LUCCIA put up a brave effort to retain her unbeaten record at Cheltenham, finishing fourth in the Grade 2 mares’ hurdle, but this listed bumper winner will certainly add further wins to her record, which also includes a pair of listed hurdle successes. She is trained by Nicky Henderson.

If connections of her sire, The Gurkha, felt any disappointment after that effort in the Cotswolds, they were cheering again after Sunday’s racing in Italy. Two four-year-old sons of the stallion, one of the best sires standing west of the Shannon, performed with distinction, Group 3 winner Bahja Del Sol adding the Listed Premio Natale di Roma over a mile to his tally of victories, while last year’s Italian Derby third Frozen Day finished second in the 10 furlong Listed Premio Circo Massimo.

The Gurkha, a son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), is standing his second season at Roveagh Lodge Stud, following his time at Coolmore where he was based after going to stud in 2017.

He has compiled an impressive record at stud with his first three crops of racing age, getting Group 2 winner and classic-placed Best Of Lips, Group 3 winner Bahja Del Sol and listed winners Big Everest (in the USA), Invite (in England) and Wide Sea in Italy. He also has eight stakes-placed runners on the flat, headed by Imperial Fighter who was third in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

From limited opportunities to date with his runners under National Hunt rules – his first crop are just five – he has sired the ultra-smart Luccia and the Grade 3-placed hurdler Addosh, both fillies.

It is heartening to see that last year breeders such a Jim Bolger, Martin Cullinane, Albert Conneally, Val O’Brien and Jody Townend sent him mares.

A nine-length maiden winner a month before trouncing a dozen rivals in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas, The Gurkha chased home Galileo Gold in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, was a half-length runner-up to Hawkbill in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes on his sole attempt at 10 furlongs, and returned to the mile to take his revenge on Galileo Gold in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes.

He evidently had the speed of his Group 3 C L Weld Park Stakes-winning dam Chintz and her sire, Danehill Dancer (Danehill). His full-sisters Queen Nefertiti (Galileo) and Woodland Garden (Galileo) were placed in the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes and Listed Oyster Stakes respectively. His dam’s siblings include two notable broodmares.

Fleece (Daylami) is the dam of the 10-furlong Group 2 winner Needle And Thread (Makfi) and Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas runner-up Savile Row (Makfi), while Artful (Green Desert) is responsible for the juvenile stakes-winning sprinter Duplicity (Cadeaux Genereux) and Buckhurst (Australia), a triple 10-furlong pattern winner for Joseph O’Brien.

The Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Solemia (Poliglote), her Group 1-placed middle-distance half-brothers Prospect Wells (Sadler’s Wells) and Prospect Park (Sadler’s Wells) plus the classic-placed dual Group 1-star Silasol (by Monsun) appear under the third generation of the pedigree.

THE GURKHA (IRE), Bay 2013. Jt Champion 3yr old miler in Europe in 2016. Won three races, £996,216, over 1 mile, at 3 years including, Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Deauville, Gr.1, Qatar Sussex Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.1, also placed second in Coral Eclipse Stakes, Sandown Park, Gr.1, St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1.

Retired to Stud in 2017, and sire of the winners of 200 races, and £3,215,207, including BEST OF LIPS (IRE), BAHJA DEL SOL (IRE), BIG EVEREST (GB), WIDE SEA (IRE), INVITE (IRE), Imperial Fighter (IRE), Frozen Day (IRE), Morning Soldier (IRE), Frenchette (Fr), Nell Quickly (IRE), Tosen Lydia (IRE), La Fille Du Sud (IRE), and Wild Explosion (IRE), and sire of the winners of 11 races, and £121,353 under N.H. Rules, including LUCCIA (GB), and Addosh (GB)

Stands at: Roveagh Lodge Stud, Kilcolgan, Co Galway, H91 W99C, Ireland.

Contact: Stephen Harris or Oskar Cherek

Telephone: +353 86 7846229 (Stephen) or +353 87 2761702 (Oskar)

Email: roveaghlodgestud@gmail.com

Fee: €3,500