Ivan 'the Terrible' enters Triumph picture

The Willie Mullins trained Ivan Grozny showed the benefit of a previous hurdle run to impressively win the opening Book Hospitality On Line Maiden Hurdle at Naas today, scoring by 12 lengths under Ruby Walsh.

The winner, a narrow runner-up at Leopardstown over Christmas, moved to lead before the final flight and from there quickened well on the run-in to comfortably beat Indian Icon

Mullins was late on arrival and missed seeing the race but Walsh later said “he has improved a hell of a lot especially in his jumping, from Leopardstown. The ground wouldn't be what he wants but he certainly improved a lot; when he got the gap before the last he quickened up in a few strides and I thought he was pretty impressive.”

Paddy Power bookmakers later introduced the winner at 16/1 for the Triumph Hurdle.

Ivan Grozny is the Russian translation for Ivan the Terrible, Tsar of Russia in the sixteenth century.

By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee