KEVIN Doyle made quite an impact when playing soccer for Ireland, and has now made a name for himself as a breeder. His latest feature race success was gained at Kilbeggan when the eight-year-old Solitary Man, a son of Champs Elysees (Danehill), added the Listed Midlands National to a listed novice hurdle victory a few years ago at Cork.

Trained by Enda Bolger, whose other runner in the 14-horse field was third, Solitary Man was visiting the number one spot for a tenth time; on three occasions over hurdles, four times over fences and after three wins between the flags. His latest win will be celebrated by Doyle, and Rathmore Stud’s Peter Molony. He paid €30,000 for the gelding’s Jukebox Jury (Montjeu) half-sister as a foal in November.

That price was half what Solitary Man sold for at the Goffs Land Rover Sale five years ago, consigned by Peter Nolan Bloodstock. Mags O’Toole signed for him. This Kilbeggan win was a big step up from competing most recently in hunter chases, and it was in that code that his other 2026 win on the track was gained, at Killarney in May. Solitary Man warmed up for the Cheltenham Festival in March with a Nenagh point-to-point success.

A first foal out of the unraced Jenny Be Quick (Presenting), Solitary Man is that mare’s only winner, but that should not be the case for much longer. Her second produce is Hay Max (Maxios), born three years after Solitary Man. He races for Charlie Longsdon who bought him for €75,000 at the Derby Sale with Highflyer Bloodstock. Hay Max placed on three of his five starts last season, twice in bumpers and once over hurdles, and will surely break his duck before long.

A plan to sell Solitary Man in May was shelved, and just as well. It was puzzling to see that a three-year-old filly by Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice) out of Jenny Be Quick was unsold at this year’s Goffs Arkle Sale for €38,000. Given Kevin Doyle’s record breeding good racemares, maybe he is not too perturbed. He has a two-year-old half-sister at home by Harzand (Sea The Stars).

Doyle bought into this pedigree in 2008 when he gave €50,000 for an Oscar (Sadler’s Wells) half-sister to that year’s leading bumper horse, Cousin Vinny (Bob Back).

Trained by Willie Mullins, and bred by John Hore, Cousin Vinny was the first to win the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and go on to land the Grade 1 Champion INH Flat Race at Punchestown. Cousin Vinny didn’t just win at Punchestown, but left a strong field 10 lengths and more in arrears. He was never beaten in his three starts in bumpers.

Cousin Vinny

While he went on to win four times over hurdles, Cousin Vinny did not reach the heights his career on the level suggested he would scale. His first start over hurdles was the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, a bold move, and he lost nothing in defeat, finishing two and a half lengths behind his more fancied stablemate Hurricane Run. He won his next two starts, unseated his rider when challenging to win a Grade 1 at Leopardstown, and later found another stablemate Mikael D’Haguenet too good in a Punchestown Grade 1.

Cousin Vinny did not take to chasing, went back hurdling, and he won twice more, on the last occasion after nearly two off due to a tendon injury. Sadly that was to be his final public appearance, and he spent his retirement, until he died at the age of 20, back where he was bred at Mount Eaton Stud in Wexford.

The filly Kevin Doyle purchased was Cousin Jen. She never ran, and at stud had a single winner from eight foals, five of which raced. That winner was Jenny Be Quick’s own-brother Newsworthy (Presenting). He was a versatile sort, starting out with a bumper win at five, adding a hurdle success and two chase wins, and ending up at the age of 11 with his third point-to-point victory.

Willie Mullins

Purchased for €30,000 by Willie Mullins at the Derby Sale, Cousin Vinny was the third foal and third winner for the unraced Trixskin (Buckskin), though her total number of winners would go on to grow to five. One of her daughters, the unraced Cool Trix (Presenting), added blacktype to the family when her son Cool Jet (Jet Away) was a multiple listed winner over hurdles in the USA up to last year.

While Trixskin never saw a racecourse, she was bred to succeed. Her full-brother Hidebound (Buckskin) won Ascot’s Grade 2 Kennel Gate Hurdle and was runner-up in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle. Their dam Merry Run (Deep Run) never troubled the judge in four runs, but was a half-sister to Four Trix (Peacock), winner of the Scottish Grand National and the Whitbread Gold Cup. He placed in both the Galway Hurdle and Galway Plate.

This was a family that was developed by the Cox family, with many of the runners having ‘Trix’ in their name. That said, the best horse to appear in its many generations has been the Grade 1 Gold Cup and Grade 1 Ryanair Chase winner Imperial Commander (Flemensfirth).