WHEN Mollys Mango won her mares’ maiden hurdle at the beginning of last month at Thurles, it marked the beginning of a new venture for Andrew and Gemma Brown’s Caldwell Construction operation.

The Stoke-based couple have had significant success on the track so far through the likes of Mighty Potter, Pied Piper and Fil Dor but they are keen to develop a breeding arm to their involvement and Mollys Mango is heading to be the first name on the team sheet of future broodmares.

In finishing third to Jetara in a listed bumper at Navan this time last year, she has already attained blacktype, and in winning her mares’ maiden hurdle, she has already scooped a first Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies bonus for her owners.

“What Andrew and Gemma would love to do is try and get into a couple of well-bred fillies and try and get black type,” explained Caldwell’s racing manager Joey Logan. “Mollys Mango has black type already but we’re hoping she can get a bit more. When she jumps fences, we’d be expecting that because she’s 16.3hh, she’s a big filly.

“The dam has bred three winners from three runners and the second dam has a fantastic pedigree, there are around seven or eight graded horses in it. It’s a really good family so what we’re trying to do is buy a couple of well-bred fillies and what they would love to do is have five or six broodmares. They actually bought the dam of Pied Piper (Pure Fantasy), and they have her in foal to No Risk At All.

Crillon filly

“We have bought a couple of nice fillies. We bought a filly at the Cheltenham sale last year off Rob James, a Crillon filly (Jasette D’Irlande), she was second in a point-to-point and she might run over Christmas. We think she’s quite nice. We’re trying to buy fillies but it’s very hard, a good filly is often making as much as the geldings.

“I’ve been at the sales this week and I bought three or four fillies, a few Blue Bresils and Crystal Oceans because the bonus system is a great system in place.”

Logan takes care of all the Browns’ stock in Ireland at his Grangeclare Stud in Kilmeague, Co Kildare, where he already houses Pure Fantasy. Mollys Mango is named after the Browns’ daughter, so that was a fair tip itself. She has run since, pulling up at Wexford, but Logan was quick to excuse that run.

“We shouldn’t have run her there on the heavy ground,” he says. “She wants a bit of nice ground. She was in good bumpers last seasons, winning one with Jamie (Codd) and we’ve a lot to look forward to with her.”

Lots to look forward to on that front but also in the immediate future, with Logan hoping the red and white of Caldwell can make an impact over the busy Christmas period.

Running plans are still a little bit up in the air, but he was able to outline a few of the options.

“Mighty Bandit looks set for the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown on the 26th. He was good in Punchestown and he did a faster time than State Man in the Morgiana there so he is exciting.

“We have Imagine, who has won a Grade 2 already. He could actually go over to Kempton for a Grade 1 (Kauto Star Novices’ Chase) or we could keep him at home and go to Leopardstown. D B Cooper is a horse we like a lot. He was second in his bumper at Fairyhouse and could run over Christmas.

“Doctor Elvis is another one. He ran third in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown but he was just getting educated. You could see him over Christmas. Jasette D’Irlande could also make her track debut and we’re looking forward to seeing her.”