THE champion stayer in Europe as a three-year-old when he won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Group 1 St Leger, the Grangemore Stud-bred Scorpion went on to add the Group 1 Coronation Cup to his tally of successes and he retired to stud as the winner of not far off a million pounds.

Originally a member of the Coolmore National Hunt sire roster, the son of Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells) transferred to Shade Oak Stud for the 2017 season at a fee of £3,000. After two years at that price he will see his fee rise to £4,000 for next year, thanks to the success he is currently enjoying with his runners.

His first couple of crops include three Grade 1 winners, the multiple Grade 1 winning Might Bite being his outstanding runner. Other sons include dual American Grade 1 winner Scorpiancer and the Grade 1 Punchestown Festival winner Don’t Touch It. He seems to have clicked well with mares by Supreme Leader (Bustino) and Presenting (Mtoto).

With mares by Presenting his winners include Might Bite, Grade 1-placed Black Scorpion, multiple winners In The Rough, Station Master and Chapel Stile who have all been rated 125 or more. The latest potential star to emerge from the cross is Timetochill who won the Listed Tattersalls Ireland Henrietta Knight Open NH Flat Race at Huntingdon. She was bred by Carol Cronin.

A bargain buy by Niall Redmond for whom she placed in a point-to-point last year, Timetochill has now won both her starts in bumpers and owner Johnny Weatherby not only has an exciting racing prospect on his hands, but also a broodmare for the future at his Preston Lodge Stud. Among the current residents there is Presenting Percy’s dam Hunca Munca, herself a daughter of Presenting.

Kilcoleman Lady never raced but she is making up for that with her stud record. In addition to Timetochill, she is also dam of Geordie Des Champs (Robin Des Champs), a €68,000 Derby Sale buy who is a five-time winner and was placed in a Grade 3 hurdle race at Aintree. Kilcoleman Lady’s winning siblings include Ashwell Boy (Strong Gale) who was runner-up in the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Liverpool.

Tracing further back in the pedigree and plenty of well-known performers appear. Timetochill’s third dam Smithstown Lady (Tarqogan) is the grandam of Grade 3 winning chaser and Grade 1 placed hurdler Aura About You (Supreme Leader), and third dam of the Cheltenham Grade 2 National Hunt Chase winner Rathvinden (Heron Island).

It was a good weekend for Scorpion as his son Derrinross also won the Grade 3 Stayers Novice Hurdle at Cork.