Bloodstock Bites

Paul Nicholls' two-time King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti (Dom Alco) returned to form last Saturday with an impressive twenty-length victory in the Grade One Ascot Chase in the hands of Noel Fehily.

It was his seventh victory at the highest level and put the ten-year-old gelding firmly in the frame for April's Crabbie's Grand National at Aintree.

Owned by Potensis Bloodstock Ltd and Chris Giles, Silviniaco Conti could line up in the Aintree spectacular against his eight-year-old half-brother Ucello Conti (Martaline), the winner of the Listed Prix Roger de Minvielle Chase when trained in France by Guillaume Macaire who on his most recent start was placed third in last month's Thyestes Chase for leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott.

Out of Gazelle Lulu (Altayan), a five-time French Flat winner, Silviniaco Conti is also a full brother to the 2011 Listed Prix Triquerville Chase winner Toscana Conti (Dom Alco) and would be bidding to become the third National winner to be sired by the dual French Listed hurdle winner Dom Alco following the 2012 Aintree winner Neptune Collonges (Dom Alco) and the 2014 Scottish National winner Al Co (Dom Alco).

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, owners of the aforementioned Ucello Conti, were also successful at Ascot on Saturday when their Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old gelding Vyta Du Roc (Lion Noir) ran out a half-length winner of the Grade Two Reynoldstown Novices' Chase under retained rider Daryl Jacob.

The last of the five foals produced by the six-times French Flat-placed mare Dolce Vyta (Grand Tresor), Vyta Du Roc is a half-brother to two other winners, the 2009 Listed Grand Steeplechase de Lyon winner Manonito (Nononito) and the 2010 Listed Prix Saint-Sauveur Handicap Chase third Niolo (Dear Doctor), and hails from the family of Willie Mullins' 2015 Listed Sandown Park EBF/TBA Mares' Standard National Hunt Flat Race winner Babylone Des Motte and 2015 Ladbrokes Mervue Handicap Hurdle winner Valyssa Monterg.

Another grand servant to return to winning ways was the Nick Williams-trained eleven-year-old gelding Reve De Sivola (Assessor), a €6,000 purchase by the trainer at the 2006 Arqana Deauville December Mixed Sale,  who relished the testing conditions at Haydock Park to claim the Grade Two Rendlesham Hurdle under Richard Johnson for owners the Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership.

Out of the winning French mare Eva De Chalamont (Iron Duke), a half-sister to the French Listed chase runners-up Foehn De Chalamont (Royal Charter) and Altis De Chalamont (Sissoo), Reve De Sivola is a sibling to four winners including stablemate and three-time hurdles winner After Eight Sivola (Shaanmer) and the French jumps winner Neva De Sivola (Blushing Flame), the dam of  the 2010 Grade Three Prix La Perichole Chase winner Soleil De Sivola (Discover d'Auteuil) and the 2012 Prix Miror Hurdle winner Urbain De Sivola (Le Fou).

Silviniaco Conti would be bidding to become the third National winner to be sired by the dual French Listed hurdle winner Dom Alco following the 2012 Aintree winner Neptune Collonges and the 2014 Scottish National winner Al Co.

Last Saturday at Haydock Park also saw trainer Rose Dobbin record a breakthrough success when her six-year-old gelding Jonniesofa (Well Made) landed the Grade Two Prestige Novices' Hurdle by three lengths for owners Robert, Annette and Alan Houghton in the hands of Craig Nichol, a triumph which was also a first black-type victory for Jonniesofa's sire Well Made, the winner of the 2002 Group One Europa Preis, who stood at Steeple Stud in County Wexford before his death in 2010 aged thirteen.

The only winner produced by the unraced mare Lucky Sarah (Aahsaylad), Jonniesofa descends from the family of the 2012 Grade Three Dawn Run Mares Novice Chase runner-up Special Token and the 2015 Listed Kevin McManus Bookmaker (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race runner-up Tokenella as well as further back that of Gordon Elliott's 2015 Grade Two Florida Pearl Novice Chase runner-up Captain Von Trappe.

