JAMES and Ian Hannon stand a range of stallions at their Tallow, Co Waterford base, The Old Road Stud. Among their five sires is the dual Group 3 winner Ilaraab (Wootton Bassett), and he is new for this season.

The established sires include the Group 1 St Leger winner Arctic Cosmos, a son of the 2004 Group 1 Derby winner North Light (Danehill). Arctic Cosmos had an Aintree to remember when his six-year-old daughter Apple Away won the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, and then his son Blizzard Of Oz was runner-up in the Grade 2 bumper.

Apple Away is a fine advertisement for her sire, and for the training skills of Lucinda Russell.

Another star

The race Apple Away won was captured two years ago by another star of the Russell stables, Ahoy Senor. Now she is set to follow a similar path and go chasing, and she is a most exciting prospect.

Bred, owned and saddled by Terence Leonard to win a point-to-point at Ballyknock on her third start between the flags, Apple Away has not stopped improving since being sold in April 2022 for £35,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale.

Since she joined Russell she has won four of her seven starts over hurdles, been placed twice, earned £86,000, and improved her value considerably. She is one of four foals out of Dr A Day (Dr Massini), and she won one of her 12 starts in point-to-points.

Dr A Day was also bred by Terence Leonard from a dual winning pointer that he bought for €7,500, Dans Belle (Rising). Dans Belle did well at stud from limited opportunities.

With only four foals, Dans Belle bred the four-time winner and Grade 2 Kennel Gate Novice Hurdle runner-up Dr Des (Double Eclipse) and a pair of point-to-point winners.

While Apple Away is the only blacktype winner in four generations of the family, and a Grade 1 winner at that, she is from a female line that has produced its fair share of winners.