THE classic-placed sprinter-miler Danehill (Danzig) has had a profound influence on the breed. The prolific champion sire can be found somewhere in the pedigree of many of the world’s top flat horses and, in recent years, his influence in National Hunt circles has been growing.

Champs Elysees, Dylan Thomas, Indian Danehill, Jeremy, Mastercraftsman, Mountain High, Multiplex, Westerner and Zoffany are sons or male-line descendants who have made an impact in the National Hunt sector.

Classic sire Champs Elysees (Danehill) is dead, as is classic and leading sire Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer), and the Group 1 sire Zoffany (Dansili).

Jeremy is also dead, and his early demise was a major blow to the industry. The son of Danehill Dancer was a high-class racehorse, related to the brilliant Japanese middle-distance runner and phenomenal stallion Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), and his career was just beginning to take off at stud when he died, aged only 11.

Success Days (Kilbarry Lodge Stud), Kool Kompany (Clongiffen Stud), and Yellow Rosebud were among his best on the flat, but the ill-fated Grade 1 star Our Conor plus notables such as Jer’s Girl, Mister Fisher, Appreciate It, Sir Gerhard, Belfast Banter, Reserve Tank and Who Dares Wins are among his best under National Hunt rules.

Sumbal is also a son of Danehill Dancer, he was a €180,000 yearling and he was among the eye-catching additions to the stallion ranks in Ireland in 2020. The now Boardsmill Stud-based horse won the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe, was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt, Group 3 Prix Exbury and Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, and all of his wins, plus two of his pattern placings, came on ground that was heavy or very soft.

He spent a single season at Haras de Grandcamp in France, another at Annshoon Stud, and his first Boardsmill crop of foals last year sold for up to €35,000. He covered 120 mares in both of his seasons to date at Boardsmill.

Linamix (Mendez) is another top flat sire who has made significant contributions in the National Hunt sector, and so it catches the eye that Sumbal is out of a daughter of that classic-winning grey.

She was Alix Road, a runner-up in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris, and she is also the dam of the listed scorer Lily Passion (Sea The Stars) and the Group 2-placed Lavender Lane (Shamardal). The latter is dam of the recent Group 2 Middleton Stakes winner, and Group 1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Lilac Road (Mastercraftsman).

Alix Road is a half-sister to the dams of a couple of Group 3 winners, and is one of 13 winners out of Life On The Road (Persian Heights), a half-sister to the listed winner West Side (Tel Quel). Third dam Arkova (Irish River) is out of the Group 2 winner Singapore Girl (Lyphard), which makes her a half-sister to the Group 1-placed Group 2 victor Gunboat Diplomacy (Dominion), who sired the Grade 2-winning chaser Kario De Sormain from just 54 foals.

All of this makes Sumbal a most promising prospect, especially now that he is attracting bigger books and better mares.

SUMBAL (IRE), Grey 2012. Won three races, £167,906, over 1 mile 2 furlongs, at 3 years including, Prix Greffulhe, Saint-Cloud, Gr.2, also placed second in Prix d’Harcourt, Chantilly, Gr.2, Prix Exbury, Saint-Cloud, Gr.3, Prix du Prince d’Orange, Longchamp, Gr.3.

Retired to Stud in 2019. First crop are now three-year-olds.

Stands at: Boardsmill Stud, Trim, Co Meath, Ireland

Contact: William or John Flood

Telephone: +353 87 2380583 (William) or 9066772 (John)

Web: www.boardsmillstud.com

Fee: €2,500