ALTIOR, Apple’s Jade, Arctic Fire, Flying Tiger, Labaik, Let’s Dance, Might Bite, Nichols Canyon, Special Tiara, Supasundae, Tiger Roll, and Willoughby Court were among the winners at Cheltenham recently, but there is something else that they share in common in addition to having secured their places in the festival’s record books.

Each is a male-line descendant of Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer), the late Coolmore Stud colossus who forged one of the most powerful dynasties in the world.

The number of his descendants at stud grows each year, some of whom will excel with their flat horses, some with their jumpers, and others with a mix of both, and, as you would expect, the majority are representatives of some of the best thoroughbred families.

Masterofthehorse finished third to Sea The Stars and Fame And Glory in the Derby at Epsom, he is a full-brother to the Group 1 Oaks and Group 1 Irish Oaks heroine Alexandrova, and could be described as being a three-parts brother to Magical Romance (by Barathea), a Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner on the track and blacktype producer at stud. Her seven winners from her first eight foals feature the prolific gelding Tall Ship (by Sea The Stars), who has excelled since moving to Australia where he is a Group 2-placed dual stakes winner.

Alexandrova is the dam of the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay winner Alex My Boy (by Dalakhani) and of the smart Somehow (by Fastnet Rock), who won the Group 3 Dance Design Stakes and Listed Cheshire Oaks last year, so it is hardly a surprise that Masterofthehorse is off the mark at stud too.

The eldest progeny of Annshoon Stud’s stallion are only four years old and from just three runners under rules, so far, he has had two winners. Zainat, who finished fourth over hurdles at Kelso on his National Hunt debut, won an eight and a half furlong handicap at Wolverhampton last year. Then his daughter Touch Me, who was runner-up in a seven-furlong handicap at Lingfield earlier this month, rounded off 2016 with victory in a two-year-old maiden over that same course and distance.

Masterofthehorse may not yet have the large foal crops and plethora of runners that many of his rivals do, but this classic-placed brother to a classic star has made an eye-catching start as a sire and it is surely just a matter of time before he joins the long list of Sadler’s Wells sons, and other male-line descendants, who have National Hunt blacktype winners to their name, and maybe even one or two on the level.

Won one race, £212,199, over 1 mile, at 2 years, placed second in Virgin Money Chester Vase, Chester, Gr.3, and third in Investec Derby Stakes, Epsom Downs, Gr.1, Juddmonte Beresford Stakes, Curragh, Gr.2.

Retired to stud in 2012, and sire of the winners of 2 races, and £10,189 viz. Zainat (IRE) and Touch Me (IRE).

Stands at: Annshoon Stud, Ballintlea, Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, Ireland

Contact: Michael Shefflin

Telephone: +353 (0)51 898107 or +353 (0)87 9786428

Email: annshoon@gmail.com

Fee: €1,750