THE press event held at Willie Mullins’ Closutton Stables earlier this week focused on the Dublin Racing Festival (see pages 14-15 for more), but the champion trainer also made some informative comments on Anzadam, who runs in tomorrow’s Grade 3 Naas Racecourse Business Club Limestone Lad Hurdle.

The Mrs Donnelly-owned five-year-old was mentioned in conversation and he reappears tomorrow and bookmakers rate him at 10/1 for the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle.

The Authorized gelding won both his starts for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille before joining Mullins, but as his trained explained, they didn’t get to unveil their recruit as soon as they would like.

“We had him as a juvenile, and he hurt himself, a bang somewhere, and we couldn’t get him out,” Mullins said.

“I was so disappointed we couldn’t get him to Cheltenham with him, even though we had Majborough in the race, Anzadam was right up there with him. So that’s the sort of company I put him in with.”

A 411/day absence proved no barrier to Anzadam on his belated return in November, when he eased clear in the Grade 3 WillowWarm Hurdle at Fairyhouse, chased home by the favourite Kala Conti, a Grade 2 winner 12 months earlier.

Lack of opposition

Perhaps that scared away many potential rivals tomorrow, with just two others declared.

However, the race has always attracted small field, twice peaking at seven runners and twice featuring a measly four, in the past 10 years.

Beacon Edge, the oldest and most experienced of Sunday’s field, was sent off favourite for the 2021 running, when he finished third to Bachasson.

A Grade 2 winner next time out, and later triumphant in the Drinmore Chase, he returned to winning ways earlier this season in a Grade 2 over three miles at Wetherby.

The other runner has a completely different profile, with just one start over hurdles.

Bought off the flat with a rating of 95, William Durkan’s recruit made a perfect start for connections at Limerick over Christmas, and though this is an entirely tougher ask, we have to be glad of his presence.