'I wouldn’t be afraid to go to Punchestown' - Williams eyeing raid with Annsam

Friday: Newbury

Evan Williams is excited about the immediate and long-term future of Annsam after the seven-year-old gained a confidence-boosting win over hurdles in the feature 3m handicap.

Better known as a chaser, having landed the £70,000 Listed Howden Silver Cup at Ascot in December, Annsam comfortably scored under Adam Wedge over the smaller obstacles, having been pulled up by the same jockey on his last run over fences in the Coral Trophy at Kempton.

Williams said: "We had to run him over hurdles because he made a particularly bad mistake early on at Kempton a couple of races ago and then he didn’t jump with any fluency afterwards.

"For what was a very good jumper that just really shook his confidence, so we thought we could get a couple of runs over hurdles before the season ends."

Williams, Wedge and Annsam’s winning owner Wayne Clifford have already enjoyed a stellar season with the Racing Post Gold Cup and Cheltenham Festival-winning Coole Cody, and the trio could have another exciting handicapper in store next season with a return to Newbury for the Ladbrokes Trophy potentially on the agenda.

Williams said: "It’s been a remarkable year for the three of us. I’d say we’re back on track with Annsam and there are a couple of races in Punchestown which could suit him.

"There’s nowhere else in England that I would go and if he does have to go out in the field, then he goes out, but I wouldn’t be afraid to go to Punchestown.

"Make no mistake, he could be a Hennessy horse in the autumn. If he can just keep going the right way he can run good races in those type of races. He reminds me very much of a National horse further down the line."

Efficient O'Brien

Fergal O'Brien landed a quickfire double with his only runners on the card as Ami Desbois was given a cool ride by Tom Broughton to make a winning hunter-chase debut before Pull Again Green, who ran in Listed company at Cheltenham last time out, got back to winning ways in the 2m4½f novice hurdle under Paddy Brennan.

Results, replays and analysis

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