CHAMP Kiely put a disappointing 22-length beating by Ballyburn in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown last month behind him at Navan over the weekend when he won the Grade 3 Flyingbolt Novice Chase, his second success in three starts over fences.

The lightly-raced nine-year-old will most likely be seen next at Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting.

What an achievement it has been for all connected with Champ Kiely to see him back on the track. He was sidelined from the end of the 2023 Punchestown Festival until New Year’s Day this year, and he is a credit to all who nursed him back to full health and fitness. A Grade 1 winner over hurdles, it would be justice should he go on to win at the highest level over fences too.

When Champ Kiely won the Grade 1 Slaney Novice Hurdle, a race sponsored by the local hotel Lawlor’s of Naas, it was very timely as his sire, Ocovango (Monsun), was about to continue his stud career in a new location. He first retired to The Beeches Stud in Waterford in 2015, but in 2023 he had a new home at the Skelton’s Alne Park Stud in Warwickshire. His fee there was set at £3,000, but that went to £4,500 last year and stays the same for 2025.

Everyone is well aware of the popularity of sons by the great German stallion Monsun (Konigsstuhl), the list would be far too long to repeat here, and Ocovango is a sire who has proven to be popular with British breeders. He has covered about 120 mares in his first two seasons at Alne Park, while his covering statistics for his last year in Ireland showed that he had less than 10 mares. This is spite of being a high-class racehorse when trained by André Fabre, and the sire of a very smart hurdler.

Ocovango

After recording an odds-on success in the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe in the spring of his three-year-old season, Ocovango was sent off as one of the favourites for the Group 1 Investec Derby at Epsom. He finished two-and-a-quarter lengths behind Ruler Of The World that day, though admittedly out of the frame, and put up another good effort when finishing third to subsequent US champion Flintshire in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris several weeks later.

While Ocovango may be the sire of only four blacktype winners, they are an impressive quartet. Headed by the Grade 1 winner Champ Kiely, the others are Langer Dan, Mr Vango and Pinkerton. Langer Dan has won the Grade 3 Coral Cup at Cheltenham twice, the Grade 3 Aintree Handicap Hurdle, Grade 3 Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle at Sandown, and the Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle at Wetherby.

Mr Vango, a leading fancy for the Randox Grand National in a few weeks’ time, won the Grade 3 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock and was placed in the Grade 2 National Hunt Challenge Cup Chase at Cheltenham. Pinkerton is best known for his win last summer in the Grade 3 Galway Plate. pittance

Champ Kiely’s fourth dam Highly Acceptable (Immortality) was successful over hurdles before retiring to the Noonan family’s Cregg Stud a little more than half a century ago. She hit the jackpot with the first of her 12 offspring, Glassilaun (Prince Hansel). Owned by Galway solicitor Gerry Moylan, the gelding won his bumper for Peter McCreery, with Ted Walsh in the saddle. He continued his racing career with Edward O’Grady, winning the Listed Carroll Hurdle at Dundalk.

Finest performances

It was in defeat, however. that Glassilaun put up his finest performances, finishing five lengths behind Stranfield in the Waterford Crystal Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, and four lengths behind Chinrullah in the Sweeps Hurdle at Leopardstown. He was getting two stone from Monksfield in the latter, the Champion Hurdle winner finishing third. Glassilaun was the best of three winners on the track produced by Highly Acceptable, who is still recognisable in pedigrees, thanks to the legacy created by a number of her daughters. Fifteen blacktype winners trace to Highly Acceptable.

Champ Kiely unseated his rider on his only start in a point-to-point before Willie Mullins took him on. Having won his bumper on his first outing from Closutton, he was off the track for more than a year and won his first two starts over hurdles, including the Grade 3 Joe Mac Novice Hurdle at Tipperary. He started favourite for the Grade 1 Royal Bond Hurdle and was less than five lengths off the winner, Marine Nationale, before his big Naas victory.

Champ Kiely went to the 2023 Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals, contesting Grade 1 races on both occasions, but had to settle for third place each time behind Impaire Et Passe. Then followed a long time off the track.

Ian Dullea

Breeder Ian Dullea sold Champ Kiely, from Cyril O’Hara’s Ennel Bloodstock, for just €5,800 as a weanling at the Tattersalls Ireland February Sale to Michael Murray. He is the second winner from his dam Cregg So (Moscow Society), and she had the rather dubious honour of failing to finish on any of her four starts in point-to-points. The other winner was Moscowsowhat (Definite Article) in a chase. Cregg So’s failure to finish any of her point-to-point starts was something of a family trait, as her own dam, Bucks Cregg (Buckskin), was brought down on her debut between the flags and pulled up on her only other attempt. At stud, Bucks Cregg has a single winner from seven foals.

Under the third dam of Champ Kiely, the unraced Templenoe Forth (Menelek), are a number of smart performers. Her only winning offspring was Woodville Star (Phardante), and she was a more than useful mare, successful in a point-to-point before going on to win three times each over hurdles and fences. Third in the Grade 1 Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown, she was giving weight to the first two home, one of whom was Bobbyjo.

Woodville Star is grandam of Theatre Glory (Fame And Glory), a listed hurdle winner at Cheltenham, and the Galway listed hurdle winner Ambitious Fellow (Fame And Glory). Woodville Star’s half-sister Shannon Lough (Deep Run) is grandam of the Grade 2-winning hurdler Jessber’s Dream (Milan) and the listed bumper and chase winner Oscar Rock (Oscar), and third dam of last year’s listed bumper winner Supreme Malinas (Malinas).

Hourly Rate

As successful as the Templenoe Forth branch of this family is, there are others that have done as well, and even better. Her full-sister Hourly Rate (Menelek) won a bumper and a hurdle race, and is the dam of the Cheltenham Festival winner Time For A Run (Deep Run), and the Grade 3 hurdle winner Aunt Aggie (Be My Native). Hourly Rate’s daughters have also played their part, producing Adarma (Topanoora) and being grandam of Any Second Now (Oscar), a triple Grade 2 chase winner.

The best of the branches of this family is the one established by Highly Acceptable’s daughter Hi’ Upham (Deep Run). She never won a race but was placed seven times over fences, and she bred Arthur Moore’s multiple Grade 1 winner Native Upmanship (Be My Native). His two hurdle wins included the Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, while six of his 13 victories over fences were gained at the highest level.

Hi’ Upham is grandam of the Grade 1 Powers Gold Cup Novice Chase winner Gilgamboa (Westerner), the listed chase winner A Glass In Thyne (Glacial Storm), and third dam of none other than the Randox Aintree Grand National winner, Corach Rambler (Jeremy).