THERE was a lovely mares’ bumper winner recently at Punchestown that has somehow managed to go under the radar, but it might well be worth putting the name Petuna into your notebook.

The five-year-old daughter of Aussie Rules might not have had the sire profile to indicate that she would be a smart National Hunt performer, but her pedigree tells another story.

Trained by Maurice Phelan for his brother Eamonn of Derryluskin Stud, Petuna was ridden to victory by the Phelan’s nephew Sean Houlihan. This was the mare’s third start and she was placed on both her previous outings.

The win was hugely significant not only as a stepping stone to more success, but Petuna is well connected and she will also be a valuable broodmare in time.

Bred by Des Donegan, Petuna is the second winner from the first three foals produced by the Beneficial mare Sue N Win and she too was bred and raced by Des. The first winner is Rock The World and here is another family member adding kudos to the pedigree as time goes on.

The son of Orpen didn’t manage to win a bumper but two hurdle wins and a Grade 2 placing made up for that. Put over fences he has done even better and last month he won a Grade 3 novice chase at Galway for trainer Jessica Harrington.

While there might have been no black type in recent years in the family until Rock The World came along, there were plenty of winners and it was odds-on that the line would again throw up a few good horses.

After all, Sue N Win’s grandam Bold Penny is a half-sister to four fillies that have made a name for themselves in one way or another.

Best known of the quartet on the racecourse was Rugged Lucy and she continued a fine tradition for her trainer Edward O’Grady when she was a dramatic winner of the Galway Plate under Tommy Ryan. At stud she bred a decent sort in Drumlin Hill.

Lumax

The second smart winner in the quartet I mentioned earlier was Lumax and she had the unusual race record of being a classic winner in Norway where she won the Oaks, was rated the champion filly of her year, and then went on to win a few races over jumps there. Her granddaughter Sonne Cinq, by Old Vic, is a Grade 3 hurdle winner.

The two other fillies in the quartet were both unraced. Cahore bred a Cheltenham Festival winner in King Lucifer and he landed the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase.

Masterstown Lucy was even more successful and bred Jodami, winner of the Gold Cup and very familiar to Irish racegoers as the three-time winner of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, an historic race about to undergo a change of sponsorship.

Masterstown Lucy is the grandam of the Irish Grand National third Home Farm and the third dam of the Grade 1 winning chaser Gemini Lucy.

Evan Williams bought a full-brother to Petuna at the Derby Sale this year for just €16,000 and his future career will be worth watching. Sue N Win also has a four-year-old gelding by Aussie Rules and a two-year-old filly by Westerner.

Aussie Rules had a Cheltenham Festival winner this year in Irish Cavalier.