AS a nursery for future stars, Roscommon has a record that is second to none, both in flat and National Hunt terms. It has seen jumping stars such as Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Call, Grade 1 winning hurdler Won In The Dark and the top-class The Game Changer hone their racing skills on the 10-furlong, right-handed circuit. Even more impressively, the subsequent Group/Grade 1 winning juveniles Again, Wrote and Preseli all raced at Roscommon, as did the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Enzeli.

Last week I travelled west and enjoyed a great evening of racing, but did I see any future racing stars this time? Maybe I did, even though one of the featured horses won at 33/1.

Oakly landed the opener, an extended two and a half mile maiden hurdle, in the colours of Siobhain Fahey and John Breen. Previously the partnership owned Lots Of Memories who sadly was fatally injured in the Kerry National, a race he started favourite for and which was won by Rogue Angel, with Rule The World third. What further heights might Lots Of Memories have scaled?

While Oakly may have been returned at long odds, he was quietly fancied in some quarters. He did not get far on his only previous outing. That was a point-to-point at Dromahane where he was carried out early in proceedings. Rather than go back quickly and try to win another, trainer Paul Fahey headed for the track and with a successful outcome.

Oakly is a five-year-old son of Brian Boru and was bred by John Travers. He sold him as a foal at Tattersalls Ireland for just €2,000, less than the advertised fee for the stallion who stood at the time at The Beeches Stud. Three years later the now gelding was back at the same venue where Conor Ahern sold him on to his trainer for €6,500. He got all of his purchase price back with his victory.

At the time of his sale less than two years ago he looked well bought. He was a half-brother to two winners by Beat All, the mare Dani California and the gelding Beatu. The latter had won a bumper and has now added a hurdle success. The Willie Mullins-trained Dani California had retired to the paddocks as the winner of six races and a valuable placing when she was runner-up in a Grade 2 hurdle at Killarney. In the intervening time she has gone on to produce two winners with her first two foals, both by King’s Theatre.

Oakly is winner number three for his dam Auntie Bob, a thrice-raced daughter of Overbury. She is a half-sister to two racecourse winners and a successful point-to-pointer, and their dam was the Commanche Run mare Kadari who won twice on the flat, including at two, and four times over hurdles. Her six winning siblings included the very smart Muse who notched up 13 victories, eight over hurdles.

A son of High Line, Muse was initially trained by Major Dick Hern before transferring to David Elsworth for whom he made the vast majority of his 56 starts. His biggest win was gained in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton under Mark Richards, who now works with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He also won a Grade 1 at Cheltenham from Nomadic Way and beat Morley Street in a Grade 2 at Ascot, while his defeats included being runner-up to Thetford Forest in the Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Brian Boru now stands at Longford House Stud, which is actually in Templemore, Co Tipperary. The 17-year-old St Leger winner was bred by Juddmonte Farms and is a son of Sadler’s Wells. He has sired a number of very smart performers since retiring to stud and chief among these are Sub Lieutenant (Grade 2 hurdle and chase winner), Fox Appeal (Grade 2 chase winner at Ascot), Shotgun Paddy (Grade 3 Betfred Classic Chase), Noras Fancy (Grade 2 novice chase and listed hurdle winner), Next Sensation (Grade 3 Grand Annual Chase winner at Cheltenham) and Bold Sir Brian, a listed chase winner at Sandown.