FOR the seventh successive season Al Namix (Linamix) will stand for €2,500 when the 2019 stud season swings into action. Now 22 years of age, his latest star performer is last weekend’s Grade 1 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle winner Elixir De Nutz. The five-year-old was previously a winner over a mile and six furlongs on the flat at three in France and of a Grade 2 hurdle race at Cheltenham.

Al Namix never won or was placed beyond listed class in his racing days, but he has done much better as a sire. In addition to numerous blacktype winners in France, his winners in Ireland and Britain include Petit Mouchoir (Grade 1 BHP Insurances Champion Hurdle and Ryanair December Hurdle), Saphir Du Rheu (Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase), Grandouet (Grade 1 AES Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle), Baby Mix (Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle), Alsa Mix (Grade 2 Ballymore Winter Novices Hurdle), and Ballyhill (Grade 3 BetBright Handicap Chase).

What a year 2018 was for the Turgeon (Caro) mare Nutz. Placed on the flat and over jumps in France, she has produced five winners since going to stud, and two of them became blacktype winners last year. Laurina is obviously the star, but her half-brother Calnutz (Balko) landed the Listed Grand Steeplechase de Loire Atlantique at Nantes in October.

Nutz was a rare non-winner for her dam Friandise II (Mistigri) who produced eight winning offspring, led by Lulumar (Beyssac) who was a multiple winner over jumps in France and placed in a listed chase at Auteuil.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact Leo Powell at leopowell@theirishfield.ie with news and updates for the column, and to visit our website www.theirishfield.ie for daily breeding news