FEW racemares travelled to the races as often as Gothen Niece (Gothenberg) did. This €1,100 purchase as a newly-turned yearling at Goffs ran a total of 43 times, and with the exception of one visit Ffos Las, all of her starts were in Ireland.

Runner-up on her fourth and fifth runs for trainer Chris Donoghue, Gothen Niece was second once more before she finally got her head in front in a mile and a half handicap at Cork as an eight-year-old, a race in which the field of 11 crawled at first. Michael Hussey took the initiative with Gothen Niece and went on, holding out to win with a length and a half covering the first five home. Later in her career Gothen Niece was beaten a head in a two-mile hurdle at Gowran Park.

At stud, Liam Tougher bred four foals from Gothen Niece, one of which was never named. Two have run, and Ballysax Hank (Eliot) is the mare’s only winner so far. The six-year-old gelding was offered for sale online last year, but withdrawn. He was placed second in a bumper on his debut for trainer Katy Brown, moved to Brendan Duke for whom he won a Cork bumper and was three times second, twice over hurdles, and then a real transformation took place when he changed ownership, to Paul Byrne, and trainer, moving to Gavin Cromwell.

Things did not start well, however. Ballysax Hank was odds-on favourite first time out for new connections at Fairyhouse, but pulled-up in a six-runner field when the jockey reported that the heavy ground was unsuitable. He was putting in a better performance next time out on his chasing debut at Naas, only to unship his rider at the last. He made amends at Downpatrick at the end of March, put in a few placed efforts afterwards, and travelled to Market Rasen on Saturday for the £100,000 Grade 3 Summer Plate, winning with some ease.

This was Ballysax Hank’s handicap chase debut, and the six-year-old will be a horse to keep an eye on. Another to watch is Dignam, again in the Byrne silks and trained by Joseph O’Brien, who won on his juvenile hurdle debut the following day at Newton Abbott.

Back to Ballysax Hank. He is the best, by a long way, of just a few winners for his sire Eliot (Tiger Hill) who stands at Blackrath Stud, generally available at a fee of between €500 and €1,000. A winner in Germany and from a very good staying family there, Eliot was third in the Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne, and the winner that day was the recently deceased Jukebox Jury.

Seven successes

Gothen Niece was one of a pair of winners out of Homestead Niece (Soviet Lad), the other being Legal Task (Eagle Eyed). He was bought by Bert Kerr to go racing in Greece, and there he rewarded connections with seven successes and 18 places. The rest of this female family is unremarkable, though the next two generations produced six stakes winners, one each in England, the USA and Holland, and three in Turkey.

With so much flat racing on, National Hunt is not to the forefront in the summer months. However, Gavin Cromwell and Joseph O’Brien were not the only Irish trainers sending runners to England in search of jumping success at the weekend. Claire O’Connell bred, owns and trains the six-year-old mare Born Bright, a daughter of Kalanisi (Doyoun), and she too travelled to Market Rasen where the mare collected a tasty £8,700 for winning her second chase.

This is a tale of perseverance paying off for O’Connell, and there was an unusual coincidence on the day. Born Bright is a half-sister to Born Famous (Famous Name), and that mare won the day’s feature, the Grade 3 Summer Plate Chase, two years ago. This is a family that has been in the O’Connell family for generations, and it is fair to say that commercial breeders would probably have given up on it many years ago.

Al and Betty O’Connell

Claire’s father and mother, Al and Betty, were stalwarts and much-loved members of the Irish racing world, and had a great connection with the Flood family at Boardsmill Stud. For that reason, many of the sires featuring in the female side of Born Bright’s pedigree bear the name of a stallion who stood at Boardsmill.

This goes right back to Born Bright’s third dam Gentle Flight (Furry Glen). She was tried eight times on the track, in bumpers, over hurdles and fences, but to no avail. The half-sister to three winners was given a chance at stud, breeding two winners on the track, Born Flyer (Jurado) and Friendly Flyer (Corvaro), both fillies. Another daughter of Gentle Flight was Noble Flight (King’s Ride), and she won a point-to-point, but, wait for it, she did so as a 10-year-old. That is patience.

Noble Flight is the grandam of Born Bright through point-to-point winner Born Noble (Dushyantor). Racing in Al’s colours and trained by Claire, Born Noble was ridden by Jamie Codd to win a point-to-point at Tattersalls, close to the O’Connell’s yard, at five, and three years later she reappeared to make two starts over hurdles, showing some ability. Now Born Noble has taken the family to a new height, breeding the aforementioned Born Famous, Born Bright, the dual point-to-point and dual hurdle winner Born Braver (Court Cave), and this year’s point-to-point winner and bumper-placed Noble Name (Famous Name).