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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Adamantly Chosen halves in price for National with Down Royal win

Sun 17th Mar 2024, 17:31

Adamantly ChosenAdamantly 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.”

About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.