Anzum
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Anzum (foaled 6 April 1991) was a British
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse best known for his performances in
National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...
racing. After failing to win in eight races on the flat he made an immediate impact when switched to
hurdle A hurdle (UK English, limited US English) is a moveable section of light fence. In the United States, terms such as "panel", "pipe panel" or simply "fence section" are used to describe moveable sections of fencing intended for agricultural u ...
races, winning his first six races over obstacles including the Summit Junior Hurdle and taking third place in the
Triumph Hurdle The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ...
. After winning only once in the next three years he established himself as a leading staying hurdler in 1999 with wins in the
Stayers' Hurdle The Stayers' Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain. It is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 m ...
, Champion Stayers Hurdle and
Long Walk Hurdle The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlon ...
. He ran his last race in April 2001 and was retired with a record of ten wins and fourteen places from thirty-two starts.


Background

Anzum was a bay gelding with no white
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bred by the
Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...
-based Cobhall Court Stud. He was sired by Ardross, an outstanding stayer who won thirteen
Group races Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Trio ...
including two runnings of the Ascot Gold Cup and was British Horse of the Year in 1982. As a breeding stallion he made an impact as a sire of National Hunt horses including the
Champion Hurdle The Champion Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt racing, National Hunt Hurdling (horse race), hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...
r Alderbrook, Young Kenny (
Scottish Grand National The Scottish Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of ab ...
), Avro Anson (
Dipper Novices' Chase The Dipper Novices' Chase was a Grade 2 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which was run annually from 1980 until 2023. In April of the latter year, the British Horseracing Authority announced the rem ...
) and Burgoyne (
West Yorkshire Hurdle The West Yorkshire Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain that is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Wetherby, West Yorkshire, over a distance of about 3 mil ...
): he is also the paternal grandsire of
Coneygree Coneygree (foaled 23 February 2007) is a retired British Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who competed in National Hunt races. In a career which ran from November 2010 to February 2019 he ran in eighteen races, winning nine times. In March ...
. Anzum's dam Muznah was a fairly useful racehorse, winning two of her nine races and achieving a
Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by th ...
racing of 92 in 1983. She was a great-great-great granddaughter of the broodmare Lost Soul whose other descendants included
Hethersett Hethersett is a large village and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in the county of Norfolk, England, about south-west of Norwich. It covers an area of and had a population of 5,441 in 2,321 households at ...
,
Neasham Belle Neasham Belle (1948 – November 1971) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic Oaks Stakes in 1951. After winning one minor race as a two-year-old, she was well-beaten in her first two races in 19 ...
and
Doyoun Doyoun (8 March 1985 – 5 December 2002) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1988. In a racing career which lasted from October 1987 until October 1988 he ran seven times and won ...
. Muznah had previously foaled the
Top Novices' Hurdle The Top Novices' Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and half a ...
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
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
and was bought for 3,400
guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
by David Minton Bloodstock. A year later, he was offered for auction at
Tattersalls Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founding It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. ...
and was sold for 9,800 guineas to Margaret O'Toole. During his racing career, the gelding was owned by The Old Foresters Partnership. He was initially sent into training with David Nicholson (best known as a trainer of steeplechasers) in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
.


Racing career


Flat racing career

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 A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...
at
Nottingham Racecourse Nottingham Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated at Colwick Park, close to the River Trent and about 3 km east of the city centre. Characteristics There are actual ...
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 The Chester Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2 miles, 2 furlongs and 140 yards () at Cheste ...
winner Silence In Court over fourteen furlongs at Nottingham in May.


1994/1995 National Hunt season: novice hurdle races

Anzum made his debut over obstacles in a
novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession with no prior experience. Religion Buddhism ...
hurdle A hurdle (UK English, limited US English) is a moveable section of light fence. In the United States, terms such as "panel", "pipe panel" or simply "fence section" are used to describe moveable sections of fencing intended for agricultural u ...
at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse on 28 October in which he was ridden by Warren Marston and won by nine lengths from Symbol of Success. Marston was again in the saddle when the gelding won a similar event at
Newbury Racecourse Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse and events venue in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury, Berkshire, Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps. It hosts one of Great Britain's List of ...
on 9 November, beating Khatir by nine lengths at odds of 13/8. Two weeks later, ridden by
Adrian Maguire Adrian Maguire (born 29 April 1971 in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland), is a racehorse trainer and former jockey. Maguire began his career in Irish pony racing at the age of nine, in which he rode more than 200 winners. In 1990 he rode his first ...
he started odds-on favourite at Nottingham and completed his hat-trick, beating Tulu by one and a half lengths. On 10 December, Anzum was moved up in class for the Grade 2 Summit Junior Hurdle at
Lingfield Park Racecourse Lingfield Park Racecourse (commonly referred to as Lingfield) is a horse racing course at Lingfield, Surrey, Lingfield in Surrey, United Kingdom. It is owned by the ARC Racing and Leisure Group, formerly Arena Leisure Plc. Lingfield is best k ...
in which he was ridden by
Robert Massey Robert Lee Massey (born February 17, 1966) is an American football coach and former professional player. He is the head football coach for Winston-Salem State University, a position he has held since 2019. Massey was selected by the New Orlea ...
. Starting the 10/11 favourite in a seven-runner field on heavy ground, he took the lead approaching the second last and held off the late challenge of the
Toby Balding Gerald Barnard Balding Jr. OBE (23 September 1936 – 25 September 2014), known as Toby Balding, was a British racehorse trainer, one of the few to have won the "big three" British jump races—the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and C ...
-trained Brave Tornado to win by three-quarters of a length. Anzum took his winning run to five at
Warwick Racecourse Warwick Racecourse is a horse racing course in Warwick, England. It is a National Hunt racing course and has a programme of 25 meetings throughout the year, many of which are televised. The first stand was built in 1808, and its most recent rede ...
in January when Marston rode him to a six length win in the Red Rose Novices' Hurdle at odds of 4/9. The gelding's winning streak stretched to six in February when he led from the start in the Stroud Green Hurdle at Newbury and won by twenty lengths from the filly Karline Ka. On 16 March 1995, Anzum raced for the first time at the
Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race ...
where he was one of twenty-six four-year-olds to contest the Grade 1
Triumph Hurdle The Triumph Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ...
. Ridden by Marton he started the 9/1 third favourite behind Balanak (winner of the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle and Silver Wedge (
Queen's Vase The Queen's Vase is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 6 furlongs and 34 yards (2,847 metres), and it is schedu ...
, Tolworth Hurdle). After losing ground at the fourth hurdle he made steady progress in the closing stages without ever looking likely to win and finished fourth behind Kissair, Silver Wedge and the subsequently disqualified Dr Leunt. On his final appearance of the season he was sent to Ireland and finished sixth behind Shaihar in the
Champion Four Year Old Hurdle The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 metres), and during its ...
at
Punchestown Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish Nationa ...
.


