CHRIS and Carol Harris are no strangers to Ireland or Irish racing. Chris is the mastermind behind the hugely successful Kildare Outlet Village and he has endured a love affair with horses for many more years than he might wish to remember. He and Carol run The Old Rectory Stud at their home in the exotically named Britwell Salome in Oxfordshire.

It was a thrill to see the couple enjoy success in the Listed Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham with Katie Too. The five-year-old daughter of champion National Hunt sire Kings’ Theatre is trained by the couple’s friend Alan King and he revealed that the mare would stay in training next season as “there’s a very good mares’ programme these days”.

Katie Too missed the Cheltenham Festival due to an ulcer, so this listed race win was a great ‘consolation’ prize to land. It is good that she will stay in training, as she is now a hugely valuable mare and retiring her to the breeding shed would be a most attractive alternative option.

Consider this. She is a black-type winning full-sister to two other black-type horses, and they are the first three foals out of their graded chase winning dam. That dam is a daughter of Arctic Lord (by Lord Gayle) and she is out of a winning daughter of the Champion Hurdle hero Monksfield. There is simply so much to love about this mare and her pedigree and her future offspring will be most exciting to anticipate.

Katie Too was doubly entered as a foal, at Tattersalls Ireland in November and Goffs in December 2011. Having failed to sell at €15,000 at Fairyhouse, she was produced again a month later and sold to Chris Harris for €15,500. It is apt that she was purchased at Goffs as the land beside the Kill sale ring was his original choice for the Kildare Outlet Village!

Bred by Regina Anne Hennessy, Katie Too was sold through Ballylinch Stud who stood the sire King’s Theatre. Winner of the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at two and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at three, he was runner-up in both the Epsom Derby and the Irish equivalent, finding Erhaab and Balanchine too good.

PHENOMENAL

At stud he has become one of the most successful National Hunt sires of the modern era and the number of top-class runners he has produced over the years has been phenomenal. The list is far too long to even try to select a few, but just the mere mention of recent Grade 1 horses such as Bellshill, Carlingford Lough, Cue Card and L’Ami Serge will be enough to whet any appetite.

Shivermetimber is the dam of Katie Too and she was trained by Francis Flood. She won her only start in a bumper, partnered by Liz Doyle to success at Downpatrick in May 2003. She raced for another four years, winning three times over hurdles and twice over fences. Her wins over the smaller obstacles were gained at Leopardstown and twice at Punchestown.

The Grade 3 Dawn Run Novice Chase at Limerick, in the hands of Barry Geraghty, was her most important success and she was runner-up at Punchestown in the Grand National Trial Chase. She then headed to stud and her first foal, the King’s Theatre mare The Pirate’s Queen, was born in 2009. She too was purchased as a foal by Chris Harris, was trained by Alan King and her victories included a listed hurdle race at Haydock, beating Bitofapuzzle, and she was fourth behind Glens Melody in a Grade 1 at Cheltenham.

The Pirate’s Queen was followed by The Dutchman, a now six-year-old and also by King’s Theatre, and he was originally with Charlie Swan before moving to England where he is trained by Sandy Thomson. He won over hurdles this year and was runner-up in the Grade 2 Premier Kelso Hurdle to Le Prezien. He was due to be sold at the Goffs UK Aintree Sale recently but was withdrawn.

Katie Too is the third foal out of Shivermetimber and she is followed by a two-year-old filly and a yearling colt, both by Beat Hollow. Caroline Berry bought the filly as a foal for €17,000 at Tattersalls Ireland, while Richard Frisby paid €38,000 for the yearling at last year’s Goffs December Sale.

I could write lots more about this family, but it is all happening up close and it is fair to say that were Katie Too to be offered for sale she would command a king’s ransom.