Final Demand impresses on chasing debut Final Demand got his chasing career off to a perfect start when easily justifying odds of 2/7 in the Race And Stay Irish EBF Beginners Chase at Navan. The point-to-point winner scored twice at Grade 1 level over hurdles last season and looks a really exciting recruit in the novice chase division with quotes of 6/4 already for the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. The Willie Mullins-trained gelding jumped from fence to fence and wasn’t asked a question to assert away from Wingmen before the final fence. Wingmen made a bad mistake at the last and Paul Townend was able to cruise home on Final Demand to beat that rival by an easy 13 lengths. Now Is The Hour was a further three lengths back in third. Mullins said, “It was (scintillating), he was just so natural, wasn't he? Jumping down the back watching him taking fences in his stride. "I got a little worried coming to the third-last that he was getting a little tired and I thought Jack (Kennedy on Wingmen) was getting a little closer. "When they were over the third-last, Paul just gave him a squeeze and a shake, and next thing he just started opening up again. His jumping was so natural, it was fantastic. "He looked it (real deal) at this minute. I mean that is just a beginners' chase, but it was still a deep enough beginners' chase. "I'm hoping there is still plenty of improvement in him. He wouldn't have been wound up for today or anything. "On to Christmas maybe, Dublin Racing Festival, and fingers crossed after that.” He added, "I've had a cold since I came home (from Del Mar and Flemington), but still on cloud nine. "What brought it home to me was that it was a record time (by Ethical Diamond). Commentator called it out right as they passed the line. It was fantastic." Quotes by Michael Graham
