WESTERNER MARE CONTINUES TO EXCEL
Westerner Lady took her record over fences to five wins from six starts when justifying odds-on in the Grade 2 Champs Elysees Coolmore National Hunt Sires European Breeders Fund Mares Novice Chase over two and a half miles at Thurles recently.
Anthony Butler's homebred seven-year-old is trained by Willie Mullins, she is now a triple graded winner over the larger obstacles, and that sole defeat came when chasing home Alpha Des Obeaux in a Grade 3 contest at Cork in November.
Her final start over hurdles was in July when she was a winning favourite in the Grade B Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle at Galway, a fourth success from just five starts over flights.
She has also won a bumper, so her overall career record stands at 10 wins from 15 starts, to date, and she is a fine advertisement for her sire, Castle Hyde Stud's Arc-placed top-class stayer Westerner (by Danehill).
The first foal out of bumper winner and hurdles-placed mare Cloghoge Lady (by Presenting), Westerner Lady is a grand-daughter of Righthand Lady (by Buckskin), a twice-placed half-sister to On The Other Hand (by Proverb).
He got his earliest wins when with the John Mulhern stable, was a blacktype winner at around three miles at Punchestown and Leopardstown, and was a member of the Gordon Richards team when among the handful of horses who completed the full course at Aintree in 1993, passing the post sixth behind Esha Ness in the Grand National that was void.
Although her four most recent starts have been over two and a half miles, Westerner Lady's chasing debut was over three miles, one furlong at Kilbeggan in August and her hurdle wins were at up to three miles, so we know that she stays farther.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of her career turns out, both on the track and eventually at stud.
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LEGEND'S JOHN STRIKES AGAIN
Few Irish- or British-born male jumpers are colts or stallions but Midnight Legend (by Night Shift) was and the smart flat horse and high-class hurdler became a leading National Hunt sire during his time at Pitchall Farm.
He died last summer, at the age of 25, and his loss was advertised again recently when Sizing John won the Grade 3 Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase over two and a half miles at Thurles.
That Jessica Harrington-trained seven-year-old was, like recent listed winning hurdler Lifebooat Mona (by Kayf Tara), was bred by Bryan & Sandra Mayoh, Eskdale Stud.
He won the Grade 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown just over two years ago, was a Grade 2 scorer over fences at Punchestown 14 months ago, and the horse he beat by two and a half lengths at Thurles was Sub Lieutenant, the old rival he trounced by six and a half in that top December 2014 event in Dublin.
He is out of La Perrotine (by Northern Crystal), who won a bumper and three times over hurdles, and his siblings include Scholastica (by Old Vic), a dual bumper and dual hurdles winner who earned her blacktype when third in a two and a half mile contest at Haydock four years ago.
This branch of the family is now firmly a National Hunt one, but its roots are in the flat sector, and I reviewed Sizing John's pedigree in detail in the 3rd January 2015 edition of The Irish Field.
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ANOTHER FOR FLEMENSFIRTH
Veteran Beeches Stud stallion Flemensfirth (by Alleged) added to his tally when Waiting Patiently won the Grade 2 Star Sports Cheltenham Preview Evening Novices' Chase over two and a half miles on soft ground at Haydock on Saturday.
The Malcolm Jefferson-trained six-year-old, who won the final of three starts over hurdles last season, is undefeated in three outings over the larger obstacles.
He was bred by Vincent Finn, who sold him for €16,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale of 2014, and he is a full-brother to the ill-fated point-to-point, bumper and hurdles scorer Walking In The Air, who was trained by Dan Skelton.
The pair are the first two foals out of the unraced Rossavon (by Beneficial), a half-sister to the multiple blacktype-placed hurdler and multiple chase and point-to-point scorer Ciara's Prince (by Good Thyne).
That talented gelding is a full-brother to the triple hurdles and triple chase winner Jo Jo Boy and his string of other successful siblings includes Yankie Jamie (by Strong Gale), who won three over hurdles and twice over fences.
Shining Jug (by Deep Run), who was placed a few times on the flat, is the grandam of Waiting Patiently, and in addition to being a full-sister to County Hurdle third Marshall Key, she is a half-sister to leading performer Miller Hill (by Green Shoon) and full-sister to a broodmare of note.
