O’Neill feels that Johnnywho ticks the boxes Jonjo O’Neill junior believes that Johnnywho has the right attributes to make him a leading contender in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National next Monday. The JP McManus-owned gelding is generally a 10/1 shot for the marathon showpiece at Fairyhouse. He comes into the race off the back of a big run in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last month, when losing out by just a neck to Daily Present. The Califet gelding bids to give trainer Jonjo O’Neill his third win in the race following the victories of Butler’s Cabin in 2007 and Shutthefrontdoor in 2014. “He’s a good stayer. He used to be very keen over his hurdles but since he’s gone over fences he’s settled down an awful lot,” O’Neill junior told journalist Dave Keena. “He’s going to give himself every chance to stay. “He does travel with a little bit class and I think you need that in races like the Irish National as they are ultra competitive. If you are stuck in a pocket you need a horse to get yourself out. “I think he’s got that and he ticks a lot of boxes.”
