Bloodstock Bites: Record breakers

Our pedigree expert Chris Hill reflects on a record breaking four days at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 2015 Cheltenham Festival saw records being broken by trainers and sires with Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins responsible for a remarkable eight winners over the four days -  including all four Grade Ones on the opening day - and the late, great King’s Theatre cementing his status as the dominant sire at Prestbury Park.

Douvan (Walk In The Park) got favourite backers off to the best possible start when leading home a one-two for Mullins in the opening race, the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, four-and-a-half lengths ahead of Shaneshill (King’s Theatre). The first foal out of the French placed mare Star Face (Saint des Saints) from the family of the 1999 Grade Three Prix Hypothese Hurdle winner Discover D’Auteuil, the imposing five-year-old gelding is bred along the same lines as the 2013 Listed Prix Occitanie winner Dance In The Park, being by Haras des Granges resident Walk In the Park (Montjeu), the runner-up in the 2005 Epsom Derby.

In the Arkle Chase, Mullins’ Un De Sceaux (Denham Red) put in a faultless round of jumping to record a second Grade One success over fences, equalling the number of top level victories achieved by another son of Denham Red, Oculi, who landed the Prix Gras Savoye Ferdinand Dufaure Chase and Prix Maurice Gillois 4yo Grand Steeplechase for the Haras de la Rousseliere resident in 2008. Un De Sceaux is the final of four foals produced by the unplaced French mare Hotesse De Sceaux (April Night) making him a half-brother to the French twelve furlong winner Olympe de Sceaux (Diableneyev).

Mullins’ opening day dominance was epitomised in the Champion Hurdle when Faugheen (Germany) led home stablemates Arctic Fire (Soldier Hollow) and Hurricane Fly (Montjeu) to stretch the seven-year-old geldings’ unbeaten record to nine.  The only winner produced to date by the unraced mare Miss Pickering (Accordion), Faugheen hails from the family of the 1973 Group Three Premio Royal Mares winner Ombra Del Sol - herself the dam of the 1981 Old Newton Cup winner Dogberry - and the seven furlong Listed winning pair Borderline and Sapper.

In the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle, Glens Melody (King’s Theatre) capitalised on the unfortunate fall of Annie Power (Shirocco) at the final obstacle to record a double on the card for her sire King’s Theatre following the victory of The Druids Nephew (King’s Theatre) in a Grade Three chase. Out of the 2003 Grade Two Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase winner Glens Music (Orchestra), a full sister to the unraced dam of the dual Grade Two winner Whatuthink (Presenting), Glens Melody is a half-sister to the recent Grade Two Johnstown Novice Hurdle winner Lean Araig (Old Vic) and the two time Listed jumps winner Ceol Rua (Bob Back).

The Dermot Weld-trained Windsor Park (Galileo) ran out a taking winner of the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race on Wednesday, becoming the second Grade One winner at the festival for Coolmore’s multiple champion Flat sire following the victory of Celestial Halo in the 2008 Triumph Hurdle. Out of a full sister to the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr Prospector), the six-year-old gelding Windsor Park is himself a half-brother to the 2006 UAE 2000 Guineas runner-up Where’s That Tiger (Storm Cat) and the 2008 Listed Nijinsky Stakes second One Great Cat (Storm Cat).

Peace And Co brought his sire Falco, the winner of the 2008 French 2000 Guineas, a first success at the highest level under either code. Peace And Co is a full brother to Piccolino, a winner under both codes in France and third in this season’s Prix Achille-Fould Hurdle.

Mullins returned to the winner’s enclosure on Wednesday with Don Poli (Poliglote) a taking winner of the RSA Chase. A €42,000 purchase by Blue Spirit at the 2011 Arqana Summer Mixed Sale, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned six-year-old is a half-brother to two other winners, the triple French jumps winner Do You Jump (Trempolino) and the two-time French jumps winner Dalino (Trempolino), being out of Dalamine (Sillery) a winning sister to the 2001 Grade Two Prix Georges de Talhouet-Roy Hurdle winner Multipass (Sillery).

Dodging Bullets (Dubawi) brought up a hat trick of Grade One chase victories with a gutsy triumph in Wednesday’s major prize, the Champion Chase, completing a double on the card for champion trainer Paul Nicholls. Bred by Frankie Dettori out of Nova Cyngi (Kris S), an unraced half-sister to the 2004 Listed Prix Imprudence winner Onda Nova (Keos), Dodging Bullets is a half-brother to four winners and hails from the family of fellow top level jumps winner Lethal Weapon (Hawk Wing), who triumphed in the 2008 renewal of the Durkan New Homes Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.

British trained horses filled the first four places in the concluding race on Wednesday, the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, with David Pipe’s six-year-old gelding Moon Racer (Saffron Walden) a decisive winner for owners Professor Caroline Tisdall and Bryan Drew. A £225,000 purchase by the trainer at last year’s Brightwells Cheltenham April Sale, Moon Racer is a full brother to the Grade Three handicap hurdle runner-up and 2015 Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle third Saffron Wells (Saffron Walden).

Thursday’s action started with Vautour (Robin des Champs) putting in an exhilarating round of jumping to crush his rivals in the JLT Novices’ Chase by fifteen lengths. The Mrs Susannah Ricci-owned six-year-old gelding is the last foal produced by Gazelle de Mai (Dom Pasquini), a winner of twenty races under both codes in her native France including the 1992 Listed Prix d’Iena Hurdle at Auteuil, and full sister to the 1997 Listed Grand Steeplechase de Bordeaux winner Lord Pasquini (Dom Pasquini).

