AN essay in Timeform from a few decades ago noted that a purpose of the classics was to identify the elite breeding stock of the future, so in Finsceal Fior we have a horse who was bred to achieve anything as he is the son of a dual Derby hero and out of a dual Guineas star.
Sadly, injury prevented him from making it to the track, but it was no surprise to see him find a berth at stud. His eldest offspring are now four-year-olds, and he has had just a handful of runners to date, but two of his winners achieved that feat at the age of two and the Tony Martin-trained High Street Lady, who was runner-up on her debut in February, scored over 10 and a half furlongs at Dundalk last Friday.
Every now and then we see a non-stakes winner emerge from the pack to become a sire of note. Accordion, Fairy King, Kodiac, Oscar, and prolific New Zealand champion sire Volksraad are a few examples, and in addition to having overcome that stakes deficit to achieve fame at stud, what that selection also have in common is that they represent branches of the Northern Dancer line and they have superb pedigrees.
GROUP 1
Of that quintet, four got at least one Group 1 winner on the flat, even though two spent their careers as National Hunt sires. Like Finsceal Fior, Accordion (by Sadler’s Wells) was unraced due to injury.
The half-brother to dual Derby-placed Group 1 scorer Hawaiian Sound (by Hawaii) came up with Grade 1 ace Dato Star in his first crop, and added a string of other top-level National Hunt winners over the years that followed.
He also achieved the notable feat of coming up with both middle-distance Group 1 scorer Yavana’s Pace and listed race winner Littlepacepaddocks on the flat, the latter missing out on classic placing by just three-parts of a length when taking fourth behind Petrushka in the Group 1 Irish Oaks at the Curragh.
Finsceal Fior is by prolific champion sire and established sire of sires Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells) and he is the first foal of Finsceal Beo (by Mr Greeley), which makes him a half-brother to Group 2 Beresford Stakes winner and young Arctic Tack Stud stallion Ol’ Man River (by Montjeu), whose first foals are now on the ground.
His dam’s Group 2-winning half-brother Frozen Power (by Oasis Dream) has sired winners, and his stakes-placed grandam Musical Treat (by Royal Academy) is out of Group 3 scorer Mountain Ash (by Dominion).
FINSCEAL FIOR (IRE), Bay 2010. Unraced.
Retired to stud in 2013, and sire of the winners of 3 races, and £27,166 and sire of the winner of 1 race, and £7,674 under N.H. Rules.
Stands at: Green Hills Stud, Ashtown, Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, Ireland
Contact: Michael Lenihan or John Clarke
Telephone: +353 (0)51 294187 or +353 (1)2300947
Email: lenihanatthepaddocks@eircom.net or johnclarkebloodstock@gmail.com
Web: www.finscealfior.com
Fee: €3,000