WALK In The Park, the most expensive National Hunt sire standing in Ireland, moved to Grange Stud in Fermoy in 2016, after eight seasons in France, the final three standing at the similarly-named Haras des Granges.

His appeal to Irish breeders was heightened as his early French crops included both Min and Douvan. His final French crop was to subsequently give up the Grade 1 hurdle winner Ginto, and a horse to rank in stature with his first two stars, the wonderful Jonbon.

Those four Grade 1 winners have been eclipsed now by the performances of his Irish-bred crops, the oldest of which are eight. Facile Vega, Croke Park, Spillane’s Tower, Inothewayurthinkin and Ashroe Diamond have all won at the highest levels in Punchestown, Fairyhouse, Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Aintree. Walk In The Park’s tally of blacktype winners overall stands at 43, and that is set to grow to a much higher number in the decade to come. He is well on his way to a century of blacktype performers, with that particular count currently at 80.

One of the sons born in Walk In The Park’s first Irish crop is Nick Rockett, and that eight-year-old gave trainer Willie Mullins a record tenth winner of the Grade 3 Thyestes Chase at Gowran, an iconic race that has been sponsored for a number of years by Goffs. The race has a long and distinguished history, and has been won by some of the best chasers ever to grace the turf.

In 1964 it was captured by the immortal Arkle, and two years later by his stablemate, and a horse considered by some to be worthy of being ranked just as highly, Flyingbolt. In successive years, 2005 and 2006, it was won by Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde, both of whom went on to win the Grand National at Aintree. In the immediate aftermath of this year’s running, Nick Rockett is being touted as a leading fancy for the 2025 Randox Grand National.

Greek mythology

The race takes its title from the racehorse of the same name, Thyestes, called after a figure from Greek mythology. Thyestes (The Tetrarch) was bred by Major Victor McCalmont at the nearby Mount Juliet and trained by Atty Persse in Wiltshire.

He was rated the third-best two-year-old of 1930 after winning his only two races, the National Breeders Produce Stakes over five furlongs at Sandown Park, and the Rous Memorial Stakes over six furlongs at Goodwood. Thyestes never ran again due to injury and was retired to stud in Yorkshire.

The Thyestes trophy was presented to the Kilkenny Show by Major Dermot McCalmont, the prize for a five-year-old likely to make a hunter. It was won by a horse owned by John McEnery of Rossenarra Stud, also in Co Kilkenny, and ridden by his son Martyn who would go on become a very successful breeder, famously responsible for Red Rum. The McEnery family presented the magnificent trophy to Gowran Park for the first running of the Thyestes Chase in 1954.

Bred by K D Cotter, who bought his dam Eireann Rose (Flemensfirth) as a three-year-old at the Goffs Land Rover Sale for €10,000, Nick Rockett won his point-to-point at the first time of asking for Pat Doyle, afterwards joining Willie Mullins. He was given time, and not seen again for more than a year. He won a bumper from two starts on the level at six, before adding the Grade 2 Fairyhouse Novice Hurdle to a previous success on his hurdling debut.

Most important

His Thyestes win is his second and most important over fences, but Nick Rockett had shown that he was well capable of such a victory, having been runner-up in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan and finishing third at Sandown Park in the Grade 3 bet365 Gold Cup Chase. He is very lightly raced, and it would come as no surprise were he to become the third Thyestes Chase winner of recent times to succeed at Aintree. Additionally, he comes from a very successful female line.

Nick Rockett is the second foal from the unraced Flemensfirth (Alleged) mare Eireann Rose. She is also dam of his five-year-old full-sister Music Of Life (Walk In The Park), a €52,000 Goffs Arkle Sale purchase by Brendan Bashford who was placed in a bumper last year. Eireann Rose, who also has a three-year-old gelding by Nathaniel (Galileo), herself has four winning siblings, and she is a full-sister to three of them.

The best of that quartet is Emily Gray (Flemensfirth), and she was successful in a couple of listed chases in England before Kim Bailey sent her over to win, on her penultimate start, the Grade 3 John and Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase at Fairyhouse. Emily Grey raced against the very best, and was second to the likes of Ma Filleule, Glen’s Melody and Vroum Vroum Mag. What a bargain she was, as Brendan Bashford bought her for £3,000 as a four-year-old at the Doncaster Spring Sale.

Blacktype races

Emily Gray retired to stud having won three hurdle races and four chases, earned £110,000, and she won or was placed in eight blacktype races. Her first winner was Ernest Gray (Walk In The Park), a dual bumper winner who has gone on to win over hurdles and fences, the latter victory being achieved last year. In fact, 2024 was a good year for progeny of Emily Grey, as her son Tregele (Mahler) won over hurdles, and her daughter Emily Love (Mount Nelson) landed a point-to-point.

Eireann Rose and Emily Gray’s full-brother Pride Ofthe Parish (Flemensfirth) was runner-up in a Grade 3 hurdle race, while Honor Grey (Flemensfirth) has now won four times over hurdles. Eireann Rose’s third dam was Rose Ravine (Deep Run). That mare’s seven hurdle wins included the Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and she was runner-up in the Aintree Hurdle.

Rose Ravine was trained by Fulke Walwyn and the best of her eight winners at stud was Cardinal Red (The Parson) who carried the colours of Mrs Walwyn to success in the Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree over Gaelstrom. He was reversing form with the runner-up, who the previous month beat him into second place in the Grade 1 Sun Alliance Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Significant role

Aintree has in fact played a significant role in the success of this family. Rose Ravine’s second blacktype winner, Ringaroses (Karinga Bay), also gained the most important of his seven wins at the course, landing a Grade 3 handicap hurdle, a race in which he was also runner-up on another occasion.

Another son of Rose Ravine to perform with some distinction was Frosty Canyon (Arctic Lord). Frustratingly, he won two bumpers and three times each over hurdles and fences, and in all three codes he was runner-up in a Grade 2 contest.

It is noteworthy that the late and great Flemensfirth has worked a treat with different branches of this family. As mentioned earlier, Emily Gray is a blacktype winner, while other daughters of Rose Ravine have been responsible for the listed hurdle winner Mosspark (Flemensfirth), and another is grandam of the Grade 2 Cork Grand National Chase winner Dromore Lad (Flemensfirth).

Given the numbers of Flemensfirth mares around, it is a little surprising that Nick Rockett is just the second blacktype winner Walk In The Park has sired out of one of his daughters. The other is the listed bumper winner The Enabler.