WHAT a shrewd investment Highflyer Bloodstock made at the 2016 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale when they spent €35,000 on Cardline, a winning daughter of Martaline (Linamix) and carrying her first foal, a colt by Saddler Maker (Sadler’s Wells).

The resulting produce, the six-year-old Crambo, won for the seventh time in 10 starts two days before Christmas but this was by far his biggest success, the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. A dual bumper winner, he had prior to this been successful at Grade 3 level. The gelding races in the colours of Sullivan Bloodstock, his breeder, and part-owner Chris Giles. Some years ago the same partnership raced the Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle winner Zankandar.