TRAINER Chris Gordon sent four runners to Haydock Park on Saturday, and went home with three winners and a runner-up. Two of his three victories were achieved with Irish-bred geldings, and they both won graded hurdle races.

The opening race on the card was the Grade 2 Betfair-sponsored Newton Novices’ Hurdle, won by the six-year-old gelding Diamond Hunter. The son of Diamond Boy (Mansonnien), who stands at Con O’Keeffe’s Kilbarry Lodge Stud, is the sire’s 12th blacktype winner, and hopefully will one day join Impaire Et Passe, Diamond Carl, and L’Homme Presse as a Grade 1 winner. The gelding’s trainer is of the firm belief that anything this horse achieves now is a bonus, and chasing next season will bring out the best in him.

Bred by Edel Mallon, Diamond Hunter sold as a foal to Beech Farm for €22,000 at Tattersalls Ireland, but did not appear in public until this year. Handled by John Costlello, he raced four times in point-to-points, and frustratingly finished second three times. Diamond Hunter has run twice for new connections, being a 24-length winner of a novice hurdle at Plumpton, and surprising Gordon with his Haydock win.

Significant update

Edel Mallon, and Ennel Bloodstock’s Cyril O’Hara, were disappointed when they took an Affinisea (Sea The Stars) colt foal, half-brother to Diamond Hunter, to the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale and could not sell him.

Now they will get a second, and better, bite of the cherry when they take him back to the February Sale at Fairyhouse, given this hugely significant update to the pedigree.

Diamond Hunter is arguably the best runner to date for his unraced dam Sharps Express (Presenting), though he is not yet that mare’s highest-rated son. He is a pound or two behind Poormans Hill (Stowaway), a most versatile sort who won eight times, with half of his successes gained over fences.

Jack Slade (Stowaway) was also a talented son of Sharps Express, winning twice each over hurdles and fences for Noel Meade. The mare’s other winner was I Don’t Get it (Stowaway), and he won three hurdle races.

Sharps Express is also dam of a point-to-point winner, and she has other young stock to race for her. Her Affinisea colt foal would look to be an attractive youngster to put away for a few years, in the hope that Diamond Hunter reaches the heights his trainer believes he can.

Electric Mason

In a race won seven years ago by Paisley Park, Electric Mason gained his biggest win when showing guts and determination to the extended three-mile Grade 3 Stayers’ Hurdle at Haydock. It was a special win for trainer Chris Gordon as his son, the winning jockey Freddie, rode out his claim with this success.

Bred by Louis Kennedy’s Mountainview Stud in Tipperary, Electric Mason was ‘given away’ for €1,000 at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale in 2019, and failed to sell at the 2022 Goffs Land Rover Sale. Placed on his only start in a point-to-point, he sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale in 2023 for £110,000 to Jerry McGrath and Ian Morris. At the same sale, the mare who beat him at Tinahely, Break My Soul (Doyen), realised £290,000, and she is a smart runner who looks to have a very bright future over fences.

Electric Mason won and placed twice in four bumper starts, while his three wins over hurdles have the look of a horse who is crying out to go chasing. The six-year-old will surely join his stablemate Diamond Hunter in doing so next season, and his pedigree gives every indication that he could well excel in that sphere. His grandam Evelith Abbey (Presenting) has been a disappointing producer, but she understandably went to stud with high hopes, given that her year-older full-brother was the Aintree Grand National winner Ballabriggs (Presenting).

Tirwanako stands at Knockhouse Stud

Almost every good performer in this family has shown their best over the larger obstacles, and while Ballabriggs may be well-known for winning one of the world’s most famous races, he is not the best chaser in the family. That accolade rests with Hi Cloy (Be My Native), a son of Electric Mason’s fourth dam, the bumper winner Thomastown Girl (Tekoah). Twice successful in point-to-points and over hurdles, Hi Cloy’s forte was chasing, and eight wins in that code included four Grade 1s, among them the Powers Gold Cup, John Durkan Punchestown Chase and the Melling Chase.

WHEN Knockhouse Stud announced the purchase of Tirwanako (Sin Kiang) in December 2019, it was on the back of the sale of two of his four-year-old point-to-pointers, Adrimel and Gabynako, for £280,000 and £130,000 respectively.

Adrimel won seven races for Nicky Henderson and Lady Bamford, and his best win was in the Grade 2 Leamington Novices’ Hurdle. Gabynako was runner-up in a point-to-point for John Bleahen before being sold to Gavin Cromwell. He only won twice, but put up some fine performances in defeat, runner-up to the likes of Edwardstone (Grade 1 Arkle Chase), Beacon Edge (Grade 1 Drinmore Chase) and Noble Yeats, and placed in three other Grade 1 contests.

Much was to change in 2024, when Tirwanako’s son Jasmin De Vaux, a €28,000 Goffs Land Rover Sale purchase by the Crawford Brothers, landed Cheltenham’s Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper. An immediate effect was to see the book of mares visiting the stallion jump from 44 in 2023 to more than 100 last year. Sadly, the sires book numbers this year are as yet unknown. Given that Jasmin De Vaux went on to win again at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, and add a Grade 1 at Punchestown, it should be that his numbers were high.

Sale popularity

Tirwanako’s popularity continues, and at the Goffs Punchestown Sale this year his four-year-old son Ballyfad sold to Gordon Elliott for €175,000 – having been a €6,500 foal.

Bred by Brian and Bronagh Lawlor, Ballyfad was very impressive winning his only start between the flags. He is now unbeaten in two bumpers, and undoubtedly has a bright future.

Highflyer Bloodstock gave €75,000 for a store by Tirwanako at the Goffs Arkle Sale, while at the same sale Coolmeen Farms bought one for €65,000. Sam Curling, Gerry Hogan, Monbeg Stables, Bryan Cooper and Tom Keating were others to buy his stores, and a colt foal by him sold to Kevin Ross for €34,000 at Tattersalls Ireland earlier this month.

Three daughters of Tirwanako are due to come up for sale at Goffs next month. The first is out of Jeremys Island (Jeremy) who is a half-sister to the listed juvenile hurdle winner Callisto Moon (Mujahid), followed closely by a half-sister to two winners and two point-to-point winners from an outstanding female line, while the last is the second produce of a four-time winner.