FOR many years yet we will have reason to regret the early death of Jeremy. Stationed at Denis Hickey’s Garryrichard Stud following his move from the Irish National Stud, Jeremy was proving exceptionally popular with National Hunt breeders, while his strike rate with above average runners on the flat continues apace.

He recently sired another group winner on the flat, but his biggest result in recent weeks was the victory for Jer’s Girl in the Grade 1 mare’s hurdle at Fairyhouse. Now racing in the colours of J.P. McManus, the four-year-old filly is a most exciting prospect still, in spite of already having a race of the highest class on her race record.

Jer’s Girl has made just seven starts, finishing second on the first of two runs on the flat at Sligo. She has been a revelation for trainer Gavin Cromwell since popping a hurdle and has won three of her five outings, including a listed hurdle at Aintree in December. She was denied by a head also in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown.

Until her latest start she raced in the colours of her breeder, veterinary surgeon Eugene Bourke who had failed to sell her when she was sent to the sales. At that time she was a half-sister to other winning fillies, Freda’s Rose (by Rossini) and the six-time winner Rosewin (by Hawkeye). Now she has added to her dam African Scene’s list of winners and she is the best runner in the family for four generations. She has also been joined as a winner by her half-brother Scenic Star who was also successful for the Bourke/Cromwell axis. He is a son of the little-known Erewhon.

With four winning offspring African Scene, a daughter of Scenic, equals the record of her own dam African Bloom, by African Sky, but they lag behind Jer’s Girl’s third dam Sovereign Bloom who bred six winners, half of all the foals she produced. In the fourth remove of the pedigree you will eventually come across another blacktype winner, the Group 3 French winner Glenrieffe.

The most recent of African Scene’s 10 offspring is an unnamed two-year-old colt by Lord Shankill. His value has not suffered from the upward-climbing racing career of his now Grade 1 winning half-sister.