Arguably the biggest cheer of the whole meeting greeted A P McCoy as he steered Uxizandre (Fragrant Mix) to victory in the Ryanair Chase carrying the colours of owner and great friend J P McManus. Purchased by John O’Byrne on behalf of McManus for £100,000 at the 2013 DBS Spring Horses In Training Sale, Uxizandre is the only winner produced by the once-raced French mare Jolisandre (Dear Doctor), a half-sister to the Listed Grand Steeplechase de Craon runner-up Easter (Matahawk) from the family of the 2002 Prix Violin II Handicap Chase winner Jet du Bosc.

The headline race on Thursday, the World Hurdle, saw trainer Warren Greatrex record a first success at the highest level when Cole Harden (Westerner) led home the Nicholls’ trained pair Saphir du Rheu (Al Namix) and Zarkandar (Azamour) in the hands of Gavin Sheehan. A €13,000 purchase by Grove Stud at the 2012 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, Cole Harden is out of an unraced full sister to Mr Nosie (Alphabatim), the winner of the 2005 Grade One Leopardstown Future Champion Novice Hurdle and became the second Grade One winner at the festival for his sire Westerner, the winner of the 2005 Ascot Gold Cup, following the victory of Western Warhorse in last year’s Arkle Chase.

Nicky Henderson followed Willie Mullins’s example from the Champion Hurdle when saddling the first three home in the Triumph Hurdle with race favourite Peace And Co (Falco) seeing off stablemates Top Notch (Poliglote) and Hargam (Sinndar) to bring his sire Falco, the winner of the 2008 French 2000 Guineas who resides at Haras du Grand Chesnaie, a first success at the highest level under either code. Out of Peace Lina (Linamix), an unraced half-sister to the 2013 Group Two Prix de Sandringham winner Peace Burg (Sageburg), Peace And Co is a full brother to Piccolino (Falco), a winner under both codes in France and third in this season’s Prix Achille-Fould Hurdle.

The World Hurdle saw Warren Greatrex record a first success at the highest level with Cole Harden who became the second Grade One winner at the festival for Westerner, the winner of the 2005 Ascot Gold Cup, following the victory of Western Warhorse in last year’s Arkle.

The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle saw another Mullins take the honours with Mags Mullins gaining a first victory at the festival when her seven-year-old gelding Martello Tower (Milan) saw off paternal sibling Milsean (Milan) by half a length. Bought by the trainer for €12,000 at the 2011 Goffs June National Hunt Sale, Martello Tower is the first foal produced by the unraced mare Johnsalice (Zaffaran) and hails from a family stacked full of stamina that includes the 1993 Kerry National winner Deep Bramble, the 1997 Midlands Grand National hero Seven Towers and 2007 Punchestown Grand National Trail winner Teeming Rain.

In the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Coneygree (Karinga Bay) belied his novice status with a breathtaking round of jumping to lead from pillar to post in the hands of Nico De Boinville. Bred by the late Lord Oaksey out of the five-time National Hunt winner Plaid Maid (Executive Perk), a half-sister to the 1991 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Destriero (Ile de Bourbon), the Mark Bradstock-trained eight-year-old is a half-brother to Carruthers (Kayf Tara), a dual Grade Two winner whose finest hour came when victorious in the 2011 Hennessy Gold Cup as well as the two-time winning hurdler Flintham (Kayf Tara).

In sales news, Brightwells hosted the second renewal of the Cheltenham Festival Sale after racing on the third day of the festival with eighteen of the twenty-one lots selling for an aggregate of £1,362,000, a reduction of 19% on the 2014 figure with the average price of £75,667 a decrease of 28% on the previous year.

Despite the reduced set of figures, five lots changed hands for six-figure sums headed by Champers On Ice (Robin des Champs), the twelve length winner of a The Pigeons point-to-point the weekend before the sale, who was claimed by Bryan Drew – part-owner of Wednesday’s Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner Moon Racer – with a bid of £205,000, having seen off the attentions of Willie Mullins’ regular buying partner Harold Kirk.

Kirk did sign for two lots including the sale’s second priciest acquisition, Sutton Manor (Gold Well), a runner-up on his only start in a Lingstown point-to-point, who he purchased for £125,000. Highflyer Bloodstock were the sale’s top purchasers, signing for five lots in all including the third top lot, Minella Awards (Oscar), a neck runner-up of a Tallow point-to-point on his sole start who is set to join Nicky Henderson having changed hands for £120,000. The other two lots to make six figures were the winner of that aforementioned Tallow point-to-point, Crazyheart (Alhaarth), who went to trainer Paul Nolan with a bid of £110,000, and Holly Bush Henry (Yeats), the winner of a Southwell bumper on debut, who will join Jonjo O’Neill having been purchased by the trainer for £100,000.

Courtesy of the opening day wins of Glens Melody and The Druids Nephew, last year’s champion sire - both at Cheltenham and the 2013/14 N.H. season - King’s Theatre successfully defended his leading festival title by individual winners and in the process set a new record for progeny earnings in a season despite there being still over a month until its conclusion.

Chris Hill

Chris is a Pedigree Researcher for Weatherbys Ltd, the company that provides the majority of pedigrees for thoroughbreds sold at public auction in Britain and Ireland and who offer a range of products and services to suit your Bloodstock needs.

For further information please visit http://www.weatherbys.co.uk/bloodstock