Racing
Irish rider flies in for National ride
A jockey riding at the Galway Festival in Ireland has been called on to ride one of the fancied runners in the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown.
Trainer Shane Jackson has called on Irish experience in his bid to win the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown.
Jackson will saddle up Highland Blaze and Loft in Sunday's hurdle over 4200m, with the trainer claiming both are undeniable chances of giving the trainer another a feature jumps win.
With Tommy Ryan electing to ride The Cunning Fox in Sunday's race, Jackson was forced to think outside the square and has called on the services of Sean Flanagan, one of Ireland's leading cross-country jockeys.
Flanagan has been riding at the five-day Galway Festival in Ireland and has mounts on Friday night (Australian time) before flying out to Australia.
"I've been friends with Sean for years," Jackson said.
"We were competitors with each other as jockeys, and I was talking to him and asked if there was any chance of him coming out to ride in the Grand National.
"I said I'm a live chance and he was happy to do it despite missing a couple of days riding at the Galway Festival.
"He rides tonight and then gets on a plane to ride here on Sunday.
"He's a top-class jockey and finishes in the top five or six in Ireland and rode a couple of Cheltenham Festival winners this year.
"His experience, for a race like this, I thought it would be worthwhile giving it a go."
If successful, it will not be the first time an Irish jockey has been flown out specifically for a Grand National ride.
Legendary jockey Ruby Walsh won the 2015 Grand National Steeplechase on Bashboy for Ciaron Maher at Ballarat.
Loft won his first two hurdle starts before being beaten at his past two on heavy ground.
Jackson expects Sunday's ground to be in the soft range which will suit Loft much better.
"He gets a little bogged down in it and he can't show off his class, but if it's a Soft 6 or 7 which it will be on Sunday, I think it will be better for him.
"He missed a couple of jumps in his last two starts, but I do believe it was down to the track conditions being so heavy."
Jackson said Sunday's 4200m journey will be ideal for Highland Blaze who powered home over 3400m on heavy ground to defeat his stablemate at Hamilton on July 20.
"The further he goes, the better he'll be," Jackson said.
"He always hits a flat spot in his races, but he always savages the line.
"I think they're both great chances, but it's a high-quality field, like it is most years.
"It's a high prize money race and everyone wants to have a crack with their best hurdlers, but I wouldn't swap my two fellas, they're two great horses and if everything goes right on the day, they'll be there at the finish."
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