FRIDAY was a red-letter day for Irish-breds, with Pingshou, Might Bite and The World’s End all winning Grade 1 races at Aintree.

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. What a record for the mare and what a start to her stud career. Both Grade 1 winners are trained by Nicky Henderson, the other being the Milan gelding Beat That who won top level races at Aintree and Punchestown.

Might Bite is now winner of seven of his 12 starts, adding the Grade 1 Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree last week to his earlier victory in the Grade 1 RSA Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

Since producing both these racing stars Knotted Midge has gone on to have two more sons by Milan, a three-year-old and a yearling. The latter was sold to Brian Delahunt for €21,000 last November at Tattersalls Ireland and he would look to be good value now given the pedigree updates.

Might Bite is not the only Cheltenham star in the immediate family. Knotted Midge is a full-sister to the useful Drombeag who won the Christies Foxhunter Chase. 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 Scorpion, a Group 1 winning son of Montjeu, moved this season to strand at Shade Oak Stud. Might Bite is easily his best performer.

SURPRISE WIN

Pingshou was a surprise winner of the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree and was another to carry the colours of Ann and Alan Potts to victory.

The couple know the family as the winner, a seven-year-old son of Definite Article, is a full-brother to Sizing Platinum, a winner over hurdles and fences and graded-placed over the larger obstacles in their silks.

This is a family that has worked well with Definite Article. Bred by Charles O’Brien’s Baronrath Stud and Philip and Jane Myerscough’s Colbinstown Stud (Charles and Jane are siblings), Pingshou is the best of four winners from Queen Of Passion, a placed daughter of Saumarez. She has had a fascinating career at stud, originally visiting such as Sadler’s Wells and Danehill, while later consorts included Flemensfirth and Yeats.

Her visits to Sadler’s Wells produced the Grade 2-placed hurdler Murghas, a winner five times over the smaller obstacles, and Prairie Bell. The latter didn’t manage to trouble the judge while racing but she visited Definite Article at stud and produced the excellent racemare Cailin Annamh. She won 10 races, was placed in a listed bumper, was a Grade 3 winning hurdler at Punchestown and a Grade 2 winning chaser at Gowran Park.

BRED IN THE PURPLE

Quest For Passion was bred in the purple, but for flat racing. Her seven winning siblings included five stakes winners, the best of which was the Ela-Mana-Mou mare Fair Of The Furze. She won the Group 2 (now Group 1) Tattersalls Rogers Gold Cup and later enjoyed great success at stud. She is dam of the Group 1 Italian Derby winner White Muzzle and grandam of the Dubai World Cup winner Almutawakel.

The Grade 1 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree was won by The Worlds End. This six-year-old son of Stowaway was bred by Jerome Sheehan and sold as a three-year-old at the Goffs Land Rover Sale for €20,000. He is now a bumper winner and successful in four of his six starts over hurdles and is another reminder of why his late sire was so popular with breeders.

Stowaway was a son of Slip Anchor and his victories included the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes and the Group 3 Gordon Stakes. He is also sire of Outlander, Champagne Fever, Hidden Cyclone and more.

FIRST WINNER

The Worlds End is the first winner for his unraced Beneficial dam Bright Sprite. She had four other foals but only one of them was named. He is Egret, a son of Definite Article who has been placed in point-to-points, bumpers and over hurdles.

Bright Sprite is a half-sister to three winners, namely What A Hussy (by Husyan), Jungle Jake (by Jolly Jake) and Schinkel (by Subtle Power).

They are all offspring of the Tug Of War mare Last Sprite, a dual bumper winner who went on to win over hurdles. Her siblings included the multiple winner Sergeant Sprite, by General Ironside, and he was placed in a couple of blacktype chases.

While there are plenty of winners in the next few removes, there is no winner for four generations of the calibre of The Worlds End. He is a great example of patience paying off for connections.

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