STUMPTOWN, a son of Laverock (Octagonal), created history on Sunday as the Tattersalls Ireland November and May Store Sale graduate became the first Irish-trained winner of the notoriously difficult Velka Pardubicka in the Czech Republic.

The race is famed for its unique challenge, acknowledged as possibly the most difficult race to win over jumps. It comprises 31 obstacles, but under a patient ride, and not given a clear run throughout, Keith Donoghue produced Stumptown to lead shortly after the last.

Trained by Gavin Cromwell, the eight-year-old is a cross-country specialist, and we have seen him win twice at Cheltenham, including at this year’s Festival in March, while he has also won twice over the Punchestown banks course.

However, the four-mile, two and a half-furlong Velka Pardubicka is a test of a different kind, and with reserves of stamina and guts Stumptown proved more than capable, and came home with almost two lengths in hand. This was his ninth career victory, and in addition to providing the Furze Bush Syndicate with many great days, he has paid his way with earnings of some €250,000.

Cromwell said this week that Stumptown is unlikely to run in the 2026 Randox Grand National, with the Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase hero set to be aimed at defending his Cheltenham Festival crown. Speaking to William Hill, Cromwell said: “We had a great experience in the Czech Republic over the weekend. It was a fantastic day to be a part of. It’s a very unique race, the crowd and atmosphere were fantastic, and it was even better to win the race.

“There were three scary moments for us, any one of which could’ve seen Keith Donoghue unseated, but luck was on our side. Keith was brilliant on him, and he showed again just how invaluable his experience is in cross-country races. Stumptown will have a good break now.

End goal

“Getting him back to the Cheltenham Festival is the end goal for this season. He’ll take a while to get over a tough race with three days of travelling, so we won’t be running him back too soon. We’ll make a plan. He obviously ran in the Grand National after Cheltenham last season, but that’s not really on the list for him this time; I’d say we’ll probably bypass it. Nothing is certain, but it’s not high up on his list of races for the season.”

Bred by Patrick Aspell, Stumptown is a dual Tattersalls Ireland graduate, having been sold as a foal by Hillfarm Stables to the late Willie Codd in November 2017 for €4,200. He was then offered a few years later as a store in the May Sale by the Codd family’s Churchlands Stables, where David Byrne Bloodstock purchased him for €12,500.

What a wonderful eye Willie had for a horse, and what a tribute this win was to him with one of the last horses he bought. Willie died just a few months after buying Stumptown.

Willie’s purchase of Stumptown was, to put it mildly, a leap of faith. While he was from the first Irish crop of a French and Italian Group 1 winner, there was a total of just four winners in the family going back four generations.

In fact, if you didn’t include the fifth dam, the pedigree would not have taken up even half a page in the sales catalogue, and Stumptown is the only winner in the pedigree since. Placed in a point-to-point, and a hurdle winner at four, the eight-year-old is now by some way the best winner in his immediate family for 50 years!

Clongiffen Stud

His sire, Laverock stood for a few seasons in Ireland at Clongiffen Stud, having spent his early career in France. He enjoyed his best racing years when trained in France, beating Manduro a short neck in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan over nine furlongs at three. Later that year, Laverock added a second Group 1 win, this time in Italy.

Laverock’s four blacktype winners were all conceived in France, and include the Grade 1 chase winner Black Corton for Paul Nicholls, and Grade 2 Red Mills Trial Hurdle winner Kitten Rock, trained by Edward O’Grady.

The highlights of Stumptown’s female side of the family can be summed up in two sentences. His unraced dam Active Fieldgale (Beneficial) had a winning half-brother Dual Gales (Lord Of Appeal), trained by Willie Mullins to land a bumper at Listowel under Katie Walsh, and three hurdle races with Ruby Walsh and David Casey in the saddle. Stumptown’s grandam Freshfield Gale (Strong Gale) won one of her 13 starts in bumpers, at the age of eight, and while she was placed over hurdles, she ran out twice, going through the wing on her final start.