JOHN O’BRIEN

Might Bite (Ire), 2009 g. by Scorpion out of Knotted Midge, by Presenting

BRED by John O’Brien in Co Limerick, Might Bite is the second foal and second Grade 1 winner for his point-to-point winning dam. Both are trained by Nicky Henderson, the previous winner being Beat That (by Milan) who beat Cole Harden and Don Poli to win Grade 1 races at Aintree and Punchestown.

Might Bite is winner of 10 of his 16 starts, adding the Grade 1 Betway Bowl at Aintree to previous Grade 1 victories in the King George VI Chase at Kempton, the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree and the RSA Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. He was runner-up this year in the Gold Cup and has earned almost £600,000.

Knotted Midge has gone on to produce two more sons of Milan, a four-year-old gelding and a two-year-old colt, and a yearling filly by Walk In The Park. Knotted Midge is a full-sister to Drombeag who won the Christies Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham, so the family has had two Festival winners in the most recent generations. Drombeag and Knotted Midge are out of the unraced Brush Aside mare Bula Beag and she is also dam of the graded-placed chaser Dushybeag.

Bula Beag is a half-sister to the bumper, hurdle and point-to-point winner Bula Vogue and at stud she is dam of the Grade 2 winning chaser Jamies Choice. The former Coolmore NH sire and Group 1 winner Scorpion stands at Shade Oak Stud. Might Bite is his best performer.

FRANK MOTHERWAY

Bellshill (Ire), 2010 g. by King’s Theatre out of Fairy Native, by Be My Native

BRED by Frank Motherway at his Yellowford Farm in Killeagh, Co Cork, Bellshill is now a Grade 1 winner in three codes, bumpers, over hurdles and fences. His recent win in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup is added to victories in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas, the Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown and a previous success in the Grade 1 attheraces.com Champion Bumper, also at Punchestown.

Placed in his only point-to-point, Bellshill is now a 10-time winner from 19 starts under rules and has won well in excess of £400,000. He has also been Grade 1 placed over hurdles and fences.

Bellshill was bought as a foal by Ian Ferguson for €21,000 at Tattersalls Ireland and he is the best offspring of Fairy Native who never troubled the judge in three starts. She has been a much better broodmare and has mated especially well with the champion sire King’s Theatre, producing three winners. She also bred a winner by Bob Back.

The grandam of Bellshill is Amy Fairy, a daughter of The Parson, and she won seven races and was listed placed. Her half-sister Steal On never raced but she bred the outstanding chaser One Man, winner of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the King George VI Chase among 17 victories over fences.

This is also the family of the Power Gold Cup winner Persian Wanderer and the Grade 1 winning hurdler One Track Mind.

CATHAL ENNIS

Identity Thief (Ire), 2011 g. by Kayf Tara out of Miss Arteea, by Flemensfirth

IDENTITY Thief returned to his best form at Aintree to land the Grade 1 Ryanair Liverpool Stayers’ Hurdle, adding to a previous victory in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. His seven wins now bring his career earnings to some £325,000.

Sold as a foal by his breeder Cathal Ennis for €15,000 to Ian Ferguson, he changed hands again as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale for €40,000, Gordon Elliott doing the buying. Sent into training with Henry de Bromhead he won his bumper first time out at Fairyhouse and followed up a month later with a maiden hurdle victory at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. He has also won a Grade 2 hurdle at Down Royal and his two chase successes include a Grade 2 chase at Punchestown.

Also runner-up twice in Grade 1 hurdle races, Identity Thief is one of three winners for his dam Miss Arteea. The year before he was born his half-brother Oscarteea was foaled and he earned blacktype when runner-up in a listed novices’ hurdle at Haydock.

Miss Arteea is an unraced daughter of Flemensfirth and her half-brother Arteea, by Oscar, was a Grade 3 winning chaser for Michael Hourigan and runner-up in the Grade 1 Arkle Chase at Leopardstown.

Identity Thief’s now three-year-old Milan half-brother was sold by Cathal to Aiden Murphy for €52,000 as a foal. A King’s Theatre half-brother was sold in 2014 at the Derby Sale for €90,000.

NIALL FLYNN

Next Destination (Ire), 2012 g. by Dubai Destination out of Liss Alainn, by Flemensfirth

NEXT Destination was bought by Galway man Aidan Murray for just €9,500 at Tattersalls Ireland as a foal from his breeder Niall Flynn’s Five Naughts Stud near Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

Runners bred by Niall enjoyed a purple patch last season but the now dual Grade 1 winning hurdler is the best of these recent winners and the gelding was also Grade 1 placed at Cheltenham behind Samcro. His most recent victory in the Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novices Hurdle at Punchestown was on the same day that Niall’s home-bred Colreevy won a Grade 3 bumper for mares. Next Destination has never finished out of the money, winning five of his eight starts now and taking his winnings past £150,000

Niall and his family are easily identified as the people who made the Shuil name famous and the six-year-old Next Destination is continuing that story of success. He is the second offspring of his dam Liss Alainn. His year younger half-brother Imperial Nemesis (Stowaway) has been placed for Nigel Twiston-Davies, while waiting in the wings are four-year-old (sold for €50,000 at the Derby Sale in 2017) and three-year-old sons of Presenting and a two-year-old colt by Sholokov who sold as a foal to Mags Melody for €21,000. Those look like wise investments now. The Shuil family is one that keeps on giving and Next Destination is a horse to watch for in the future.