Adamantly Chosen© Photo Healy Racing
Adamantly Chosen may have bumped himself up a few Grand National shortlists with a decisive victory at Down Royal.
Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old came into the Bluegrass Stamm 30 Chase having not hit the frame this season so far, and under Sean O’Keeffe he was a 3-1 chance in a field of five.
He has solid form further back on his record, however, and was second to both Mighty Potter and Gerri Colombe as a novice in two Grade One events last season.
Stepping up in trip to three and a quarter miles for the first time, the test of stamina seemed to suit him and he was comfortably the best on the day when recording a 14-length success over Roi Mage with stablemate Classic Getaway a further six and a half lengths behind in third.
Adamantly Chosen has been halved from 66-1 to 33-1 for the Grand National with Coral and is currently 35th on the list – meaning he only requires one horse to come out for him to make the cut under the newly-introduced field size rule.
O’Keeffe expects him to be happier on quicker spring ground, and said after the triumph: “It was a good performance. I think the horse enjoyed maybe going a gear slower than he had been in the good handicaps. He got into a nice rhythm.
“We went a nice enough even gallop and, in fairness, I knew my lad had a bit of speed. I was kind of riding him for that, but I think he has shown that he stays today.
“When we got up to the third-last, he came alive again under me on the nicer ground. Hopefully into the spring on nicer ground, he will be better again.”
