National glory might be written in the stars for Slevin and Intense Raffles

J J Slevin has a leading chance in the Randox Grand National aboard ante-post favourite Intense Raffles – but if things had been different, he could have been writing about the great race instead.

The County Wexford native is bred for the game as a nephew of training giant Aidan O’Brien and his dreams of success in the saddle were sparked a long time ago.

But well aware of the pitfalls that come with a career in racing, an alternative path was sought in the shape of a degree in journalism.

“I was only OK in school, but I turned up on time and did my homework and my best subjects were history and English,” he explained.

“I was mad into racing all the way along – I loved it – and I always wanted to be a jockey from as long as I can remember and rode as much as I could.

“But the family at home are realists, my parents have been working in the game all their lives and they know how hard it is to make a living out of it, especially riding horses, so when I was done at school I said I needed something to fall back on and journalism was the path I chose.

“I did a three-year degree in Griffith College and then said ‘what am I going to do now?’. I went to Ballydoyle for a year and worked with Aidan and after that I went to Nigel Twiston-Davies for a year and then I came back to Ireland to Joseph’s (O’Brien, cousin) and turned professional that summer.

“I had a bit of work experience in The Irish Field and I’m pretty sure they thought I wasn’t up to much because when I was leaving, they weren’t saying ‘we must get you back!’. But I was always happiest riding horses and thankfully I’ve been able to pursue that.”

Slevin has certainly earned the respect of his famous uncle, though, with O’Brien excited by the prospect of seeing him become a National hero.

The master of Ballydoyle said: “It would be incredible really. J J is a great fella and is working with Joseph (O’Brien, son). They are the same age and they’ve done everything together.

“The Grand National is an incredible race and J J is a superstar, an unbelievable horseman who is very intelligent with a great brain.

“I think Joseph only had 20 jumpers this year and has had three or four Grade One winners. He and J J are very close and always have been.”

Slevin rode 11 winners as an amateur, including two for Twiston-Davies in Britain, before turning professional in the summer of 2016.

It did not take him long to make a significant impact as he struck Cheltenham Festival gold aboard the Gordon Elliott-trained Champagne Classic in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle the following spring and further wins at the showpiece meeting have come aboard Band Of Outlaws and Lark In The Mornin in the Fred Winter.

He has enjoyed Grade One success aboard the likes of Banbridge, Fastorslow, Home By The Lee and Solness and has two Irish Grand National wins to his credit, with General Principle’s 2018 triumph followed by victory aboard Intense Raffles last season.

The Tom Gibney-trained grey was well beaten on his first two starts of the current campaign over hurdles, but a runner-up finish in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse appears to have teed him up perfectly for his Merseyside mission.

“He ran very well the last day and will go to Aintree with a nice weight on his back, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Slevin.

“It was a great run in the Bobbyjo, he had a nice round of jumping and enjoyed himself. I’m looking forward to Aintree, but it’s one of those races where you never know what can happen.

“I remember Papillon (2000) winning and Bobbyjo (1999) before that, he’d be the first one I really remember.

“I’ve had four or five rides in the race and not done much good! I got around last year on Panda Boy (finished 17th) and obviously the English National is a big deal.”

Slevin stood in for the sidelined Daryl Jacob when steering Intense Raffles to Irish Grand National glory last spring, a victory which surely played a major part in Slevin becoming the new retained rider for owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede upon Jacob’s retirement late last year.

He said: “It was an honour to be asked by Simon and Isaac when Daryl retired and every day I go into the weighing room and see those colours by my peg, I feel proud.

“They’re great people to work with, they have a great team of horses and great trainers and the big thing is there’s a real team atmosphere to it – everyone is in it together.

“The week is not hugely different. I’m going into Willie Mullins’ a good bit more now and obviously Nigel Twiston-Davies has a few horses and Nicky Henderson as well. It’s great to be able to go over and ride out for those people – for me, it’s pretty cool.”