WHAT an exciting horse Lulamba is, and but for the neck that separated him and Poniros in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle, the four-year-old would be unbeaten in his six starts. He is undefeated on both outings he has made over fences, impressing each time, and he can now lay claim to being a Grade 1 winner over hurdles and fences.

Last weekend he won the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown for his owners, Marie and Joe Donnolly, and trainer Nicky Henderson, and gave the latter his third winner in the last 10 stagings of the race. Henderson saddled Jonbon to win in 2022, and Altior in 2016. They went on to achieve greatness, and so too will Lulamba based on what we have seen to date.

Lulamba had the distinction of winning the last Grade 1 of the National Hunt season in Ireland back in May, the Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Punchestown. Henderson has always been a big fan of Punchestown, and his four-year-old son of Nirvana Du Berlais (Martaline) avenged his Cheltenham Festival defeat, this time having Poniros four lengths in arrears.

One of the biggest surprises for me, when Haras de la Hetraie announced their fees for 2026, is that Nirvana Du Berlais is only standing for €7,500, his first increase after six seasons at an unchanged €6,500. His popularity is best demonstrated by the fact that he covered 160 mares in 2024, a truly phenomenal number in France, and this year that soared to more than 210.

His first crop are four-year-olds and he has made a fine start, with two Grade 1 winners. In addition to Lulamba, he is sire of one of the best young horses in France, and with an Irish connection. Waterford veterinary surgeon Walter Connors is co-owner of the leading four-year-old chaser there, Leader Sport, and by virtue of winning the Grade 1 Prix Maurice Gillois - Grand Steeple-Chase des 4 Ans he was catapulted to the head of that division. This followed his victory a month earlier in the Grade 3 Prix Orcada Chase.

Third behind Leader Sport that day was another son of Nirvana Du Berlais, Nirvalla, while the stallion posted a third blacktype winner from his first crop when Semper Fortis won a listed hurdle race at Auteuil towards the end of October.

French breeding

Nirvana Du Berlais is bred in the purple, represents the best of French National Hunt breeding, and demonstrates their attitude to standing stallions for that market. He is the best runner among six successful produce of Katioucha (Mansonnien), a winner over jumps who was second in the Listed Prix Finot Hurdle at Auteuil. The Grade 1 Prix Cambacérès Hurdle for three-year-old was the better of two triumphs for Nirvana Du Berlais, while the other came in the Grade 3 Prix Aguado Hurdle, also at Auteuil. The chesnut, who is just over 16.2 hands, is from a leading family in jumping circles.

Four of Katioucha’s winners enjoyed success in graded contests. Toscana Du Berlais (Shantou) won the Grade 2 Prix Ingre Chase, Aubusson (Ballingarry) landed a Grade 3 hurdle at Haydock and his placed efforts in France included finishing second in the Grade 1 Grand Prix d’Automne Hurdle, and Trianna Du Berlais (Presenting) is a Grade 3 French winner over hurdles and fences.

Even more significantly, it could be argued, is the fact that Nirvana Du Berlais’ full-sister Nice To Meet You (Martaline) is the dam of Haras de Montaigu’s new sire for 2025, Nietzsche Has (Zarak). He was introduced this spring at a tasty fee of €7,000, reflecting the importance breeders there attach to his pedigree and performance.

On the last of his seven starts, he garnered a fourth win when taking the Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow. He attracted more than 100 mares this year. Nietzsche Has was bought as a two-year-old at Arqana by Guy Petit for €240,000. He is not the only smart runner out of Nice To Meet You. Her son Niko Has (Great Pretender) is still racing and his wins include the Listed Prix William Head Chase at Auteuil.

Thierry Cypres

Bred by Thierry Cypres, Lulamba is one of two winners for Ejland (Vision D’Etat), with her first two foals. The five-year-old Kayo Coco (Cokoriko) won last month at Auteuil, his second over fences, adding to a single success over hurdles. Last year he just missed out on getting blacktype when fourth in a listed race. Lulamba is followed by two fillies, the three-year-old Maldive (Cokoriko) and two-year-old Nanshan (Cokoriko), and a colt foal named Palagos Du Pont (Tunis).

Ejland won three hurdle races in France from only five starts, and was runner-up in the Listed Prix d’Arles Hurdle at Auteuil on her last run. Her dam Septland (Agent Bleu) also won three times over jumps in France, twice over hurdles and a chase at Auteuil, and is the dam four winners with her first four foals. Ejland is the best of them, while her half-brother Dundee (Balko) is the most prolific with five wins. Another blacktype winner appears under the third dam Jubyland (Kadalko), as she is grandam of the listed hurdle winner Caiman Land (Passing Sale).

It is when you go back to Lulamba’s fourth dam, Queensland IV (Citheron), that you find a host of blacktype winners descending from that flat winner. Queensland VI’s own list of 10 winners, all her runners from 12 foals, is led by the very good chaser Cumberland (Cyborg). In fact, his two biggest successes were in the same two blacktype chases won this year by Walter Connors’ Leader Sport

Headline

Different branches of the family have been making headlines in the past couple of years, thanks to the likes of dual Grade 1 chase winner Figuero (Yeats) and last year’s French Grade 1-winning hurdler Kingland (Cokoriko), while a familiar name from a few years past is the dual Grade 3 Scottish Grand National winner Vicente (Dom Alco).

Looking at the results for stock by Nirvana Du Berlais sold at public auction this year, I suggest that purchasers may have bought some value if the sire’s success rate continues in an upward trajectory.

At the recent Goffs UK Coral Gold Cup Sale, Jerry McGrath and Ben Pauling bought his point-to-point-winning son Baron Du Brizais for £90,000, while his top store was a son of La Mistinguett (Fame And Glory), sold by Lakefield Farm to Megan and Paul Nicholls at the Goffs Arkle Sale for €92,000.

More recently, Nirvana Du Berlais’ foals have also sold well. Examples have been Cobhall Court Stud’s 62,000gns colt at Tattersalls, Tom Coughlan’s colt this week at Goffs, sold to Kevin Ross and Killeen Glebe for €75,000, and Richard Frisby’s purchase of a colt at Tattersalls Ireland for €68,000.