the stable heading into the Grade 1, two-mile Dublin Chase on Sunday.

Flanagan said: “I never ride him. Gareth Cotter rides him every day and he is in fantastic form. I spoke to Barry last night and he is delighted with him – they are more than happy. I don't think the ground is going to be a problem. He won on soft ground in the Royal Bond and when he won the Supreme it was quite soft ground too. Not that he lost his footing, but Solness around Leopardstown – he is difficult to ride keep. The slow pitch could well take over.

Trainer and owner Barry Connell was particularly optimistic about his horse, particularly following the Clarence House at Ascot which saw Jonbon retain his crown after the fall of Il Etait Temps. He told the media: “I don't see any of these horses having a chance in the Champion Chase. I couldn't see it before the race, and I can't see it after. I think if we jump a clear course, we win.”

Asked about Connell's confidence in the press, Flanagan said: “It's a very different situation because Barry is the trainer and the owner. The problem you can get to sometimes is a trainer can tell you something, and that's fine because you ride for the trainer but you also ride for the owner. If the trainer and the owner don't agree on what you were asked to do or what you did, that's when as you enter the line of fire.

“If the trainer and the owner are 100 percent on the same page because they're the same person, that narrows it down. He's very good at riding because he lets me ride him the way I think he should be ridden, but we're on the same page. I think that makes it a little easier. He can go and say what he wants to say, it won't affect my judgment on how I want to ride the horse. If he's good enough well, he will win and if he doesn't, he won't.

Flanagan identified Solness as the main threat once again for Sunday's Dublin Chase, saying: “Solness has beaten him three times. The Navy is a different horse at Cheltenham. Although Solness could beat him at Leopardstown, I don't think he will beat him at Cheltenham.

What's going on with the rest of the court?

William Munny has not been seen since chasing Kopek Des Bordes in last year's Michael O'Sullivan Supreme Novices' Hurdle, with his Christmas comeback sabotaged by a pulled hindquarters muscle.

There are some positive signs coming from the camp though, with Flanagan revealing: “He's back and doing a lot of walking. I don't think he's far from having the saddle on his back soon. We're talking about, hopefully, Punchestown but he's one of those horses that I don't think it will hurt to have this time around.

He's just a big old raw horse with an endless amount of abilities. I was really, really looking forward to it this year. The division is wide open and he could have been a big contender. »

The yard is also optimistic about their seven-year-old hurdler, Eachtotheirown, with the jockey saying: “He's a magnificent horse. We were very lucky that he ran below average in the Royal Bond and got a great mark. He won very well and gained 14 pounds for that. There's talk of a Supreme entry, which wouldn't hurt anyone and he could have a great race. He's definitely a great chaser in the making.”

Watch Unbridled with Matt Chapman and Paddy Brennan on the At The Races YouTube channel…