ONE of the most iconic racehorses of recent decades has been Tiger Roll. The five-time Cheltenham Festival star is firmly lodged in the history books as a dual winner of the Grand National, unlucky not to have had the chance to go for a record-equalling third win in one of the world’s most famous races.
He is the son of the Group 1 Derby winner Authorized (Montjeu), a stallion who has also supplied the sadly ill-fated Grade 1 standout Nichols Canyon in addition to his string of top-level winners on the flat.
Winner of a total of 13 races, Tiger Roll is, of course, a gelding as is his Group 2 Lonsdale Cup and Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy-winning half-brother Ahzeemah (Dubawi), a Godolphin-owned five-time winner who chased home Voleuse De Coeurs in the Group 1 Irish St Leger.
However, the good news for breeders is that the pair have another sibling of note and he is a stallion in Ireland.
Austrian School (Teofilo), who is more closely related to Tiger Roll than Ahzeemah, ran only on the level, his five wins coming from a mile to 14 furlongs. Those include a six-length score in the Queen’s Cup at Musselburgh, and victory in a mile and a half handicap at Chester.
He was only beaten a head when runner-up in the Mallard Handicap over the St Leger course and distance at Doncaster, was a neck runner-up in a two-mile handicap, and earned blacktype at Newmarket, Hamilton, Ascot and Sandown.
Austrian School was second in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket and the 11-furlong Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton, and third to Dee Ex Bee in the Group 3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown and occupied the same position in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot.
Teofilo’s exploits as a sire of top-class international flat horses is well-known, and the Kildangan Stud-based classic sire, the first stallion son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) to hit the 100 stakes-winner mark, already has a number of sons now at stud.
They include the Group 1 sire Havana Gold. The latter, whose best win came over a mile, is responsible for the Group 1-winning sprinter and hugely-successful young stallion Havana Grey
Darley Australia’s Kermadec is the other Teofilo son of note, and that top-class multiple Group 1-winning Australian miler has sired the four-time Group 1 winner Montefilia and Group 1 Toorak Handicap winner Tuvalu in his first crop and the Group 1 VRC Oaks winner Willowy in his second crop. Like most leading flat sires,
Teofilo has also had plenty of winners under National Hunt rules and these include the Grade 1 chase winner Broughton.
Swiss Roll (Entrepreneur), the dam of Austrian School and three other winners, was runner-up in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan, and her siblings include the Group 3 Park Express Stakes winner Pollen (Orpen), her full-brother Berenson (Entrepreneur), runner-up in the Group 1 National Stakes at two, and the listed hurdle-placed, five-time winner Khachaturian (Spectrum).
Austrian School is closely related to a racing legend and he has the credentials to make an impact as a National Hunt sire.
AUSTRIAN SCHOOL (IRE), Bay 2015. Won five races, £169,909, from 1 mile to 1 mile 6 furlongs, at 2 to 4 years placed second in Brit. Stallion Studs EBF Glasgow Stakes, Hamilton Park, L, Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes, Newmarket, L, and third in Matchbook Henry II Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.3, Londonmetric Noel Murless Stakes, Ascot, L.
Retired to Stud in 2020. First crop are 2-year-olds
Stands at: Clongiffen Stud, Longwood, Enfield, Co Meath, A83 F660, Ireland.
Contact: Robert Honner or John Walsh
Telephone: +353 86 4679272 (Robert) or +353 86 2558945 (John)
Email: clongiffen@gmail.com
Web: www.clongiffenstud.com
Fee: €1,500