THE smart juvenile hurdler Fiscal Focus was the first graded National Hunt winner for his sire Intense Focus and was a homebred by Jim Bolger. Now the second offspring of the Ballylinch Stud stallion to win at Grade 2 level over jumps is also a Bolger-bred.

Solar Focus was placed a number of times on the flat before his sale for just 9,000gns at the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale last year. He was bought by trainer Paolo Favero and races in his colours. Solar Focus beat another Irish-bred four-year-old, Company Of Ring (by Rossenarra Stud sire Windsor Knot) to land the Premio Ezio Vanoni in the beautiful surrounds of Merano racecourse in northern Italy last weekend.

Intense Focus, who won the Dewhurst Stakes in a time two seconds faster than Frankel, is already a Group 1 sire on the flat, his son Astaire winning the Middle Park Stakes. He stood at a fee of €7,000 this year.

Solar Focus is the second winner from the Galileo mare Saor Sinn and she was one of just a pair of runners from the listed winner La Meilleure not to win. That daughter of the Irish National Stud stallion Lord Gayle bred 10 winners and the list includes the Group 1 winner and Irish Derby runner-up Sholokov, the stakes-winning Zavaleta (who is grandam of the aforementioned Intense Focus) and the stakes winner Affianced, dam of the Irish Derby and Coronation Cup winner Soldier Of Fortune.