IT was not surprising really that Dr Richard Kimble (named after the main character in The Fugitive) failed to take up his appointment on Thursday with the auctioneers at Tattersalls.

Two days earlier at Wolverhampton the son of Lawman (Invincible Spirit) and Aoife Alainn (Dr Fong) won for owner Garrett Freyne and trainer Mark Johnston, landing a nursery at Wolverhampton. This 42,000gns Tattersalls December Sale yearling purchase by the trainer was renewing an acquaintance Freyne previously had with the family.

The owner originally named Aoife Alainn before she moved to Italy and as a three-year-old won the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio at Rome, before moving back to Ireland and racing at four from Tracey Collins’ yard. Her first three foals are now winners, while her fourth is a yearling filly by Kingman (Invincible Spirit).

Aoife Alainn is an own-sister to another smart runner by Dr Fong (Kris S) and that was the listed winner and Group 2 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) third Adorable Fong. There is no shortage of speed in the family when you go back a generation or two.

Make Plans (Go Marching), the third dam of Aoife Alainn, bred the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes winner Sayf El Arab (Drone) and Group 2 winner and Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp third Monde Bleu (Last Tycoon).