LEAD by example, and that is what William Flood has done with Caravation. The Boadsmill Stud master is one of the architects and promoters of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association National Hunt Fillies’ Scheme, designed to encourage more fillies and mares in training. Now he owns a racemare with whom he has won a point-to-point, a bumper, a couple of hurdle races and now a chase. Hats off to the winning owner-breeder.

Having earned some blacktype when she was third in a listed bumper at Navan, Caravation’s connections will surely be scanning the programme now for an opportunity to fill the only gap on her CV before she eventually goes to stud – winning a blacktype race. With no inbreeding in the family for five generations, Caravation will be so easy to mate when that time comes.

A daughter of Presenting (Mtoto), one of the most successful National Hunt stallions of recent times, Caravation is a full-sister to an Irish Grand National winner and one of five successful offspring on the racecourse from Juresse, daughter of a stallion that William Flood stood in Trim for a few seasons. He was Jurado (Alleged) and as a racehorse he was very sound, winning 13 times in Italy. The highlight came as a five-year-old when he captured the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua in Milan.

Trainer

Juresse was bred and raced by Flood and she won over hurdles when trained by the late John Fowler, a maiden hurdle at Dundalk over two decades ago. Her best sibling was Strath Royal (Furry Glen) and he won the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. Juresse struck gold with her second foal, Niche Market (Presenting).

He graduated from the point-to-point field to gain his biggest success at a racecourse not a million miles from where he was bred. That was Fairyhouse and the 2009 Irish Grand National, giving Bob Buckler his biggest win as a trainer.