For most jump jockeys the thrill of hurtling over fences is enough of an adrenaline rush, but for Sean Flanagan that need for speed extends to the skies above.
Like so many young lads the sight of watching planes was one that interested Flanagan growing up, but at that point getting behind the controls seemed a dream unlikely to happen.
But while the closest many aviation enthusiasts ever come to flying a plane is getting onboard one for their annual holiday, for Flanagan he has turned his passion into reality.
Not only is the 37-year-old an accomplished rider with over 500 career wins to his name, but he is also a qualified pilot, making him a true master of two kinds of horsepower.
Flanagan said: “As a kid growing up I loved watching planes, but I wouldn’t have been presented with the opportunity to fly one and I wouldn’t know where to start looking.
"I think it was maybe my 18th birthday, and somebody got me a present of a flying voucher to have an introductory thing.
“Randomly I was sitting down one evening on the laptop and it popped up about flying lessons at Waterford Airport and I said ‘You know what, let's have a go’ so I booked one.
“At the time I was sponsored by this fella, and I was chatting to him about flying. It turned out his son had just qualified as a pilot, and he had gone to work for Ryanair.
“He bought him an aircraft to learn in and as he was sponsoring me at the time we cut a deal, and I did all my training in his aircraft which made it more affordable to do.
“By that stage I had been bitten by the bug, and I’ve probably had my licence now for five or six years.”
And since those early lessons, things have moved on rapidly with the Grade One-winning rider is now so into his flying that he can take off from the comfort of his back garden.
He added: “I own a share in a six-seater aircraft and then I own one outright, a little Skyranger.
“We moved house earlier this year and it has got a little bit of land, but with the microlight it means I can take it home and land in the field at the back of the house.
“During the break we had at the start of the summer, as well as going away with the kids, and getting some golf in, I built a hangar at the back of the house, which makes it much easier.
“I flew up to Ayr for the Scottish Grand National meeting and I took off from the back of the garden and flew straight to Ayr then straight home.”
Owning a plane comes with significant costs which the day job needs to help pay for and, although enjoying his best Irish tally since the 2020-21 season, Flanagan admits it was a very different picture at the start of the campaign.
He added: “I felt at the start of las season I was going to struggle a little bit as I wouldn’t have had big numbers to look forward to.
“I was borderline thinking I’m not going to be the one that is going to go here and there for one ride here.
“I had done that before, and I wasn’t going back to that. Even though everything came good in the end I kind of felt it could have been a make-or-break season for me with the way things were going.”
Ask any jockey in the weighing room and they will tell you it is all about finding that one horse that can dance on the biggest stages.
And for Flanagan that search ended in November when approached by trainer Barry Connell to become the new rider for Marine Nationale in place of the late Michael O’Sullivan.
He added: “I was riding in Tipperary for Paul (Nolan) and Barry (Connell) and asked me if I would ride Marine Nationale and I said, ‘Sure, I suppose I will’ and that was it.
“I’d say it was nearly a turning point in my career. I’ve ridden lots of winners through the years for Barry and I did ride Marine Nationale in work before he ever ran.
“Michael (O’Sullivan) was an amateur there at the time and I thought I might have a little job here, but the next thing Barry retained Michael, and they had a fantastic time together.
“He did say to me that time that if there was ever going to be a change that I would ride the horse, and thankfully for me he stuck to his word.”
While pleased to be handed the ride aboard Marine Nationale the father-of-three, who also runs a successful valet business with his wife, was rocked, like the rest of the racing world by the death of Grade One-winning rider O’Sullivan following a fall at Thurles in February.
And with such tragic news it meant that their outing in this year’s BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase took on even more significance to deliver the perfect result.
He added: “I suppose I had the time to deal with it a little bit on the run-up to Cheltenham, but I was probably closer to the whole thing than most as I fell at that same fence and so I was dealing with it from day one.
“I got to the Cheltenham Festival having dealt with the situation we were in, but it was extremely difficult.
“When William Munny won at Punchestown before Cheltenham it was only two days after Michael had been buried - and I probably felt more emotion that day.
“However, I felt quite emotional walking back into that winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham given the circumstances.
"Michael’s girlfriend, his brother and the rest of his family were there. There was a lot of emotion in it, but he was there looking after us from up above.”
But although the 2023 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero entered the prestigious two-mile test without a win to his name in his three previous starts last season, Flanagan was confident his stars were about to align.
Flanagan added: “Barry had said to me a couple of times that he grows a foot when he goes over to Cheltenham, and he actually does.
“He had two good runs at Leopardstown at Christmas and then back there at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“For me every time he was having a run he felt like he was coming on from it. I got such a good feeling from him at the Dublin Racing Festival that if there was any more improvement in him, he was going to take a bit of beating at Cheltenham.”
Being on a live contender is one thing, but plenty of luck is often required to win at The Festival such are the levels of competitiveness.
However, Flanagan admits he never had a moment’s worry aboard the son of French Navy, who eventually beat Jonbon by 18 lengths.
He added: “As regards for a run around at Cheltenham you couldn’t have asked for a better run.
"I was a little bit slow away at the start but after jumping a couple of fences I then got into a good position, if anything I felt like I was getting there a bit too soon.
“He winged the third last and I tried to tuck onto Energumene, but he started to fade away, so I had to switch out and tuck onto Quilixios. I had to put his head almost on his bum for a little bit just to have something to half aim at.
“When I levelled up at the back of the second last at Cheltenham, I gave him a few nudges and it probably looked like I was under pressure, but it was only after the last that I was really only starting to get going and he ended up powering home.”
Having entered this year’s BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase as a pretender to the throne Marine Nationale will now return to the meeting with a target on his back.
But for Flanagan, whatever happens at the 2026 Festival, his memories of the 2025 meeting is something he is safe in the knowledge will live with him for life.
He added “You have to look at the Arkle from last season and see what is coming through from there, but he holds the crown at the moment.
“Jeff Kidder won the Fred Winter a couple of years back and for me to get a Cheltenham Festival winner at the time I was like right I’ve done it as I had won at the other major festivals.
“To go back and then win the Queen Mother, which is the pinnacle of that division, and have that on the mantelpiece is fantastic as no one can take that away from me."
