ONETHEROPES continued the fine start to the current National Hunt season made by Willie Mullins when the seven-year-old son of Presenting (Mtoto) won the Grade A JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick on Sunday.

Bred by Donal Murphy, he was sold through Walshtown Stakes as a foal for €18,500 to Peter Molony’s Rathmore Stud. Molony saw some profit when he resold the gelding for €38,000 two and a half years later at the Land Rover Sale, Denis Murphy of Ballyboy Stables being the purchaser on this occasion.

The gelding made a single start in a point-to-point, at Punchestown, finishing second in a competitive four-year-old maiden. Ontheropes was unlucky to run into some interference before the fourth last, but he rallied well in the closing stages to just fail by a head at the finish. He lost little in defeat and this was proven when he sold to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £280,000 the following month.

It has taken time, and patience, to get Ontheropes to the winners’ enclosure. He did win his only start over hurdles, having failed to make a big impression in two bumper starts, and his first chase win has been gained on his sixth outing over the larger obstacles. A year ago he was second to Monkfish – so the potential was always there.

Ontheropes is the first foal of Dushion (Dushyantor). That mare started three times in point-to-points, showing some signs of ability in the first two. She had a winning full-sister Gentle Caribou (Dushyantor), successful in a bumper, so it was worth trying her at stud.

Dushion is now the dam of a blacktype winner, has a five-year-old Roped In (Presenting), and a two-year-old son of Leading Light (Montjeu) who sold to Brendan Brooks as a foal for €8,500.

The third dam of Ontheropes is Announcement (Laurence O). She won a point-to-point before adding four racecourse wins, three over hurdles and one in a chase. Her two winners included Gentle Buck (Buckskin), a Grade 3 hurdle winner who was placed in a Grade 1 bumper, hurdle race and chase.

Mrs Milner

Great to see Cheltenham Festival winner Mrs Milner (Flemensfirth) back on the winning trail at Limerick in the Listed Cailin Alainn Mares Hurdle. This was the fourth success for the Anne Coffey-bred mare, trained by Paul Nolan. She is the first foal and winner for Thegirlonthehill who was bought as a three-year-old by Nolan for €12,000. She placed fourth twice in bumpers from four starts.

Thegirlonthehill has three winning siblings and they are all out of Mrs Wallensky (Roselier) who won three times and was runner-up in a Grade 3 hurdle race at Fairyhouse. This is the immediate family of Grade 2 chase winning siblings Penny Jane and Minella Foru, both by King’s Theatre (Sadler’s Wells).

A third blacktype National Hunt race at Limerick was the Listed Greenmount Park Novice Hurdle. It was won by the Gordon Elliott-trained Off Your Rocco, a five-year-old son of Shirocco (Monsun) bred by Francis and Christopher Donnelly. The bumper and three-time hurdle winner was only making his fifth start.

Takeyourcapoff

Off Your Rocco is the first foal and winner for his dam Takeyourcapoff (King’s Theatre). Having been successful twice on the flat, twice over hurdles and finished third in a Grade 3 hurdle race at Punchestown, she sold for just €5,000 to Drumgose Farms at Fairyhouse in 2013. The next year, transferred to Gordon Elliott, she added two more hurdle wins.

Now she has made a dream start at stud, her second foal is Shesadream (Flemensfirth) who was placed in a bumper this year, while hopefully joining them in due course to race will be a three-year-old son of Flemensfirth (Alleged) and a yearling colt by Soldier Of Fortune (Galileo).

For good measure, after Takeyourcapoff was sold for a pittance, her own-brother Peregrine Run (King’s Theatre) emerged, has now won 18 races, and is a multiple Grade 2 and 3 winner over jumps.