THE recent death, at the age of 28 years, of Opera Hat draws a chapter of success to a close, but the mare’s owner Valerie Cooper will be hoping to keep the flame alive with the mare’s son Woodland Opera. He has already given her a few special racing moments and hopefully there will be more to come.

Opera Hat was a daughter of the multiple champion sire Strong Gale who served the Cashman family in Rathbarry with great distinction. Sent to the sales in Fairyhouse as a yearling Opera Hat was purchased by the late Tom Copper through BBA Ireland. While she had no big name horses up close in the pedigree, she was out of a Menelek mare who in turn was out of an Arctic Slave mare. In breeding terms this was royal lineage.