REMEMBER Air Chief Marshal? Bred by David and Diane Nagle at Barronstown Stud, the son of Danehill Dancer (Danehill) was trained by Aidan O’Brien and won just three of his 20 starts, the best being a Group 3 victory at the Curragh.

His placed efforts included running Alfred Nobel to half a length in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, but this was not enough to earn him a place on the Coolmore sire roster, and instead he commenced stud duties in France at just €3,000. After seven seasons there, where his fee doubled for 2017 thanks to siring the previous year’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mont Ormel, he found himself in 2018 standing in Ireland.

His final French-conceived crop included Rubaud, one of three blacktype National Hunt winners he has sired, matching his tally of stakes winners on the flat. Successful in his native France at three, Rubaud is now a four-time winner over hurdles in Britain, adding last weekend’s Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle to a previous listed win at Kempton Park.

Rubaud is a full-brother to Francin (Air Chief Marshal) who was a recruit from France where he won twice at three, joining Willie Mullins and winning twice for the Closutton trainer over hurdles. After he left Mullins to join John Berry, Francim earned his only piece of blacktype, finishing third and last at 125/1 behind Jeremys Flame and Gallant John Joe in a Grade 3 chase at Naas last November. This was a race that saw the odds-on favourite Gentleman De Mee unseating Mark Walsh after being hampered by the last fence faller Coeur Sublime.

A third feature race on the Ayr card was the Grade 2 Future Champion Novices’ Chase, won by the seven-year-old Datsalrightgino, a German-bred son of It’s Gino (Perugino).

Bought as a store at the Goffs Land Rover Sale by Tom Malone and Jamie Snowden for €70,000, the winner has now repaid the purchase price with some interest. He is one of three winning sons of his dam Delightful Sofie (Grand Lodge) sired by It’s Gino.

Seven times successful, notably in a Group 2 in Germany and a listed race in France, It’s Gino ended his racing career with three placed efforts in Group 1 races. His final start was in the Group1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and his starting price of 150/1 reflects what most thought of his chances. Nonetheless, he produced a career best performance, finishing third to the brilliant Zarkava. He dead-heated with Soldier Of Fortune, and they were just half a length off Youmzain in second place.

Lalor

Moving to France after some years in Germany at stud, It’s Gino sired an early Grade 1 winner over jumps when his son Lalor won the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree, and that gelding showed his class and versatility when winning a bumper and a novice chase at Grade 2 level. This year It’s Gino also sired a listed hurdle winner in France, Sir Gino.

Datsalrightgino is a full-brother to Darebin (It’s Gino), and this winner of 12 races was placed in the Grade 3 Imperial Cup at Sandown, though eight of his victories have come over fences.

Walk In Clover became the 27th blacktype winner over jumps for Walk In The Park (Montjeu), adding to a single stakes winner on the flat. Douvan and Min propelled him to prominence, and his reputation has been enhanced by many, not least the likes of Facile Vega, Jonbon and Ashroe Diamond in more recent times.

Bred by Kevin Neville, Walk In Clover is from the first crop sired by Walk In The Park after he moved from France to Grange Stud in Fermoy.

A six-year-old mare, Walk In Clover was sold to Tom Weston as a foal for €10,500 at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale. She is the second foal and first winner for Bridgewater Girl (Presenting), and that mare was trained for her breeder Kevin Neville by John Kiely to win a couple of hurdle races. She was denied a Grade 3 victory at Cork by just a neck.

25 years

Neville bought into this family in 1998, some quarter of a century ago, when he paid IR£5,800 for Bridgewater Lady (King’s Ride). While she never raced, she bred five winners at stud, three of them being of above average ability.

Her son Shannon Bridge (Flemensfirth) was beaten a short head in a Grade 2 hurdle race in England, and as a 10-year-old he was a recent point-to-point winner for Sam Curling. His half-brother Ballyvesey (Anshan) was placed in the Summer National at Uttoxeter.

Two runners stand out in the fourth remove of the family. The unraced Darjoy (Darantus) bred eight winners, and while her son Royal Athlete (Roselier) won the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, he will forever be recalled as a Grand National winner, saddled by Jenny Pitman to land the coveted prize in 1995. He was bred by John Brophy.

The other horse worth recalling is Ballycasey (Presenting), a Grade 1 chase winner for Willie Mullins. He is out of the unraced Pink Mist (Montelimar), a granddaughter of Darjoy.

Ballyhane sires on the double

TWO five-year-old mares, Happy Romance (Dandy Man) and Moracana (Elzaam), gave their Ballyhane Stud-based sires a stakes double last Friday week.

Moracana won the Listed Noblesse Stakes at Cork, in the process recording her fourth career success. She is trained by Sheila Lavery, and she also bred the mare and her dam Ultra Cool (One Cool Cat). The latter was also a four-time winner, but she was trained for Lavery by Ado McGuinness, having failed to sell as a yearling.

Elzaam (Redoute’s Choice), a listed winner at three over six furlongs, was runner-up as a juvenile in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes, and he went back to Royal Ascot at three and was fourth to Society Rock in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes.

Five of his seven stakes winners on the flat have been fillies, and most notable among them has been Group 1 Matron Stakes winner Champers Elysees.

While this is a female line with just three stakes winners in four generations, it is a great one for producing winners. Moracana is one of a pair of winners from her dam, but Ultra Cool was one of six successful runners out of Non Ultra (Peintre Celebre).

One of that six, Tamara Moon (Acclamation), bred the Italian Group 3 and Listed Woodcote Stakes winner Chilworth Icon (Sixties Icon).

Non Ultra was among seven winners out of Susun Kelapa (St Jovite), and that dual winner was a half-sister to the US stakes winner Las Dessert (Lac Quimet). She was stakes-placed at two in England, and then won the New York Oaks stateside.

Seventh success

Happy Romance beat Alcohol Free when she won the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes, and she recorded her seventh success in a listed race at Bath. Other wins have come in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury, a listed race at Chelmsford, and she was runner-up in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint last year.

Bred by Jimmy Murphy’s Redpender Stud, Happy Romance was quite a bargain when she sold for £25,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle as a yearling. She has now earned almost £750,000 for her owners, The McMurray Family. She is from a family that consistently produces quality runners.

Boost

The best of four winners from the unraced Marju (Last Tycoon) mare Rugged Up, Happy Romance’s successes have helped boost the sale of the three-year-old Rez (Dandy Man) and the two-year-old Anyone Home (U S Navy Flag), as they realised €290,000 and €100,000 respectively. Rugged Up is out of a half-sister to Silca’s Sister (Inchinor), winner of the Group 1 Prix Morny, and to the Group 2 winner and Group 1 Coronation Stakes and Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Golden Silca (Inchinor).