WHEN Roksana (Dubai Destination) finished fifth in the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle at Ascot two years ago, it was the only time in 18 starts that she was out of the first four. Six times a winner over hurdles, she amassed some £280,000 in her career, and this Grade 1 winner is now destined for stud and a covering in 2022.

Bred by John O’Leary, Roksana’s greatest moment came when she beat Stormy Ireland to win the Grade 1 OLBG David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.

She was three times successful at Grade 2 level, and her Grade 1 placings include chasing home If The Cap Fits and Thyme Hill in separate renewals of the Grade 1 Ryanair Liverpool Stayers Hurdle at Aintree, beaten a head and a neck respectively.

Roksana is a fine example of patience paying dividends. She is the standout runner in her family for more than 60 years, the only other blacktype in her first four generations being gained by Real Value (Matching Pair), an IR£500 four-year-old who won three chases and 12 point-to-points, and gained his blacktype for running second in the Christies Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.

The best of two winners from her dam, Roksana is a daughter of Talktothetail (Flemensfirth). Trained by Tim Doyle, that mare carried Derek O’Connor to wins in a bumper and a point-to-point, and Davy Russell was in the saddle when she won a chase.

Talktothetail is the dam of two racecourse winners, a point-to-point winner, and the £105,000 store purchase Tigerbythetail (Yeats) who was beaten a short head on his bumper debut this year for Olly Murphy.