BACK in January in this column I posed the question – What heights can the Grade 1 32Red Tolworth Hurdle winner Finian’s Oscar reach?

On that occasion he had just made his third ever appearance, including in a point-to-point. He followed up that Sandown success with a win at Exeter, missed Cheltenham, and retained his unbeaten record with victory in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

Following his point-to-point win he was sold at the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham Sale for £250,000 to Tom Malone and Colin Tizzard, his trainer, and he races in the colours of Ann and Alan Potts. Unsold as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale, he reappeared five weeks later at Goffs and Richard Frisby bought him for €24,000. He was back at Tattersalls Ireland for the Derby Sale two and a half years later and made €50,000.

Bred by Richard and Martin O’Keeffe in Co Wexford, Finian’s Oscar is the second produce of the Taipan mare Trinity Alley who ran in a few point-to-points.

Her first foal has not been named, while she also has a four-year-old gelding by Presenting (sold to John O’Byrne as a foal for €27,000) and a two-year-old filly by Jeremy. Last year she visited Sageburg at Garryrichard Stud.

Trinity Alley is now the dam of a Grade 1 winner and is a half-sister to another. Her half-brother Finian’s Rainbow, by Tiraaz, won three Grade 1 races over fences; the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and both the Maghull Novices’ Chase and Melling Chase at Aintree.

Four other Grade 1 races over the three days at Aintree fell to Irish-breds. On the first day Flying Angel obliged in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase. This was the biggest win yet for the gelding who also landed the Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick in February, adding to a Grade 3 success last year in the Imperial Cup Hurdle.

He was bred by Eoin Banville from Arctic Tack Stud who also stands the sire, and his family has been associated with the pedigree for many years. Eoin sold Flying Angel as a foal at Tattersalls Ireland through the Jamestown Consignment for €15,000 and he was purchased by Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud.

Flying Angel is the best of the winners to date for his unraced dam who is a half-sister to the 10-time winning mare Kelly’s Pearl. She came close to a big race win when runner-up in the Galway Plate. Their dam Gallant Blade was a half-sister to Soft Day and to the dam of Call It A Day. Soft Day was bred by Stephen Banville and his 10 victories included the Dennys Gold Medal Novice Chase and the Arkle Novice Chase, both at Leopardstown, while Call It A Day was bred by Kathleen Banville and he won the Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown Park.

Soft Day is out of the Arctic Slave mare Arctic Tack, after whom Eoin’s stud farm is named.