Miller Hill's wins featured the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and also the Monksfield Extended Handicap Hurdle at Navan. His half-sister Deep Shine (by Deep Run) is the dam of Mighty Mogul (by Good Thyne).
A Grade 2-winning novice hurdler when trained by Jenny Pitman, Mighty Mogul then ran up a sequence for the David Nicholson team including easy wins in the Grade 2 Gerry Fielden Hurdle, Grade 2 Waterloo Hurdle and, on his penultimate start, the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle.
Others who descend from Deep Shine include the graded winning mares Court Leader (by Supreme Leader) and Mae's Choice (by Presenting) and also the Shantou (by Alleged) gelding Ballynagour, who won the Grade 3 Byrne Group Handicap Chase at Cheltenham three years ago.
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STOWAWAY'S LEGACY LIVES ON
The bloodstock industry was dealt a blow when Stowaway (by Slip Anchor) died two years ago. The high-class middle-distance racehorse and leading National Hunt sire stood at Ronnie O'Neill's Whytemount Stud and he had only turned 21 years old.
His loss was advertised again recently when Ice Cold Soul sprang a 20/1 surprise in the Grade B Coral.ie Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday, and this prestigious two-mile event provided the Noel Meade-trained gelding with his first blacktype success.
O'Neill bred the talented seven-year-old out of his excellent mare Western Whisper (by Supreme Leader) and the bay has three blacktype-winning full-brothers.
Dual Grade 1 star and potential Grade 1 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate Outlander heads the quartet and, like Sunday's winner, that Gordon Elliott-trained nine-year-old carries the famous Gigginstown House Stud colours.
Western Leader, who won the Grade 2 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles at Thurles seven years ago, is the eldest of the quartet, and the line-up is completed by Mart Lane, who won a listed handicap chase at Market Rasen in September 2014.
Their full-sister Lough Roe Lady won over hurdles at Thurles and over fences at Clonmel, and the youngest of the siblings to run is the Malcolm Jefferson-trained five-year-old Mayo Star, who justified favouritism in a Newcastle bumper in December.
It has been reported that Ice Cold Soul, who made €82,000 as a three-year-old at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, could go for either the County Hurdle or the Coral Cup.
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QUEEN DESCENDS FROM GOLDEN MARE
The development of a strong programme of blacktype hurdle and chase events for mares has been a fantastic addition to the National Hunt industry in recent years.
Before then a top-class racemare had little option but to take on the geldings and in 1995 one such mare made the frame in two of the world's most famous chases.
Dubacilla (by Dubassoff), who had been a Grade 2-placed chase winner for her owner/breeder Henry Cole, joined the David Nicholson stable, chased home Master Oats in the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup and, just a few weeks later, finished fourth to Royal Athlete in the Grade 3 Grand National at Aintree.
Just 12 months before, her half-brother Just So (by Sousa) was runner-up to Miinnehoma in the same great race, beaten by just one and a quarter lengths.
Dubacilla lived to the age of 25 and her four successful progeny include five-times chase scorer Justabout (by Classic Cliche), triple chase winner Triggernometry (by Double Trigger), and also Mister Quasimodo (by Busy Flight).
He won a pair of bumpers and twice over hurdles, the last of his four wins over fences was a wide-margin success over two miles at Chepstow seven years ago, and he was several times Grade 2-placed.
Her daughter Priscilla (by Teenoso) ran a dozen times without success, although was placed once over hurdles and four times over fences, and it is that mare's daughter who won the Listed Charnwood Forest Mares' Chase over two miles, six and a half furlongs at Leicester on Tuesday.
Desert Queen (by Desert King) was also bred by Cole, she is trained by Harry Fry, and this latest success, her fifth under National Hunt rules, adds to her listed race victory over three miles at Market Rasen in November.
She missed out on more blacktype when fourth behind Lifeboat Mona in a listed hurdle event at Sandown earlier this month, and she holds an entry in the Grade 1 OLBG Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Her Group 1 Irish Derby and Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas-winning sire Desert King (by Danehill) has had plenty of winners uner National Hunt rules but got his best results on the flat where his Group 1 stars feature triple Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva.