NUBE Negra, who lowered the colours of the great Altior in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton on December 27th last, has unusual connections for a top National Hunt horse as he is Spanish-bred.

Owner of Nube Negra’s sire Dink, who stands at Haras de la Bareliere in France, is Luis Álvarez Cervera, who represented Spain in six Olympic Games, five participations in show jumping and two in eventing and in Barcelona ‘92 he competed in both disciplines.

He has been invited to judge at the Dublin Horse Show several times and is a cousin of Edmond Mahony, Tattersalls chairman, so knows his way around the equine world.

Luis explained: “It all started at the RDS in 2017. I was at that unique venue and the best horse show in the world watching my son Eduardo competing as part of the Spanish team.

Skeltons

“I met my pal Nick Skelton and talked to him about the Nube Negra, who I owned. I had bought his sire Dink at the end of his racing career as his sire was the high-class sire Poliglote.

“I thought there was a possibility of sending Nube Negra to his son Dan as he could be a nice one for the National Hunt.

“So we agreed, and by September 2017 the horse arrived in UK. By the following November, he won first time out in a juvenile hurdle under Harry Skelton and straight afterwards Nube Negra was sold to Terry Spraggett. Beautifully managed by Dan and ridden by Harry, full credit to the Skelton brothers for bringing on Nube so well.

“I owned Manly Dream (Nube’s dam), together with Jose Hormaeche, until the end of last month; now she belongs to Nick Skelton, and she is in foal to Dink. I have five racehorses by Dink, from three-year-olds down to foals and four more to see the light in spring. At Haras de la Bareliere they have a few coming three-year-olds.

Versatile

“Leilani, the richest two-year-old winner in Spain, Midnight Star and Run Run were also winners there by him.

“So Dink is a versatile stallion transmitting his lovely temper and a correct and athletic physical with good size and substance.”

Dink is sire also of the Andrew Nicholson-ridden thoroughbred eventing mare Quimba who ran three times for Nigel Twiston-Davies. Out of a Spanish-bred Spartacus mare Die Beste, she won two novice events during the 2020 season which she concluded with a second-place finish in an open novice. Nicholson has had a lot of good results with Spanish sport horses over the years.

Hannon ready to bloom

CONGRATULATIONS and happy new year to Navan travel agent Eimer Hannon on being included in a list of “female entrepreneurs to watch” in 2021 by the influential website thinkbusiness.ie

Eimer’s company specialises in horse racing trips and many racing professionals rely on her to get them safely to the big meetings around the world.

Trying to keep a travel business going during pandemic imposed travel lockdowns is proving an extraordinary challenge and Eimer acknowledges the support of family, staff and friends.

“At the moment, we are like the rose brush; we’ve pruned ourselves back and we will blossom again.”