WHAT do the Guinness Galway Hurdle winner Aramon (Monsun) and the unbeaten Group 3 Molecomb Stakes winner Steel Bull (Clodovil) have in common? Their dams, Aramina (In The Wings) and Macarthurs Park (Equiano) respectively, were sourced by Co Carlow-based Mick Kelly.

Not as well-known perhaps as some of the bigger agents, Mick has nonetheless built up a book of clients that he can contact when he finds something worthwhile. Fillies and mares would appear to be a particular forte of his, and he finds them in some of the most unusual places. One of his best discoveries was a half-sister to Jet Setting, the classic winner who sold for £1.3 million, whom he found amidst a collection of 10 polo ponies he was offered.

The story of Steel Bull’s dam was a similar tale. She was in a riding school-equestrian yard in Yorkshire when Mick located her and a call to Maurice Burns at Rathasker Stud sealed her future. Burns passed her on to Tattersalls auctioneer John O’Kelly and now she is dam of one of this season’s best juveniles.

The story of Steel Bull is also one of hope for small breeders who dream of a big win. Sold as a foal for only €5,000 to Maurice Burns, he was turned over for a profit when realising £15,000 at the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale last year.

He was purchased that day by Andrew and Riona Lynch and they came close to doubling his value when Michael O’Callaghan paid £28,000 for him at the Goffs Arqana Breeze Up Sale. Steel Bull won his purchase price back in two victories for the Curragh trainer and has been sold on again, this time for many multiples of his sale price. He is set to carry the colours of Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez at the weekend in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes.

Smiling faces

A day after Steel Bull put a smile on many faces, including that of Mick Kelly, the agent was delighting in the success of Aramon in the Galway Hurdle. Twice a winner on the flat in Germany as a four-year-old, the now seven-year-old has earnings approaching £300,000 over hurdles and four of his five victories over the smaller obstacles have been in feature races. In addition to his latest success, he won the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown and Grade 3 races at Navan and Tipperary.

Mick bought Aramon’s dam Aramina, on the recommendation of Frank Dorff in Germany, for Cathal Ennis and that sale looked even better again when the mare’s now four-year-old Aramax (Maxios) won the Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. Aramax also ran in the Galway Hurdle against his sibling. They are two of the five winners so far out of Aramina who was listed-placed in her native Germany.

Ennis joy

Cathal Ennis has a half-sister to Aramon and Aramax on the ground by Getaway (Monsun), and that filly is more than just a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner. This year the canny breeder sent Aramina to visit Aramax’s sire Maxios (Monsun). Ennis is tapping into a cross that works exceedingly well in the family.

There are many blacktype winners in the family by the triple Group 1 winner Monsun (Konigsstuhl) who died in 2012. Aramon is a member of the stallion’s final crop, and on the flat Monsun was responsible for 22 Group 1 winners. His influence will be felt for a long time to come through his exceptional sons and daughters.

Aramina’s listed-winning half-sister Avocette is the dam of the Group 1 German Oaks winner Amarette (Monsun) and grandam of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin (Monsun). Amarette has gone on to establish her own successful branch of this family and she is grandam of last year’s French Group 1 winning juvenile Alson (Areion) and the Group 2 German 2000 Guineas winner Ancient Spirit (Invincible Spirit).