Adamantly Chosen Becomes a Strong Contender for the Grand National After a Decisive Victory at Down Royal

Trained by Willie Mullins, the seven-year-old is currently ranked thirty-fifth on the entry list for the Grand National. If just one runner withdraws, Adamantly Chosen will secure a place in the race.

Finishing in the middle of the pack in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown during Christmas and coming seventh in the Grade 3 Leopardstown Handicap Chase, Adamantly Chosen nevertheless clearly benefitted from the longer distance of three miles two furlongs in the recent Bluegrass Stamm 30 Chase. The gelding had shown promise in novice chasing, with two second-place finishes in Grade 1 races, and displayed his class in the five-runner contest by pulling away approaching the final hurdle to win comfortably by fourteen lengths over Roi Mage.

Jockey Sean O'Keeffe commented, ‘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.’