Down Royal winner Adamantly Chosen could be an intriguing prospect for the Grand National after a comfortable success on Sunday.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old is currently thirty-fifth on the entry list and would only require one runner to come out to secure his place at the start of the Grand National.
Although Adamantly Chosen could only finish midfield in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and was a well-beaten seventh in the Grade 3 Leopardstown Handicap Chase subsequently, he clearly benefited from the step up to three miles two furlongs in Sunday's Bluegrass Stamm 30 Chase. The gelding held some useful novice chasing form – two seconds in Grade 1 company – and appeared to show a touch of class in the five-runner contest, drawing clear approaching the last to claim a fourteen length victory over Roi Mage.
Jockey Sean O'Keeffe said: ""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."
Paddy Power halved Adamantly Chosen from 66/1 to 33/1 for the Grand National.
