Anzadam makes winning chasing debut at Naas
Anzadam makes a seven-length winning debut over fences at Naas, with Willie Mullins considering a Christmas engagement at Leopardstown.
Anzadam made a successful start to his chasing career at Naas on Sunday, defeating Eachtotheirown by seven lengths in the two-mile Into Kildare Beginners Chase. Willie Mullins' six-year-old, ridden by Paul Townend, justified favouritism at 8-13 and produced a more settled performance than he had often managed over hurdles.
The result was notable not simply for the winning margin but for the way Anzadam approached his new discipline. He had shown considerable ability over hurdles, competing in Grade 1 races on his final five starts last season, but his tendency to race too freely sometimes prevented him from making the most of that ability. Mullins had hoped that the demands of jumping fences would give him something to concentrate on, and the early evidence at Naas was encouraging.
Anzadam tracked the pace set by Eachtotheirown, made a slight mistake at the third fence and jumped left at the second-last obstacle, which was bypassed on the final circuit. He nevertheless travelled strongly into contention, took the lead before the last and stayed on clear under Townend. Eachtotheirown, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler trained by Barry Connell, held second, with Mullins' Arcadian Emperor another half-length behind in third.
The winner was returning from a break of 191 days, having ended his previous campaign with fourth place in the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown. His hurdles record had established him as a horse with substantial natural ability, though his enthusiasm remained a recurring concern against the strongest opposition.
Mullins was pleased by the change in his racing manners, observing that the larger obstacles appeared to occupy Anzadam and reduce his tendency to pull. The trainer suggested that Leopardstown at Christmas could be a suitable next destination, while stressing that the horse would need to continue progressing.
The Naas race was a beginners' chase rather than a graded test, and the result cannot yet establish Anzadam's position among the leading novices. Eachtotheirown was also making his chasing debut, while several of the other runners were similarly inexperienced. Even so, the winner's ability to settle, travel and finish his race provides a promising foundation.
For Mullins, whose novice chasers are often introduced with the spring festivals in mind, the immediate value of the performance lies in the horse's apparent adaptability. Christmas may offer the next indication of how far Anzadam can advance over fences.
By TP Editorial
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