THE familiar green, white and gold colours of J.P. McManus featured prominently in Ascot’s Grade 1 Howden Long Walk Hurdle on Saturday, as they were sported by the favourite, Honesty Policy who was a creditable third, and by the Nicky Henderson-trained winner Impose Toi. The latter is enjoying a flawless season, and this was his third success after wins at Aintree and Newbury.

The seven-year-old French-bred son of It’s Gino (Perugino) has now beaten Strong Leader on his two most recent runs, and can lay claim to be the interim leader of the staying hurdle division.

Bred by Aurelian Hamm and Vanessa Frison, Impose Toi won his only starts in France, two of their bumpers. The first was over two miles, and the second over 12 furlongs. Since joining Henderson, he has made 14 starts over hurdles, won half of them, and never been out of the first four.

His win in the Long Walk Hurdle comes hot on the heels of victory in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. He ended last season by racing at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown. He was runner-up to Jimmy Du Seuil in the Grade 3 Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, fourth is a listed race at Aintree, and rounded off by running second in the Listed Setanta Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown.

Successful runner

A full-brother to Jasko Des Dames (It’s Gino), a flat winner in France who won twice over jumps, Impose Toi is the best of the three winning offspring of Saraska D’Airy (Ungaro). She won over jumps herself, and her third successful runner is Floueur (Legolas). He will be familiar to readers as he was trained for a time by Gordon Elliott and his placed runs included finishing third in the Grade 2 Grand National Trial Chase at Punchestown.

This is not a female line that is flush with blacktype performers, though every generation seems to produce at least one talented performer. Impose Toi is the family’s outstanding runner. His dam is a half-sister to Quaska D’Airy (Cachet Noir), and the Listed Prix Sytaj Mares Chase at Auteuil was the most important of her eight victories.

Quaska D’Airy’s daughter Karma D’Airy (Authorized) was placed last year in France before being sold for €250,000 to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins. She made a single start from Closutton in mid-January, starting as odds-on, but was hugely disappointing when finishing a well-beaten third, though she showed signs of a delayed recovery post-race, and may be one to keep an eye on when she next appears.

Additionally, Quaska D’Airy is the grandam of Liskaria (Pastorius). This four-year-old gelding has had a productive year, winning on the flat and three times over jumps, and he was runner-up in the Grade 3 Prix Morgex Chase at Auteuil.

The other blacktype runner in this part of the family tree is Issar D’Airy (Sinndar), out of a half-sister to both Saraska D’Airy and Quaska D’Airy, and he was third in the Grade 3 Byrne Group Handicap Chase at Ascot.

Blacktype winners

Back to Impose Toi’s third dam, Quastelle D’Airy (Bamako III), and up pop a couple of more blacktype winners. That mare was useful herself, winning twice each on the flat and over jumps and being placed 19 times no less. She bred a listed hurdle winner, and is grandam of a second mare to win the Listed Prix Sytaj Mares Chase. This was Rika D’Airy (Cachet Noir).

It’s Gino’s claim to fame as a racehorse was to dead-heat for third place in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Soldier Of Fortune, behind the brilliant Zarkava and Youmzain. A Group 2 winner in Germany and a listed winner in France, It’s Gino placed in a couple of Group 1 races in his native country.

He has sired some stakes winners on the flat in Germany, but his better runners have been over hurdles and fences. Lalor, a Grade 1 hurdle winner who was successful at up to Grade 2 level in a bumper and over fences, emerged from his second crop, while Sir Gino took his record as a stallion to a new high, his Grade 1 wins including the Fighting Fifth Hurdle. Now Impose Toi has given him a third top-level winner.

Baby Kate’s baby sister is a rising star

IN a race captured in 2018 by none other than Honeysuckle, Amen Kate (Flemensfirth) won the Listed Billy Harney Memorial Irish EBF Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle for owners Ciaran Mooney and John Ryan, and the Tom Cooper-trained five-year-old will now have a long break and next be seen at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.

A bumper winner on her debut, Amen Kate was frustratingly fourth in three other bumpers, listed, Grade 3 and Grade 2 contests. She has made four starts also now over hurdles, placed on her debut, winning her maiden in fine style at Galway, but then ducking at the start in a listed race at Punchestown and unseating her rider. She made amends at Thurles and will hopefully further enhance her fine pedigree.

Bred by the former Irish international soccer player Kevin Doyle, Amen Kate is the second foal and second blacktype winner out of Augusta Kate (Yeats). He bought Augusta Kate, carrying the Cheltenham listed bumper winner Baby Kate (Champs Elysees), for €85,000. He leased Baby Kate but sold Amen Kate to Bryan Cooper at the 2023 Derby Sale for €75,000. What value she looks to be now – and the picture gets even better.

Augusta Kate’s third foal, another filly Cousin Kate (Maxios), also headed to the sales at three, selling for just €50,000 at the Goffs Arkle Sale. This also looks value now as her three starts since October have seen her win and place twice over hurdles. She might not appear to be in the same class as her two siblings, but she is already a valuable broodmare prospect in any case.

Fine career

Doyle bought Augusta Kate after she enjoyed a fine career on the track. She won five times, two of her three bumper successes were in listed races, while her pair of hurdle victories included victory in the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse. On her final start she chased Benie Des Dieux home in the Grade 1 Annie Power Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

This is a family in which fillies and mares do particularly well, though Doyle will be hoping that Augusta Kate’s male stock can do likewise. Currently at Doyle’s Slaney River Stud are two-year-old and yearling colts by Crystal Ocean (Sea The Stars), while normal service resumed when she foaled a filly in early March by Jeu St Eloi (Saint Des Saints). She was covered by Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice)

Augusta Kate with two blacktype winners has outshone the next three who all bred one blacktype winner each. The dam of Augusta Kate is Feathard Lady (Accordion).

Bought as a foal for IR900gns by Tim Nolan’s Jamestown House Stud, she was never beaten. She won a pair of bumpers and five hurdle races, notably running out a 12-length winner of the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Sandown, and later sold for 270,000gns,

Augusta Kate is the only winner from eight foals for Feathard Lady, but that mare is the best of six racecourse winners and a point-to-point winner from seven runners for the twice-raced Lady Rolfe (Alzao), Her siblings include the Auteuil listed hurdle winner Invite D’Honneur (Be My Guest). He won nine times, six on the flat and the rest over jumps. His dam was First Water (Margouillet) whose placed performances back in the early eighties included running fourth in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two.