Limestone Lad Hurdle report and reaction: Anzadam cruises to victory at Naas

Willie Mullins' fascinating French import arrived with a sizeable reputation and, while he didn't make the track as a juvenile hurdler last season, kicked off in the Joe and Marie Donnelly silks with a striking Grade 3 success at Fairyhouse at the end of November.

The five-year-old was sent off at 1/10 favourite to make it two from two in Ireland and did so with the minimum of fuss in Sunday's Grade 3 event, cruising around under restraint at the back of the small field before being allowed to stride on by Paul Townend after the final flight.

He sluiced through the testing conditions on the run-in and quickly shot clear to beat 16/1 shot Beacon Edge by 11 lengths, with Laafi finishing a further neck behind in last.

Paddy Power left Anzadam unchanged at 10/1 for the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, a market topped by Saturday's Unibet Hurdle winner Constitution Hill at 4/5.

Sky Bet, who offer non-runner no-bet, go 8/1 about Anzadam in the day-one feature at the Festival in March. Their Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "We didn't learn a whole lot from Sunday's race as he wasn't really tested but Anzadam remains a very interesting horse and he obviously couldn't be in better hands than Willie Mullins. We're 8/1 in the NRNB market and 10/1 the traditional antepost book ahead of next weekend's Irish Champion Hurdle where the Donnellys will look to strengthen their hand with State Man hopefully in action."

Townend said on Racing TV: "He got a bit keen after the hurdle down the side (of the track) but when I got him back he was fine again and it worked out nicely.

"I went out with the opinion that if he's going to be what we hope he can be, he was going to be able to pick them up and get them to spit it out and I think he has plenty of pace.

"He came up out of my hands a couple of times as we were going so slow early, but he has huge scope and, as we've seen yesterday (with Constitution Hill's last-flight mistake at Cheltenham), they can all live on the edge a bit can't they?!

"I was surprised by the kind of ride I got off him at Fairyhouse, compared to what he's like at home, so he's better on the racecourse (than at home). The dream is alive and we'll go on again."

Mullins said: "That was a very good performance. Paul gave him a squeeze after the last and he quickened away nicely. There was no sign of him stopping.

“He has a good engine and is climbing up the tree nicely. He could be anything. He’s in the Champion Hurdle but maybe we should wait for Aintree. That looks appealing and he’s still only five.

"The jump he put in at the third last I thought was extraordinary and showed me that we’ll have no trouble going novice chasing with him when we want. We’ll see how far we can go with hurdling and see what his owners would like to do."

Another Triumph contender?

Mullins and Townend were also on target with Charlus in the Get Extra Cheltenham Places Now At BetVictor Maiden Hurdle.

Four-year-old French Flat recruit Charlus was never far from the early pace and was pushed along to lead at the last, before coming a length and a quarter clear of Holy See (2/1) in second. The 28/1 chance Kool One finished third.

The winner was clipped to a general 20/1 for the Grade 1 JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and his trainer confirmed he is likely to be on the Festival team.

“That was a very pleasing first run for a Churchill off the Flat. I was afraid he’d be too keen and was really pleased how he settled and jumped,” said Mullins.

“He had a couple of little setbacks earlier in the season and we’re hoping that he’ll improve enough to merit his entry in the Triumph Hurdle.”

Of the owners, The Why Knot Partnership, Mullins added: “It’s a new partnership between a number of groups hatched over a social occasion. They have four or five horses, mostly dual-purpose types, and our aim would be to have runners at the likes of Cheltenham and Ascot."

City thriving over fences

The Closutton hat-trick was brought up when Dancing City put in an assured performance to win the Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase.

Tracked all the way by Gavin Cromwell's classy mare Bioliminescence, Townend kept Dancing City towards the stands' side on straightening for home for the final time and while his closest market rival and hot pursuer moved up to lay down a challenge approaching the last fence, the 8/11 favourite - who was in receipt of 1lb from the runner-up - simply had too many guns and ran on to score by three and a half lengths.

Bookmakers were suitably impressed and cut Dancing City for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, Paddy Power and Betfair going 4/1 and Sky Bet offering 9/2 (NRNB). Bioliminescence is a best-priced 6/1 for the Mrs Paddy Power Chase, a race her connections won last March with Limerick Lace.

"Paul said he’s so settled, he’s exactly what you’d want for a three-mile chaser,” said Mullins.

“He gallops and jumps and only does what he’s asked to do.

“I was very pleased with the performance in what is very, very testing ground. He looks like one for the Brown Advisory.”

Rest of the action

Terence O’Brien’s Answer To Kayf has bigger things in store after a smart win in the Clinton Higgins Chartered Accountants Novice Handicap Chase.

The nine-year-old was the 7/4 favourite under 5lb claimer John Shinnick and seemed to enjoy the soft going when striding to an easy 12-length victory after a neat round of jumping. It was a first success over fences for the horse, who made up the minor places in some competitive beginners chases earlier in the term and was fourth in the Martin Pipe contest over hurdles at Cheltenham last season.

“I suppose heavy ground makes a huge difference and a drop in class too. It just goes to show how good those beginners chases are, as he couldn’t get a blow in,” said O’Brien.

“We’re hoping to go to Cheltenham with him but I suppose the handicapper is going to give him a fair lump for that.

“The two-mile four-furlong novice handicap chase (the Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase) is the only one he can run in. There is a three-mile five-furlong novice as well, but you have to be in the first four over three miles and he hasn’t run over three miles.

“The owners are thrilled and get a great buzz out of it. This has been a dream horse for them. At the end of the year, an Irish National might not be out of the question.”

Ballybow got off the mark over hurdles with a wide-margin victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle for Gordon Elliott and Sam Ewing.

A 9/2 chance who was luckless when a runner-up last time out, he was an easy winner this time, securing a nine-length victory from the favourite Kalix Delabarriere, with the former top-class bumper horse A Dream To Share well beaten in fourth.

Ewing said: “He’s done that very well today. I suppose you could write off his first run, where he clipped the heel of a loose horse. His last run was good, and he loved that ground today. He’s a nice horse and can step up in trip, no problem.”

The concluding BetVictor’s 60 Euro New Customer Offer (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race went the way of Gavin Cromwell’s Champagne Jury, who made his rules debut under Declan Lavery to score by five lengths at 8/1.

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