GLENVIEW Stud’s multiple champion sire Presenting (by Mtoto) added another Grade 1 star to his tally when Yorkhill recorded an odds-on success in the 32Red Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle over two miles at Sandown on Saturday.

The six-year-old, who won his only completed point-to-point, began his career under rules in a Gowran Park bumper in March, his subsequent Punchestown success was his only time so far not to go off at odds-on, and his hurdles debut, which he won by eight and a half lengths, was over two and a half miles at Punchestown last month.

The undefeated gelding, who made €41,000 in Fairyhouse as a foal, is another major winner bred by Patrick Keating and the latest Grade 1 star from the horse’s famous family.

MARES’ PROGRAMME

The development of a growing blacktype programme for National Hunt fillies and mares has been a great addition to the industry and has provided opportunities for success and stardom for horses who, in the past, would possibly never have entered training.

Leaving the females unraced was common practice and the pedigree of Yorkhill is one of those where none of the first four dams ever made it to the track.

He is the second foal out of Lightning Breeze (by Saddlers’ Hall), his older full-sister Hear The Thunder was unplaced in a Punchestown bumper on her debut in early May and the youngest of his dam’s registered produce is his full-sister Ocean Breeze, who has just turned three.

There are no guarantees in this business but with her pedigree it was probably always a shade of odds-on that Lightning Breeze would come up with at least one blacktype horse at stud.

She is out of Park Breeze (by Strong Gale), her six successful siblings took 39 races between them, and five of the six won at least once in blacktype company.

Dooneys Gate (by Oscar) won a Grade C handicap chase at Leopardstown, Fork Lightning (by Roselier) took the Grade 3 William Hill National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and Distant Thunder (by Phardante) won the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Lingfield.

Moving Earth (by Brush Aside), who won three times over hurdles, five over fences and seven point-to-points, is the one non-blacktype horse among the sextet, and all of their achievements pale in comparison to that of the remaining pair of brothers.

Offshore Account (by Oscar) was placed in bumpers and won over hurdles but found his forte over fences, winning the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase over three miles, one furlong at Punchestown in 2007, three weeks after success in a three-mile Grade 3 contest at Limerick.

THE LISTENER

That same year his older half-brother The Listener (by Roselier) took the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase by 19 lengths, adding to success in the Grade 1 Lexus Chase over three miles at Leopardstown 12 months before, and to be followed by victories in the Grade 1 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, over the same course and distance, and the Grade 1 Champion Chase over three miles at Down Royal.

The popular grey was a half-length runner-up to Noland in the 2008 edition of the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, a three-quarter length runner-up to Beef Or Salmon in 2007’s Grade 1 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, he finished third behind Denman in another Grade 1 Lexus Chase, and he was favourite when out of the frame in the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

All of these horses were bred by the Keatings and so too was Risk Of Thunder (by Strong Gale), the well-known and popular full-brother to their dam Park Breeze.

He was not a blacktype winner, although he earned blacktype placing when runner-up in the Velka Pardubicka, the famous Czech equivalent of the Grand National but he guaranteed his place in the history books with a seven-timer in the La Touche Cup cross-country chase at Punchestown.

This remarkable feat was among a total of 13 chases that he won under National Hunt rules, and Sean Connery’s star, was also a prolific winner in point-to-points.

His older half-brother Park Rainbow (by Pitpan) won a blacktype chase in Germany, among a career total of seven wins over obstacles and his younger one Rog (by Beau Sher) won chases at Tramore (twice) and Thurles in addition to a trio of point-to-points.

Their dam Park Delight (by Saint Denys) had 19 foals, of whom 13 made it to the track and just three won, but in addition to the outstanding broodmare Park Breeze, two of the other unraced fillies deserve a mention.

PARK JEWEL

Park Jewel (by Executive Perk) is the dam of Kilgeel Hill (by Oscar), a Leicester and Fontwell novice hurdle winner last season and who was most recently seen in action when finishing third in a Grade 3 event over two and a half miles at Sandown in March.

Park Wave (by Supreme Leader), on the other hand, is the dam of Gallant Oscar and Enterprise Park and her youngest progeny include a son of Flemensfirth (by Alleged) and daughter of Milan (by Sadler’s Wells) who made €42,000 and €24,000 respectively as foals in Fairyhouse.

Gallant Oscar (by Oscar) unseated his ride two out in last month’s Grade B Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown but won the Grade B Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase at Punchestown on his previous outing, in early May, and before that was third in a Grade 3 chase at Cheltenham.

His earlier form includes victory in the 2014 edition of the Grade B Woodlands Leinster National Handicap Chase over three miles at Naas, he is trained by Tony Martin, and he carries the famous J P McManus colours.

Enterprise Park (by Goldmark) ran just five times, pulled-up on his final start over hurdles and was injured when falling on his chase debut five years ago.

Also bred by the Keating family, gelding won his only bumper, was an odds-on winner on his hurdling debut at Gowran Park, and then beat Quito De La Roque by five and a half lengths in the Grade 3 Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle at Limerick.

There are plenty of other winners in the various branches of this famous family, including distant blacktype scorers such as Rain Lover (by Phalorain) and Swingletree (by Official), and also some younger ones who could become well-known in time.

For some that time may not be far away and those relations include the Philip Hobbs-trained six-year-old Vieux Lille (by Robin Des Champs), a €32,000 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale graduate whose unraced dam Park Athlete (by Supreme Leader) is a half-sister to Yorkhill’s dam Lightning Breeze.

The half-brother to Christie’s Foxhunter Chase runner-up Bon Accord (by Accordion) won a bumper at Wincanton in November, followed up in a novice hurdle at Exeter last month, and then scored at odds of 1/4 in a similar contest at the same venue on New Year’s Day.

These six-year-old ‘cousins’ have made a promising start to their careers although it is Yorkhill who has got the Grade 1 success to his name and who, given what his most famous relations achieved, could even be a potential Gold Cup horse at some stage in the next few years.