Racing & Bloodstock: Our pedigree expert Chris Hill brings us his weekly round-up

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

Second-season  trainer Dan Skelton landed his biggest success to date last Saturday when his five year-old gelding Three Musketeers (Flemensfirth), carrying the colours of the Widdowsons and the Kelvin-Hughes, claimed the Grade Two Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick in the hands of the trainer’s brother Harry Skelton on just his third start.

Out of the unraced mare Friendly Craic (Mister Lord) from the further family of the 2003 Grade One Feltham Novices’ Chase and 2003 Grade Three Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup Chase winner Strong Flow and the 2013 Grade Two Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase winner Carrig Millie, Three Musketeers is a half-brother to Philip Hobbs’ seven year-old gelding Royal Regatta (King’s Theatre), whose most recent of four victories he has achieved under rules was on his fencing debut at Newbury’s Hennessy meeting in November.

Bred by Bruce Mactaggert, Three Musketeers was initially purchased privately by Oaktree Farm for €10,000 when offered at the 2010 Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. On his next appearance in a sales ring at the 2013 Goffs Land Rover National Hunt Sale, the then three year-old was purchased by Aiden Murphy for €57,000 but having been offered at last year’s Brightwells Cheltenham Premier May Sale, he ended up being bought back by the vendor Camas Park for £145,000.

Despite not being in attendance at Warwick on Saturday, champion trainer Paul Nicholls’ near-dominance of the staying chaser division continued when his only runner on the day, Hawkes Point (Kayf Tara), claimed the Grade Three Classic Chase under stable jockey Sam Twiston-Davies for owner Graham Roach.

A narrow runner-up in last season’s Welsh National, Hawkes Point was bred by Mrs Joan Egan out of the winning hurdler and point-to-pointer Mandys Native (Be My Native) making him a full brother to Alfie Sherrin (Kayf Tara), the winner of the 2012 Grade Three JLT Specialty Handicap Chase at Cheltenham who was third the following month in the Irish Grand National, with the siblings hailing from the family of the 1986 Grade Two Whitbread Gold Label Cup Handicap Chase winner Beau Ranger  and the 2000 Grade Two Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase winner Beau.

Over in Ireland, the Willie Mullins-trained Douvan (Walk In The Park) consolidated his position at the head of the market for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in March when effortlessly winning the Grade Two Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle in the hands of Ruby Walsh.

Running in the colours of Mrs Susannah Ricci, Douvan is the first foal out of the once-raced French mare Star Face (Saint des Saints) from the further family of the Grade Three Prix Hypothese Hurdle and four-time Listed hurdle winner Discover d’Auteuil, and with his first victory at Graded level the five year-old gelding became the second black-type winner produced by Haras des Granges resident Walk In The Park, the 2005 Epsom Derby runner-up, following the victory of Dance In The Park in the 2013 Prix Occitanie.

Starspangledbanner, who had such a stellar 2014 with his first crop containing G1 winner The Wow Signal and the G2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Anthem Alexander, will remain in Australia rather than shuttle to Coolmore’s Irish premises for the 2015 season.

The same connections were victorious at Thurles on Thursday when the six year-old mare Vroum Vroum Mag (Voix du Nord) comfortably despatched her rivals to secure the Grade Two Leading Light Coolmore National Hunt Sires Mares Novice Chase having landed a maiden Graded success on her previous start in the Grade Three Kerry Group Lombardstown Novice Chase at Cork.

Out of the winning French chaser Naiade Mag (Kadalko), a half-sister to the 2011 Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle winner Saint Are (Network), Vroum Vroum Mag is herself a half-sister to the 2014 Aintree Listed Betfred TV Fillies’ Juvenile Hurdle third Brise Vendeenne (Dom Alco) and the two-time French Flat winner Anto Mag (Lavirco) and hails from the family of the Punchestown Grade Two S M Morris Ltd Handicap Chase winner Jasmin d’Oudairies and the French Listed winning chaser Tisane.

Also at Thurles on Thursday, Gigginstown House Stud’s Don Cossack (Sholokhov) maintained his perfect record this season when running out an easy winner of the Grade Two Kinloch Brae Chase in the hands of Bryan Cooper, with his chief rival Champagne Fever (Stowaway) falling when disputing the lead at the final fence.

Bred in Germany by Gestüt Etzean, the Gordon Elliott-trained eight year-old gelding is one of six winners out of the two-time German winner Depeche Toi (Konigsstuhl), a half-sister to the 1996 Listed Frühjahrs Stuten Preis winner Dapprima (Shareef Dancer) who is herself the dam of the German Group Two winner Denaro (Dashing Blade) and Group Three winner and sire Davidoff (Montjeu).

A half-brother to the German three-time winner Dubai Diva (Unfuwain), the dam of the French Listed Prix Aguado Hurdle runner-up Dubai Star (Lord of England), Don Cossack hails from the further family of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom and the 1985 Group One Grand Prix Prince Rose winner Daun as well as the 1972 German Classic winners Diu and Diacada.

Finally, in stallion news, Starspangledbanner, who had such a stellar 2014 with his first crop of runners containing Group One winner The Wow Signal and the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes winner Anthem Alexander, will remain in Australia rather than shuttle to Coolmore’s Irish premises for the 2015 covering season due to the nine year-old having recently overcome a bout of colic.

Sadly, Elnadim, the stallion responsible for the winner of the 2007 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, Elletelle,  who is also the dam of the 2014 dual Grade/Group One winner Adelaide (Galileo), has been put down at Derrinstown Stud in County Kildare. Owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and trained for much of his career by John Dunlop, Elnadim was crowned Joint Champion European Three Year-Old Sprinter in 1997 and Champion European Older Sprinter in 1998 having landed that year’s July Cup, and at stud he produced eleven individual stakes winners including Culminate, the winner of the 2009 Group One Otaki Maori WFA Stakes in New Zealand.

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