BRED in Co Limerick by the Treaty Pals Syndicate, Fiddlerontheroof (Stowaway) made his first appearance in a sale ring when he sold through Ballyduane Stud to Rathurtin Stud in Co Wexford for €12,500 as a foal at Fairyhouse. He went back to the same venue three years later at the Derby Sale and Brendan Bashford’s €38,000 bid secured him for Timmy Hyde of Camas Park Stud.

It was interesting that Hyde should acquire him as the Tipperary-based stud owner and breeder had bought the gelding’s dam Inquisitive Look (Montjeu) as a foal 12 years earlier for 100,000gns. Though she won a race when trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, the then three-year-old filly was snapped up by Shark Hanlon for just 11,500gns. Sent hurdling, she faced the starter seven times and a third-place finish in a maiden at Sligo was the best of her efforts.

Her first two foals at stud are winners by Stowaway (Slip Anchor) and the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle winner Fiddlerontheroof is the best of the pair. He started his career in Ireland showing little in two point-to-point outings. I was at Limerick when he made his racecourse debut in a bumper, carrying Trish Hyde’s colours. Trish’s grandson Harry Swan was on board and the gelding was only beaten a length into third for trainer John Joe Walsh.

Runner-up at Fairyhouse, he opened his winning account at Navan, beating The Big Getaway, and the Hydes sent him to the Goffs UK Aintree Sale last April where he sold to Ross Doyle and Colin Tizzard for £200,000. It was a long time waiting for Timmy Hyde, but his investment in the dam had finally paid dividends! Now it will be interesting to see if the six-year-old, a reminder again of the prowess of his sire who died in 2015, can live up to all the post-race hype.