Bloodstock Bites: Hurricane Fly is record breaker

Our pedigree expert Chris Hill brings us his weekly round-up of what's been in the news in the racing bloodstock scene.

With a third consecutive triumph in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown, where he defeated the reigning Champion Hurdler Jezki (Milan) and the five-timer seeking  mare Little King Robin (King’s Theatre), Hurricane Fly (Montjeu) recorded a 20th Grade One victory, extending his number of victories at the top level further clear of equine greats John Henry and Kauto Star.

Bred by Agricola Del Parco out of Scandisk (Kenmare), a two-year-old winner for John Oxx in Italy over seven furlongs, Hurricane Fly is a half-brother to three other winners including the two-time Italian winner and Listed Criterium Labronico third Hunzy (Desert King), with another of her foals - a colt by the four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats - topping last year’s Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale when purchased by Ben Case for €120,000.

Willie Mullins’ stable star cost almost half that when Raoul Teman purchased the then yearling for €65,000 at the 2005 Goffs Orby Sale with the now ten year-old gelding, who runs in the colours of  George Creighton and Mrs Rose Boyd, hailing from the family of the dual Italian Listed flat winner Laguna Salada, as well as the Group Two winning siblings Yankee Gold, twice a winner of the Ballymoss Stakes, and the 1976 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Lady Singer and the Listed Hurdle winner and multiple Grade One jumps placed Goldspun.

Four-time Grade One winner Champagne Fever (Stowaway) made an impressive seasonal debut when landing the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase by six lengths in the hands of Paul Townend, prompting bookmakers to cut the Willie Mullins-trained seven year-old gelding for next month’s King George VI Chase.

A graduate of Tattersalls Ireland, having been bought by Michael O’Mara for €17,500 at their 2010 Derby National Hunt Sale, Champagne Fever is a half-brother to the two-time chase winner and 2010 Listed Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Chase runner-up Presenting Forever (Presenting), being out of the unraced mare Forever Bubbles (Roselier).

The headline races at Cheltenham’s Open Meeting were both won by French-bred horses with the Paul Nicholls-trained Caid du Berlais (Westerner) overhauling last year’s winner Johns Spirit (Gold Well) after the final fence to claim the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup and the five year-old gelding Garde La Victoire (Kapgarde) victorious in the Grade Three Greatwood Hurdle, bringing trainer Philip Hobbs a sixth winner at the three-day meeting.

Caid du Berlais (Westerner), runner-up in the 2013 Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle, is one of four winners produced by the unraced French mare Kenza du Berlais (Kahyasi), a half-sister to the French Listed winning jumpers Isis du Berlais (Cadoudal) - herself the dam of a French Listed winning hurdler in Corleone (Saint Preuil) - Enzo du Berlais (Mansonnien) and Karoo du Berlais (Indian River).

Another sibling of Kenza du Berlais, the two-time French jumps winner and Listed hurdle-placed Emmylou du Berlais (Kadalko) is the dam of Mr Mole (Great Pretender), a five-time winner for Nicholls and twice placed in Graded races, whilst the day before Caid du Berlais’ Grade Three success another descendant, Morito du Berlais (Turgeon), himself a half-brother to this month’s French Grade One Prix Cambaceres 3yo Hurdle winner Bonito du Berlais (Trempolino) and the dual French Grade Two hurdle winner Nikita du Berlais (Poliglote), was successful at the same course for the Ditcheat trainer.

One of two winners out of the twice-raced mare Next Victory (Akarad), Garde La Victoire is a half-brother to the three-time winner in Belgium and Germany, Next Lord (Lord of Men) and hails from the further family of the 1995 Irish Derby winner and sire Winged Love, the 2003 Group One Prix Saint-Alary winner Fidelite and last year’s Grade Two Meguro Kinen winner Mousquetaire.

In the sales ring, the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale produced their best set of figures for seven years with the aggregate of €13,630,500 an increase of 26% on the last year and the average price of €13,922 and median price of €11,000 improvements of 13% and 29% respectively on the 2013 renewal.

Topping the sale was the triple Grade Three winning mare Tarla (Lavirco), offered by trainer Willie Mullins’ Closutton Stables, who was bought by Kilmoney Cottage Stud for €170,000 whilst in foal to Shantou. At €95,000, the priciest foal to change hands was a son of Flemensfirth out of the two-time winner Mandys Gold (Mandalus), making him a full brother to Henry de Bromhead’s dual Grade Two jumps runner-up Sizing Gold (Flemensfirth), who was purchased by Aiden Murphy.

Two lots tied for the sale’s next highest-priced acquisitions with the dual Grade Three winning mare Gemini Lucy (Glacial Storm), offered in foal to Presenting, and a Martaline colt out of Theatre Girl (King’s Theatre), a Grade Two-placed half-sister to the black-type jumps winners Diamond Sal (Bob Back) and Ring The Boss (Kahyasi), going to Swanbridge Bloodstock and John O’Byrne respectively for €65,000.

Trade at the Brightwells Cheltenham November Sale, which took place after racing on the opening day of the Open Meeting, was solid despite the number of entries being lower than twelve months ago, partly due to the absence of the breeze-up section that will take place at the December Sale.

Regular purchaser Roger Brookhouse, who earlier in the day had seen one of his previous Cheltenham purchases Champagne West (Westerner) claim a class two novice chase for Philip Hobbs, signed for the Maralin 5yo Geldings Maiden point-to-point winner Stilletto (Westerner) from the family of 1987 Thyestes Chase third Proud Bishop for the sale topping price of £130,000.

Amber Gambler (Doyen), the winner of a Kilworth 4yo Geldings Maiden point-to-point, was the sales other lot to make six figures when purchased by Gearoid Costelloe for £125,000. The half-brother to nine other winners including the Champion German Two Year-Old from 1999 and Group Two Raab Karcher Baustoffe Cup winner Auenklang (Big Shuffle) and the German Listed winner Auenweise (Big Shuffle) will be trained by Costelloe’s partner Rebecca Curtis.

At the close of the sale, 32 lots had changed hands for a total of £1,519,500, a reduction of £943,000 on the previous year’s sale though the average held steady at £44,691, a decrease of just £82 on 2013.

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