Slevin highlights Intense Raffles' attributes for National bid JJ Slevin will ride Intense Raffles, one of the ante-post favourites for Saturday’s Grand National. Slevin won last year’s Irish Grand National on the Tom Gibney-trained gelding and is hoping to emulate last year’s Aintree winner I Am Maximus in winning both races. The William Hill racing ambassador said his mount has the ideal attributes for the race. "I think he is able to get into a high tempo, he has got a high-cruising speed I'd say and he is able to be very comfortable going a bit of a gallop. That's what it felt like in Fairyhouse last year. He made one mistake at the third-last but, other than that, he was brilliant," he said. "Maybe at the last he was having a bit of a look around and he threw himself at it a bit. He got into a great rhythm and he was able to conserve and sit against them, and that's what you need to do in a distance race. Hopefully, that will happen in Aintree."
