WITH no thoroughbred stallions standing in the north these days, mare owners have to travel but those but those looking for a National Hunt sire need only drive as far as Castleblayney were Gladys and Eamon McArdle will welcome them to Drumhowan Stud.

Among the many stallions standing at their Co Monaghan base is a line-up of three thoroughbreds, headed by the US-bred Primary, a 17-year-old Giant’s Causeway bay who has had two winners recently, First Flow and Skylanna Breeze, who were both bred in Co Wexford where their sire previously stood.

The Kim Bailey-trained First Flow, who recorded his eighth win when bringing up a four-timer on his seasonal debut in an extended two-mile handicap chase at Ascot on Saturday, is out of a Pierre mare. The Jonjo O’Neill-trained Skylanna Breeze, who was winning for the third time from five starts this season when landing an extended three-mile handicap hurdle at Southwell on Tuesday, is out of a Saddlers’ Hall mare.

For good measure, the Touch Of Land six-year-old Catchmeifyoucan, who won a Pertemps Network mares’ handicap hurdle qualifier at Market Rasen last Thursday week, is out of Irish Honey, a daughter of Primary.

Good judge

As seen above in a photograph taken last year, Primary is in excellent fettle. “He’s a bit hairier than that now but it won’t take him long to get into condition next spring,” said Gladys. “He’s young in himself mentally, very bright in his outlook, and gets fit quickly. His first crop from up this way are now two-year-olds. One man who has taken a great shine to him is Dessie Gibson (the well-known show horse producer) and he’s someone breeders would know as a good judge of a horse.”

The other two thoroughbreds at Drumhowan are the 14-year-old German-bred High Chaparral-sired Lucarelli, who is out of a mare by Acatenango, and the 12-year-old Rosier, who is also by High Chaparral but was bred in Ireland out of the Dowsing mare Regina Aldi.