Flanagan Aims for Redemption as Marine Nationale Seeks to Bounce Back from Leopardstown Blunder
Sean Flanagan is set to partner champion chaser Marine Nationale at this weekend's Dublin Racing Festival, aiming to overcome a disappointing defeat at Leopardstown last month. The 37-year-old rider is confident that his mount can bounce back from the setback, despite admitting that he has never ridden Marine Nationale.
Flanagan acknowledged that his experience riding other horses may put him at a disadvantage when it comes to Marine Nationale, but praised trainer Barry Connell for being "100 per cent" on the same page as his owner. The stable is optimistic about their chances of writing off Marine Nationale's Leopardstown blunder, with Flanagan noting that the horse's mistakes are often jumping too clean and leaving little room for error.
The main challenge for Marine Nationale will be Solness, who has beaten the chaser on three occasions. However, Flanagan believes his mount can overcome this hurdle at Cheltenham, where he ran a respectable second last season. When asked about Connell's confidence in Marine Nationale's ability to take down top-class opposition, Flanagan stated that it is "a very different situation" when the trainer and owner are on the same page.
In addition to Marine Nationale, the yard is also optimistic about their seven-year-old hurdler Eachtotheirown. The horse was given a 14-pound penalty for his Royal Bond victory, and Flanagan hopes he can run a nice race in a Supreme entry. Meanwhile, William Munny's Christmas comeback has been scuppered by a pulled muscle in his hindquarters, but the jockey believes he is "one of those horses who I don't think it will do any harm to have this time."
The yard's confidence is boosted by Marine Nationale's recent form at Prestbury Park and Gloucestershire, where the horse ran a blistering round-the-mile chase to win Grade 1 glory. Flanagan has admitted that he was riding with emotion in his heart after Michael O'Sullivan's tragic fall at Thurles, but believes this will not affect his performance at Dublin.
Ultimately, Flanagan is focused on helping Marine Nationale overcome its recent mistakes and make amends for the Leopardstown blunder. With Solness as their main rival, it will be a closely contested battle at Cheltenham, and only time will tell if the stable can write off Marine Nationale's errors and produce a top-class performance.
Sean Flanagan is set to partner champion chaser Marine Nationale at this weekend's Dublin Racing Festival, aiming to overcome a disappointing defeat at Leopardstown last month. The 37-year-old rider is confident that his mount can bounce back from the setback, despite admitting that he has never ridden Marine Nationale.
Flanagan acknowledged that his experience riding other horses may put him at a disadvantage when it comes to Marine Nationale, but praised trainer Barry Connell for being "100 per cent" on the same page as his owner. The stable is optimistic about their chances of writing off Marine Nationale's Leopardstown blunder, with Flanagan noting that the horse's mistakes are often jumping too clean and leaving little room for error.
The main challenge for Marine Nationale will be Solness, who has beaten the chaser on three occasions. However, Flanagan believes his mount can overcome this hurdle at Cheltenham, where he ran a respectable second last season. When asked about Connell's confidence in Marine Nationale's ability to take down top-class opposition, Flanagan stated that it is "a very different situation" when the trainer and owner are on the same page.
In addition to Marine Nationale, the yard is also optimistic about their seven-year-old hurdler Eachtotheirown. The horse was given a 14-pound penalty for his Royal Bond victory, and Flanagan hopes he can run a nice race in a Supreme entry. Meanwhile, William Munny's Christmas comeback has been scuppered by a pulled muscle in his hindquarters, but the jockey believes he is "one of those horses who I don't think it will do any harm to have this time."
The yard's confidence is boosted by Marine Nationale's recent form at Prestbury Park and Gloucestershire, where the horse ran a blistering round-the-mile chase to win Grade 1 glory. Flanagan has admitted that he was riding with emotion in his heart after Michael O'Sullivan's tragic fall at Thurles, but believes this will not affect his performance at Dublin.
Ultimately, Flanagan is focused on helping Marine Nationale overcome its recent mistakes and make amends for the Leopardstown blunder. With Solness as their main rival, it will be a closely contested battle at Cheltenham, and only time will tell if the stable can write off Marine Nationale's errors and produce a top-class performance.
! Sean Flanagan is gonna bring his A-game with Marine Nationale, and I think he's got a good shot at taking down Solness. The fact that Barry Connell and the owner are on the same page makes all the difference - it's clear they've got a solid plan in place 
. And yeah, I can see why they're optimistic about Eachtotheirown too... with Marine Nationale's recent form going crazy, it's hard not to get excited for their chances 
. Bring on Cheltenham and may the best horse win! 
. It'll be interesting to see how Eachtotheirown fares in the Supreme entry and whether William Munny's injury setback will impact his comeback 
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! Flanagan might not have ridden him before, but he's partnered with Barry Connell who knows what he's doing. Those racing tips from the yard are looking pretty optimistic 
. I mean, their recent form at Prestbury Park and Gloucestershire was insane! 
Marine Nationale just needs to stay focused and avoid those mistakes like Solness will try to capitalize on. Can't wait for this Cheltenham clash 
!
I'm not sure what's more impressive - Flanagan's determination to bounce back from that Leopardstown blunder or how he's going to get Marine Nationale on track 
The horse's issues seem pretty straightforward, just needs to calm down and stop jumping like a total pro 
. But with Solness as the main rival, it's definitely going to be an exciting battle at Cheltenham... can they turn their form around? 
And how's Flanagan's nerves handling that emotional ride after Michael O'Sullivan's fall at Thurles? Either way, I'm tuning in to see how it all plays out! 
. Flanagan's never ridden this horse before so I'm not sure he's got it in him to get the best out of him. And yeah, their form at Prestbury Park and Gloucestershire was decent but that's not exactly Cheltenham level, you know? 
The fact that they're giving this horse a shot after the Leopardstown disaster just seems like they're trying to recoup some lost ground. It's gonna be a close call but I'm predicting a Marine Nationale loss 
they've been on fire lately at prestbury park and gloucestershire and sean flanagan seems really confident with his mount he's riding with emotion but in a good way, you know? like after michael o'sullivan's fall at Thurles he's still got that passion and drive to win. and flanagan's experience riding other horses might actually be a blessing in disguise, who knows? maybe marine nationale just needed someone new to get the best out of him 
anyway, gotta keep an eye on this one, it's gonna be a cracker at cheltenham!
I think it's cool how Barry Connell and the owner are on the same page, that makes all the difference. Eachtotheirown is also looking good, hope they can bring home a win 
The stable's optimism about Eachtotheirown is nice, though - they're definitely not counting their eggs in just one basket 
. Plus, Marine Nationale's been showin' some serious form at Prestbury Park and Gloucestershire, so I reckon they've got a good chance of take down Solness 
. It's like, the horse made some errors, but it's not like it's a total loss of face or anything... it just needs to get back on track and show what it can do. And that's where Solness comes in - like, if Marine Nationale can take down this top-class rival, that'll be huge 
. That shows you how much they trust each other and their partnership... which I think is a big part of what's gonna make or break Marine Nationale's chances at Dublin. Let's see how it all plays out! 
gotta keep an eye on this one 
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pulled muscle at christmas is not what we need. fingers crossed he heals soon 
. Newsflash: there's no magic formula for horse racing! It's all about experience, skill, and luck, and I'm not convinced Flanagan has all those things covered