DEREK O’Connor was in the saddle when Putapoundinthejar (Walk In The Park) appeared for the first time on the racecourse as a four-year-old in March 2024, contesting the Listed Kevin McManus Bookmaker Champion INH Flat Race at Limerick. He made a promising start when running second to Shuttle Diplomacy who had won on his only previous start, though the winner was more than seven lengths clear of the rest on the day.

Three starts later Putapoundinthejar won a maiden hurdle at Down Royal, a race which poignantly provided Michael O’Sullivan with his final victory in the saddle. Success in a handicap hurdle at the 2025 Punchestown Festival followed before Putapoundinthejar endured an eight-race lean spell, beaten anywhere between eight and a half lengths and 28 lengths and never nearer than fifth, before he won a 12-furlong Bellewstown apprentice handicap in April.

No doubt with Galway always in the plan, Putapoundinthejar needed a win at Bellewstown three weeks before the Galway Hurdle to get into the race, which was duly executed, and his victory in the west was his fourth over the smaller obstacles. Tony Martin’s handling of Putapoundinthejar clearly shows that this race was the target for the gelding, especially as the gelding’s owner/breeder, Ray Grehan, is a Galway man.

Grehan also raced Putapoundinthejar’s half-sister Young Lucy (Lauro), born a year before the Galway Hurdle winner, and she won a bumper and a hurdle race at Cork, more than two years apart, for Tony Martin. She died last year at the age of six. Putapoundinthejar was followed by the now five-year-old Footstepstoglory (Footstepsinthesand), and his only glimmer of form in nine hurdle starts to date was to be beaten a neck into second place in a Limerick handicap hurdle last October.

Putapoundinthejar’s dam Blue Eyed Lucy (Strategic Prince) has a three-year-old son by the Irish Derby winner Capri (Galileo), and she foaled a full-sister to the Galway Hurdle winner in 2025.

Winning siblings

Blue Eyed Lucy raced six times over hurdles, but never looked likely to trouble the judge. That said, she has seven winning siblings, and among these is a pair of Willie Mullins-trained blacktype earners. Best of these was Lagostovegas (Footstepsinthesand) who won the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot eight years ago, and who captured a pair of Grade 2 hurdle races at Killarney and Listowel.

The other was Cool Colonnade (Requinto), but he was well beaten in a Grade 3 novice chase at Punchestown. What the catalogue doesn’t say is that there were only two finishers from four who set out that day! However, Cool Colonnade was a winner over hurdles and twice over fences.

Ray Grehan’s involvement with this family goes back two decades. He raced Putapoundinthejar’s grandam Reine De Coeur (Montjeu), and she appeared to have a bright future when she won a Tipperary maiden on her debut at two, trained by David Marnane. She didn’t enhance her record in four subsequent starts. Reine De Coeur’s dam and grandam both bred four winners, and the latter was particularly well-related.

Derby winner

Sudden Frost (Northern Dancer) never raced but she was a full-sister to a Derby winner and to the dam of a Group 1 winner. Her own-brother Secreto (Northern Dancer) won three of his four starts, and in 1984 gave trainer David O’Brien a memorable win in the Derby at Epsom, denying his father’s El Gran Senor. On the only occasion that Secreto was beaten, he was third to Sadler’s Wells in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Secreto never raced after his classic win, a half-share in him having reputedly been sold for $20 million to Calumet.

Putapoundinthejar is the 40th group or graded winner for Walk In The Park (Montjeu), and his 62nd son or daughter to win a blacktype race. The 24-year-old sire’s Grade 1 roll of honour comprises Jonbon (12 Grade 1 wins), Douvan (eight), Min (seven), Facile Vega (four), Final Demand (three), Inothewayurthinkin (two), Croke Park (two), Spillane’s Tower (two), Fleur In The Park, No Drama This End, Aurora Vega, Ashroe Diamond and Ginto.

From Galway to Melbourne – a dream?

TALK about putting your head above the parapet and waiting to have it chopped off! Here I go.

I became aware of Thread Of Gold last year after he became the property of Team Valor and Gary Barber. A maiden winner on his debut at the Curragh for Jackie Mullins, the son of Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) made his next start in new colours, but disappointed when tried in a Group 3.

After an encouraging first outing this season in late May, he has come back a much stronger individual, winning two premier handicaps, the Nasrullah over nine furlongs at Leopardstown, and now the mile and a half Guinness Handicap at Galway. He is an improving sort, like his sire was, and he could have a very rewarding few years ahead.

In fact, I wondered in the aftermath of his recent success if he could be the sort to do well down under. Having fallen asleep one night thinking about the gelding, I had a dream that he carried the green and red silks of Team Valor to success in the Melbourne Cup. When I pulled up his pedigree, I convinced myself that I possess some power of prediction, given his breeding.

Thread Of Gold’s Group 3-placed dam Woven Lace (Hard Spun) is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Waitress (Kingmambo), and her best runner was Cross Counter (Teofilo). A Group 3 winner in England, successful at Group 2 level in the UAE, he enjoyed his greatest victory in the 2018 Group 1 Melbourne Cup. That was his first time to tackle two miles, on just his eighth start, and his previous wins ranged from eight and a half to 12 furlongs. Notice a similarity with Thread Of Gold?

Unbeaten Teofilo

Cross Counter’s sire Teofilo (Galileo) only raced at two, was unbeaten in five starts over seven furlongs, but he has gone on to become a supersire when it comes to the two-mile Melbourne Cup. In addition to Cross Counter, he has been responsible for two other winners of the race, Without A Flight who is out of a Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) mare, and Twilight Payment. Ghaiyyath stretched to 12 furlongs for his nine wins, while Thread Of Gold’s dam won over a mile.

Bred by Derek and Gay Veitch at Ringfort Stud, Thread Of Gold sold as a foal for 100,000gns to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock, but didn’t find favour as a yearling when offered from Kellsgrange Stud by Dermot and Catherine Dwan, and left the ring unsold at 40,000gns. One can only surmise what he was worth, and sold for, after his Curragh maiden win. He is the fifth winner for his dam, the others including the German listed winner Broderie (Pivotal).

This is a female line that has generated more column inches than most in the years that I have been writing for The Irish Field. It has produced champions at classic and staying distances, with household names such as full-sisters Magical and Rhododendron, both daughters of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact), while a current star is Bay City Roller (New Bay).