1995/1996 National Hunt season

Anzum appeared only twice in the 1995/1996 National Hunt season. He finished seventh behind Jibber The Kibber in the
Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle The Wasdell Group Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle is a Class 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow over a distance of abou ...
at
Chepstow Racecourse Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing course located just north of the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley and close to the border with England. It is one of 16 racecourses operated by t ...
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
Haydock Park Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. The racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield to the north, Golborne to the east and Newton-le-Willows ...
on 26 November 1996. Carrying 160 pounds he was prominent from the start and stayed on well in the closing stages to take the lead in the final strides and won by a head from Burnt Imp with Dally Boy a head away in third. In February he carried top weight of 164 pounds in a two and half mile handicap at Chepstow and finished third behind Brave Tornado and Moorish. Two years after his defeat in the Triumph Hurdle, Anzum returned to the Cheltenham Festival to contest the Stayers' Hurdle over three miles. Starting a 25/1 outsider he was ridden by
Richard Johnson Richard or Dick Johnson may refer to: Academics * Dick Johnson (academic) (1929–2019), Australian academic * Richard C. Johnson (1930–2003), professor of electrical engineering * Richard A. Johnson, artist and professor at the University of ...
in a field which included Escartefigue, What A Question ( Long Distance Hurdle), Urubande (
Aintree Hurdle The Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs ( ...
), Trainglot (
Cesarewitch Handicap The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs (3,621 met ...
), Ocean Hawk (
Long Walk Hurdle The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlon ...
), Pridwell and Derrymoyle ( Tipperkevin Hurdle). Anzum was not among the early leaders and made several jumping errors but stayed on strongly on the run-in to finish second, two and half lengths behind Karshi and two lengths ahead of Paddy's Return.


1998/1999 National Hunt season

Anzum missed the whole of the 1997/1998 season before returning in the Grade 1
Long Walk Hurdle The Long Walk Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 3 miles and half a furlon ...
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 The Cleeve Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 3 miles ...
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 The Rendlesham Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 3 miles and ½ a ...
at
Kempton Park Racecourse Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a alcohol licensing laws of the United Kingdom, licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London; it is 13 miles ...
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. 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 Le Coudray () is a Communes of France, commune in the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Eure-et-Loir department References External links Official site
Communes ...
a leading French hurdler who had recently been transferred to the Irish stable of
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
. Lady Rebecca, Paddy's Return and Ocean Hawk were also in the field as well as Juyush (
Ascot Hurdle The Ascot Hurdle is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of about 2 miles and 3½ furlongs (2 m ...
), Turnpole (Cesarewitch) and Kerawi (
Christmas Hurdle The Christmas Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 2 miles (3,219 m ...
). 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. 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." In April, Anzum was sent to Ireland to contest the Champion Stayers Hurdle at
Punchestown Racecourse Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 Regional road (Ireland), regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays ...
and started 7/1 third favourite behind Le Coudray and the mare Marello, with the other runners being Mister Morose ( November Novices' Chase), Pharanear and Khayrawani (
Coral Cup The Coral Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 m ...
). In contrast to the tactics previously employed, Johnson sent Anzum into the lead from the start and held off several challenges before staying on strongly on the run-in to win by two and a half lengths from Khayrawani.


1999/2000 National Hunt season

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 The Mildmay Novices' Chase is a Grade One National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the ...
) 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. 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 Adlestrop () is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds, east of Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England, on the county boundary with Oxfordshire. The River Evenlode forms the southwest boundary of the parish. The village is on a stream ...
, 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 Martin Charles Pipe (born 29 May 1945), is an English former racehorse trainer credited with professionalising the British racehorse training industry, and as of 2021 the most successful trainer in British jump racing. The son of a West Coun ...
-trained mare Maid Equal to whom he was conceding thirteen pounds. The 2001 Cheltenham Festival had been abandoned owing to the
2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease on farms across most of the British countryside. Over 6 million cows and ...
, 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 Baracouda (1995 – 9 February 2023) was a top staying hurdler for racehorse trainer François Doumen in the late 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century. Amongst his major successes, he won the Stayers Championship, the World Hurdle t ...
,
Bacchanal The Bacchanalia were unofficial, privately funded popular Roman festivals of Bacchus, based on various ecstatic elements of the Greek Dionysia. They were almost certainly associated with Rome's native cult of Liber, and probably arrived in Rome ...
and Behrajan. He was never in serious contention and finished last of the eleven runners behind Baracouda.


Pedigree


References

{{reflist, 2 1991 racehorse births Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 21-a