Anzum

Anzum (foaled 6 April 1991) was a British

Anzum was a bay gelding with no white markings bred by the Herefordshire-based Cobhall Court Stud. He was sired by Ardross, an outstanding stayer who won thirteen Group races including two runnings of the Ascot Gold Cup and was British Horse of the Year in 1982.^[2] As a breeding stallion he made an impact as a sire of National Hunt horses including the Champion Hurdler Alderbrook, Young Kenny (Scottish Grand National), Avro Anson (Dipper Novices' Chase) and Burgoyne (West Yorkshire Hurdle): he is also the paternal grandsire of Coneygree.^[3] Anzum's dam Muznah was a fairly useful racehorse, winning two of her nine races and achieving a Timeform racing of 92 in 1983.^[4] She was a great-great-great granddaughter of the broodmare Lost Soul whose other descendants included Hethersett, Neasham Belle and Doyoun.^[5] Muznah had previously foaled the Top Novices' Hurdle winner Jazilah and went on to produce the Grade 2 winning hurdler Sh Boom.

As a foal, Anzum was sent to the November sale at

Anzum made little impression in four races as a two-year-old in 1993, producing his best effort on his final appearance when he finished third in a ten furlong maiden race at Nottingham Racecourse in October. He failed to win in four attempts as a three-year-old, but showed some signs of ability in maidens and minor handicap races, never finishing worse than third. His best effort probably came when he finished second to the future Chester Cup winner Silence In Court over fourteen furlongs at Nottingham in May.^[8]

1994/1995 National Hunt season: novice hurdle races

Anzum made his debut over obstacles in a

Anzum appeared only twice in the 1995/1996 National Hunt season. He finished seventh behind Jibber The Kibber in the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle at Chepstow Racecourse in November and third in a handicap hurdle at Sandown in December.

1996/1997 National Hunt season

After a break of almost a year, Anzum returned in a handicap hurdle over two and three quarter miles at

1998/1999 National Hunt season

Anzum missed the whole of the 1997/1998 season before returning in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December 1998 in which he started a 40/1 outsider and came home seventh of the eight finishers behind Princeful. In January he started at odds of 40/1 in a seven runner field for the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham and finished fifth, more than fifty lengths behind the winner Lady Rebecca. Anzum began to show improvement in his next race, the Rendlesham Hurdle at Kempton Park Racecourse on February. Carrying a relatively light weight of 147 pounds he stayed on well in the closing stages to finish second, eight lengths behind his stablemate Pharanear, with the joint-favourites Pridwell and Ocean Hawk finishing fourth and sixth respectively.^[12]

On his third appearance at the Cheltenham Festival, Anzum was ridden by Richard Johnson when he started a 40/1 outsider for the 28th running of the Stayers' Hurdle. The 2/1 joint-favourites were Deano's Beeno (winner of the premier Long Distance Hurdle) and Le Coudray a leading French hurdler who had recently been transferred to the Irish stable of Aidan O'Brien. Lady Rebecca, Paddy's Return and Ocean Hawk were also in the field as well as Juyush (Ascot Hurdle), Turnpole (Cesarewitch) and Kerawi (Christmas Hurdle). Racing on good to soft ground, Anzum was not among the early leaders, came under pressure from the seventh hurdle and was only eighth at the third last at which point Deano's Beeno, who had led up to that point, began to weaken and was overtaken by the Irish mare Sallies Girl. On the final turn Lady Rebecca took the lead from Sallies Girl as Le Coudray made rapid progress on the outside and Anzum began to make progress. Lady Rebecca landed in front over the last but was overtaken by Le Coudray who looked certain to win before Anzum produced a very strong late run to take the lead in the final strides and win by a neck. Lady Rebecca finished third ahead of Sallies Girl and Juyush.^[13] Nicholson said: "I watched the race from the lawn and when they passed me I thought he might get second, but as I went towards the winner's enclosure Arthur Moore told me I'd won it."^[14]

In April, Anzum was sent to Ireland to contest the

Anzum began his next campaign in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on 27 November in which he started at odds of 11/2 and finished third, beaten eighteen lengths and a neck by Deano's Beeno and the six-year-old gelding Just Nip. When David Nicholson retired in December, his assistant Alan King took over the stable. On 18 December, Anzum faced Deano's Beeno yet again in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in a six-runner field which also included Pharanear, Ivor's Flutter, Boss Doyle (Mildmay Novices' Chase) and Count Campioni. Anzum tracked Deano's Beeno before taking the lead at the twelfth hurdle and drew well clear of his rival over the last two obstacles to win by seventeen lengths.^[16] Anzum started 5/4 favourite for a Grade 2 event at Haydock in January but after making the early running he was overtaken three hurdles out and finished third behind Behrajan and Merry Masquerade. He missed that year's Cheltenham Festival owing to the prevailing firm ground.

2000/2001 National Hunt season

Anzum was off the racecourse for just over a year, during which time he was moved to the stable of Richard Phillips at Adlestrop, before returning for the Cloeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on 27 January 2001. Starting the 25/1 outsider against six opponents he finished third behind Lady Rebecca and Mister Banjo with Barton in fifth. On 31 March at Ascot he started 13/8 favourite for the Grade 2 Weatherbys Hurdle and finished second to the Martin Pipe-trained mare Maid Equal to whom he was conceding thirteen pounds.^[17] The 2001 Cheltenham Festival had been abandoned owing to the 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak, but a series of substitute championship races were run at Sandown at the end of April. Anzum contested the Distance Championship, a substitute for the Stayers' Hurdle and started 8/1 third fourth choice in the betting behind Baracouda, Bacchanal and Behrajan. He was never in serious contention and finished last of the eleven runners behind Baracouda.

Pedigree

References