After finishing runner-up in three black-type hurdles this season behind Cheltenham Festival contenders The New One (King's Theatre) and Connetable (Saint Des Saints), the Oliver Sherwood-trained Rayvin Black (Halling) gained a deserved victory at Wincanton last Saturday when running out a five-length winner of the Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle under Thomas Garner for owners  Raymond White and Vincent Walsh.

Formerly trained on the Flat by Mark Tompkins, having been bred by Mystic Meg Ltd at the trainer's Dullingham Park estate in Newmarket and for whom he won a seven furlong maiden, Rayvin Black is one of five winners produced by the two-time Flat winner Optimistic (Reprimand), a half-sister to the winning dam of Tompkins' 2005 Group Two Yorkshire Cup winner Franklins Gardens (Halling) and the James Fanshawe-trained dual Group Three winner Polar Ben (Polar Falcon). In addition, Rayvin Black is also the second Grade Two jumps winner this season to be sired by the recently deceased Halling following the victory of Thomas Hobson (Halling) in the Leamington Novices' Hurdle at Warwick in January.

Out of a French chase-winning half-sister to the 2012 Grand National and three-time Grade One-winning chaser Neptune Collonges, Cesar Collonges also hails from family of the 2008 Grade One Albert Bartlett Spa Novices' Hurdle winner Nenuphar Collonges.

In the Grade Two Weatherbys GSB Jane Seymour Mares' Novices' Hurdle run at Sandown Park last Friday, the Chris Giles and Potensis Bloodstock Ltd-owned Jessber's Dream (Milan) recorded a first black-type success, having finished runner-up in Listed hurdles on her last two starts, when steered by Noel Fehily to a convincing eight-length victory for trainer Harry Fry.

A £55,000 purchase by Highflyer Bloodstock at the 2015 Brightwells Cheltenham Festival Sale, Jessber's Dream is the first winner produced by the four-times placed hurdler Maddy's Supreme (Supreme Leader), a full sister to the National Hunt Flat and hurdles winner Cash And New (Supreme Leader), the dam of Oscar Rock (Oscar), who claimed a Listed bumper for Fry in 2013 before winning the Listed Prelude Handicap Chase at Market Rasen for Malcolm Jefferson last September.

In sales news, Tattersalls Ireland launched their season in Britain last week with their rescheduled Cheltenham January Sale, held at Cheltenham racecourse, seeing four lots go for six-figure sums, two of which were purchased by trainer Evan Williams.

Cesar Collonges (Fragrant Mix), the three-length winner of a Kirkistown four-year-old maiden point-to-point the weekend before the sale, topped proceedings when purchased by Williams on behalf of longstanding owners William and Angela Rucker for £200,000. Out of a French chase-winning half-sister to the 2012 Grand National and three-time Grade One-winning chaser Neptune Collonges, Cesar Collonges also hails from family of the 2008 Grade One Albert Bartlett Spa Novices' Hurdle winner Nenuphar Collonges.

Leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott was purchaser of the next top lot when paying £135,000 to secure the four-year-old gelding Burren Life (Pelder), who looked set to register a win on his debut in a Belharbour point-to-point before coming down at the last when holding a two-length advantage.

Billy Bronco (Central Park), the two-and-a-quarter length winner of a Towcester bumper  in January, was Williams' other six-figure purchase when he paid £110,000 to secure the five-year-old half-brother to the 2013 Grade Two Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase winner Sweeney Tunes (Karinga Bay) whilst Alan King and Highflyer Bloodstock combined to claim the fourth highest-priced lot when paying £100,000 for Reality Bites (Mahler), a winner of a Belharbour five-year-old geldings maiden point-to-point from the family of Grade One winners Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman.

At the conclusion of the sale, twenty-three of the forty-six catalogued lots had found a new home with a total of £1,220,000 changing hands, a reduction of 24% on the 2015 renewal, and average price of £53,043 a decrease of 8% and median price of £40,000 an increase of 2.5% on the previous year.

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.

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