BREEDER Edmond Coleman knows a thing or two about breeding good horses. He is a multiple Cheltenham-winning breeder, most famously for the Grade 1 Gold Cup hero Lord Windermere (Oscar), and I came across an interview he did for The Irish Field with my colleague Amy Corrado.

Amy asked him: “Are there any horses you’ve bred that you are looking forward to seeing on the track?” Coleman named one. He said: “There’s a Walk In The Park horses that I sold as a yearling. He topped the sale in Tattersalls [Ireland], and then the Doyles bought him as a store, and he went on to win his point-to-point for them.

“He was sold privately then and is in training with Paul Nicholls, and they think a lot of him. Talk To The Man is his name, and he is out of an own-sister to Lord Windermere. I’m looking forward to see how his career progresses.” This might have appeared to be a bit of bravado from Coleman, given that Talk To The Man had run twice for Nicholls in bumpers, finishing fifth of eight at Exeter, but putting in a better performance to run fourth at Newbury.

In hindsight, neither was a poor effort, but neither gave an indication that Talk To The Man would make so much improvement before he made his hurdling debut. The six-year-old is a dual winner over the smaller obstacles, at Taunton and over the weekend at Newbury, and anything he achieves now is surely only a bonus. He is crying out for a career over fences. Put a note in your diary to watch for him when he runs next, perhaps at Aintree.

Alright Darling

Talk To The Man is a full-brother to Alright Darling (Walk In The Park), twice a winner over hurdles last year, and now a valuable breeding prospect, especially if her sibling lives up to the expectations connections have for him. Their unraced dam Windermere Sky (Oscar) is a full-sister to dual Cheltenham Grade 1 winner Lord Windermere, and a half-sister to Grade 2 hurdle and chase winner Sub Lieutenant (Brian Boru) who was runner-up in the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase.

One of Windermere Sky’s half-sisters worth mentioning is Lady Elite (Lord Americo). A IR£4,000 foal, she won a point-to-point and a hurdle race, and bred another smart performer by Oscar (Sadler’s Wells). This was the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase winner Oscar Elite who had run second to Vanillier in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The rising star among French stallions

STANDING at Haras de la Tullerie, nothing shows the rapid rise in prominence of Goliath Du Berlais (Saint Des Saints) than a look at his stud fee trajectory. He only went to stud in 2020, his first crop now being five-year-olds, and commanded a fee of €7,500 for five seasons. Last year that jumped to €12,500, but this year breeders will have to part with €20,000 to avail of his services.

His book sizes since going to stud appear to be limited at in or around 140, and Goliath Du Berlais is very fertile. Since 2020, he has covered, in his six seasons to date, 144, 131, 119, 130, 140 and 140 mares, and his current crop of three-year-olds is his smallest, numbering 72. Wait until any of these appear on the market this spring, and see their value soar. His average crop size to date is 92.

The best son of champion sire Saint Des Saints (Cadoudal) at stud, Goliath Du Berlais was unbeaten as a four-year-old in 2019, all of his four wins coming in graded chases, most significantly the Grade 1 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase at Auteuil.

He was voted best French steeplechaser that year, and the decision was taken to retire him to stud. In addition to what he achieved on the racecourse, Goliath Du Berlais catches the eye physically, and comes from a highly sought-after family, his damsire King’s Theatre (Sadler’s Wells) adding to the mix.

As I showed earlier, Goliath du Berlais received strong support from breeders, and an example of the quality of the mares he covered is demonstrated by an analysis done of the 130 mares he covered in 2023. They included 75 winners of 221 races, 55 siblings to 90 blacktype horses, and 19 dams of 26 blacktype winners.

Strong support

Explaining the jump in his fee in 2025 were the extraordinary results he posted with his first crop of three-year-olds. He immediately established himself as the leader in the division with 30 wins in 2024, among them listed victories for Early Mist at Compiègne and Bahyadame at Auteuil, in addition to two other blacktype performers, Sobriquette and Entourloupe. In 2025, a plethora of blacktype winners were added, and that success continues at a ferocious pace this year.

On Sunday at Auteuil, Goliath Du Berlais had another fine day of results, with two blacktype winners, and at the rate he is knocking in winners of great quality, it appears to be just a matter of time before he follows in his father’s shadow to a sire championship. His most important winner on Sunday was his highest-rated runner to date, Delmegan, in the Grade 3 Prix d’Indy Hurdle.

Considerable potential

Winner of the Grade 2 Prix Magalen Bryant at the end of last year, Elisabeth Allaire’s four-year-old filly Delmegan confirmed her considerable potential when dominating the males in the Prix d’Indy. The race result had an added bonus for Goliath Du Berlais as another daughter, Grade 3 winner Good Girl De Faust, produced a strong finish to claim third.

Racing in the colours of Christophe Toulorge, who bred her, Delmegan is from a family that is well known outside France. She is out of Hyde (Poliglote), the dam of dual Grade 2 chase winner Elimay (Montmartre) who sold as a three-year-old for €310,000 and won nine times in all. Hyde is also dam of Goshen (Authorized), successful in the grade 2 Ascot Hurdle and the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle twice, and was Grade 1-placed.

Delmegan is the third Grade 2 winner among six successful runners out of Hyde, but she is not the only star of 2026 in the family. Hyde’s unraced half-sister Walk The Walk (Walk In The Park) is dam of the Grade 1 Dublin Racing Festival winner Talk The Talk (Born To Sea), a leading fancy at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.

Started well

The day started well for Goliath Du Berlais at Auteuil with the Listed Prix Hubert d’Aillieres Hurdle. The Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm-trained five-year-old gelding Goliath D’Aunou, the least experienced runner, remained undefeated in three starts after this contest, cruising to victory by a comfortable two lengths.

Purchased by Tom George as a two-year-old for €72,000 at the Arqana Summer Sale in 2023, Goliath D’Aaunou was bred by Frédéric Foucher. He is a sibling to Busselton (Mastercraftsman), winner of the Kerry National and placed a number of times in Grade 1 company over hurdles and fences.

They are among six winners for Blessed Luck (Rock Of Gibraltar), a Group 3 two-year-old winner in Italy whose third dam was Ma Biche (Key To The Kingdom). She was the European champion juvenile filly in 1982 who went on to win the Group 1 1000 Guineas.