THE booking of Jamie Codd is always noteworthy, and when he is mounted on a runner from Joseph O’Brien’s yard it becomes eye-catching. The pair combined at Roscommon with Champagne Paddy in the concluding bumper and the Pat Tennyson-owned son of Sunnyhill Stud sire Doyen won handsomely.

He is the first racecourse winner for his dam, though she previously produced the Old Vic gelding Supreme Reign who was placed in a couple of hunter chases in England and won a few point-to-points. They have come from just three runners.

The dam in question was the Tony O’Callaghan-bred Law Society mare Shampooed, and she was out of the Shirley Heights mare White Caps. That information alone would indicate that it was not for a National Hunt career that she was bred, and she started her career with Declan Gillespie, running once at two. She was ridden that day by Johnny Murtagh who guided her to her first success at Tralee the following year. Jamie Spencer was in the saddle when she added a second win on the flat at four, this time at Thurles. By then she had moved to Joe Murphy but she was on her travels again after her second win, travelling across the water to Robin Dickin.

She proved to be a prolific scorer for Dickin, landing seven successes over hurdles and four over fences. She carried a range of jockeys to victory, including A P McCoy, and she made her 60th and final start a winning one over fences at Stratford.

Shampooed is one of eight winners produced by White Caps, none of which earned any blacktype. This is somewhat unusual given how regally bred she was. Placed once as a two-year-old, White Caps was a half-sister to nine winners and one of these stood head and shoulders above the rest. Hellenic won the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks at three and was runner-up in the St Leger. At stud she did even better, breeding no fewer than three Group 1 winners.

Mountain High and Greek Dance were Group 1 winners in France and Germany respectively, while their sister Islington went on to become one of the most talented racemares of her generation. The champion three-year-old of her sex, she won the Yorkshire Oaks twice, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita, and the Nassau Stakes. She, and this family, are shining examples of the wonderful racehorses bred for many generations at the famous Ballymacoll Stud.

Doyen has just completed his sixth season at Michael Hickey’s Sunnyhill Stud, having previously been at Dalham Hall Stud when he retired, and then enjoying three years at Gestut Auenquelle in Germany. A son of Sadler’s Wells, his biggest success came in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

He has proven himself to be a top flight dual purpose sire and his growing list of winners include Group 1 performers Turfdonna (won German Oaks), Wild Chief, Sneak A Peek, Vif Monsieur and Adoya on the flat, while over jumps his headline acts so far include Valdez, Golden Doyen and Pine Creek. His first National Hunt crop are now four and have been popular at the sales with all the leading trainers and agents.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact Leo Powell at leopowell@theirishfield.ie with news and updates for the column, and to visit our website www.theirishfield.ie for daily breeding news