AT Punchestown on Wednesday, three of the races were won by progeny of former Boardsmill Stud stallions. Court Cave (Sadler’s Wells), who died two years ago, had a double, three days after having a winner in Britain, while Mount Nelson (Rock Of Gibraltar) continued his excellent run of form in February when he sired the Grade 3 hurdle winner Grainne A Chroi.

In this month, in Ireland, Mount Nelson had had four individual winners, starting with Jacob’s Ladder at the Dublin Racing Festival, while across the water he has also sired four individual winners, one of which is the exciting Sober Glory who has only tasted defeat on one of his eight starts.

Grainne A Chroi is the fourth winner for her dam, Gaillimh A Chroi (Flemensfirth), and she was a talented mare who only got to the races four times. On her final start, trained by John Queally for Eileen O’Brien and Tony Harrington, she had a notable success. Making no real impression on her sole start in a point-to-point, Gaillimh A Chroi was back out three weeks later, on New Year’s Eve, in a Punchestown bumper where she was fourth.

Following this promising run, Gaillimh A Chroi next appeared at Gowran Park in the Ronan Lawlor Memorial Mares Bumper, which was itself run last weekend, and ran out a 12-length winner under our now MEP Nina Carberry. Noel Fehily replaced Nina next time out when Gaillimh A Chroi travelled to Sandown for a listed mares bumper, which she gamely won. It was to be her last run.

Great start

At stud, Gaillimh A Chroi made a great start, and all of her first four foals are winners. Grainne A Chroi is the only one with blacktype, and prior to her Grade 3 win the Quevega Mares Hurdle, she was runner-up in a Grade 3 at Limerick named after another good mare, Shannon Spray. Her win this week was notable, as it was gained on her first start for 11 months.

Gaillimh A Chroi was the best of three successful offspring of Burnt Out (Anshan), a dual hurdle winner for Al O’Connell over two decades ago, and she got valuable blacktype when runner-up at Fairyhouse at the Easter meeting in 2004. That was in the Grade 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Final, beaten by another runner-by her own sire.

It is interesting to check out the third dam of Grainne A Chroi. This was Lantern Lover (Be My Native), Bred by Norelands Stud for a career as a flat racemare, she won on her debut for her owner and trainer, Sue Doyle.

This, however, was in a 12-runner bumper at Downpatrick when she was ridden by Andrew Coonan. She bookended her 12-race career with a runner-up finish back at the same course, with the same rider, seven months later.

Eight winners

At stud, Lantern Lover had eight winners, all of her foals, and the first four of them were born in Germany. They included a listed hurdle winner at Frankfurt, Louis (Ordos). Her four Irish-foaled offspring were headed by Ladrina (Phardante), and the best of his three hurdle victories was in a listed race at Baden-Baden.

Mount Nelson died in the year of Grainne A Chroi’s birth. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, he won the Group 1 Criterium International at two and the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at four, one by a head and the latter by a short head. He stood at Newsells Park Stud for most of his time at stud, but shuttled to Argentina where he sired a couple of Group 1 winners. His best performer on the level in Europe was the Group 1-winning sprinter Librisa Breeze.

From his three seasons with William and John Flood he has done well with his runners over jumps, but the best he has sired in that code is Penhill, a dual Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival hurdle winner for owner Tony Bloom and trainer Willie Mullins who was conceived during his time in Britain.

“HE’S a big baby, and a horse for next year.” Gordon Elliott clearly thinks a lot of Soul Asylum (Walk In The Park), a smooth winner of a four-runner bumper at Punchestown on Wednesday. Bred by Patrick Hogan and Lucinda Russell, the five-year-old was a costly purchase last November, but he looks likely to reward Michael O’Leary for his investment.

Soul Asylum sells at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale in November 2025

Soul Asylum has been sold three times under various Tattersalls banners. At Fairyhouse he realised €30,000 as a foal – patently being a good-looker – and was bought by the Magnier’s Sweetmans Bloodstock. He was back at the same venue for the Derby Sale where Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables and Colin Bowe’s Milestone signed the purchase slip at €80,000.

Last November, trained by Bowe, Soul Asylum met with plenty of trouble on his debut in a four-year-old maiden point-to-point at Dromahane and just failed to catch the winner Red Acres Max (now with Jamie Snowden after selling for £240,000). Despatched to the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale soon after that run, Soul Asylum sold to Gordon Elliott for £280,000.

While this family traces back well, it is clear that visiting Walk In The Park has helped it enormously. Soul Asylum is out of Miss Joeking (Alkaadhem) who was picked up as a three-year-old by Lucinda Russell for €4,000. She had been bred by Patrick Hogan. Originally owned by Kenny Alexander, she had shown little for him, but transferred to the ownership of Peter Russell and won over hurdles.

Miss Joeking changed hands again, but stayed in training with Russell, and won a chase for Michael and Lady Jane Kaplan.

Lucinda Russell

Miss Joeking has four progeny, two runners and two winners – her first foal was never named. Her second foal, She’s Notjoeking (Milan), is a bumper and hurdle winner, and is due to line up today at Newcastle. She is trained by Lucinda Russell. Soul Asylum is Miss Joeking’s third foal and is followed by a two-year-old son of Diamond Boy (Mansonnien).

The dam of Miss Joeking, the unraced Go Franky (Hollow Hand), had 14 foals and 10 runners. While she didn’t do badly, with three racecourse winners and another between the flags, it was not the best of returns.

Her other winners include Imjoeking (Amilynx), a winning point-to-point graduate who went on to win a bumper, a hurdle race and five chases up to the age of 11.

Go Franky’s dam Teazle (Quayside) was second in a Killarney bumper with Willie Mullins in the saddle, and he trained the mare too. She bred three track winners and another two who won point-to-points, and her best was Super Franky (Lanfranco). He was another bred by Patrick Hogan, and in 2000 gained the biggest of his wins in the Grade 3 Munster National at Cork, and the following year was runner-up when the race was run at Limerick.

Super Franky won a point-to-point in addition to his 10 wins on the racecourse, while his half-brother Marked Man (Grand Plaisir) was a remarkable performer, standing his racing very well. He raced primarily for Richard Lee, and gained 11 wins from 85 starts, with many placed efforts.