THE Veteran Network sired the two graded novice chase winners at Navan on Sunday.
His seven-year-old son Acapella Bourgeois won the Grade 2 Ten Up Chase over three miles, while the year younger Ball D’Arc was successful in the three-runner Grade 3 Flyingbolt Chase over two miles and a furlong.
Both the winners are French-bred and further examples of the prowess of the 20-year-old Network, best known as the sire of Sprinter Sacre.
Bred by Jean-Paul and Michele Bannier and trained by Sandra Hughes, Acapella Bourgeois is out of Jasmine, a non-thoroughbred daughter of Valanjou (by Pampabird). Jasmine was placed in an AQPS flat race at three and her first three foals have raced and won.
They include the Storm Trooper six-year-old mare Bella Bourgeoise who has notched up four victories on the flat.
Jasmine is a half-sister to a single winner and they are two of just three foals out of the flat winner Teillaye, a daughter of Researching who was himself a son of the mighty Ribot.
Teillaye is one of four winning offspring of her unraced dam Araize II, and she is also a half-sister to the unraced Petite Pertraise. That mare is the dam of a number of winners, best of the being the Robin Des Pres gelding Orgeres who won the Listed Prix Hopper Chase as a four-year-old.
FRENCH BEGINNINGS
Acapella Bourgeois stared his racing career in France and won there on the flat as a four-year-old.
Since joining the Hughes yard he has also won a couple of Grade 2 hurdle races, the Michael Purcell Memorial at Thurles and the Agnelli Motors Festival Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Ball D’Arc’s victory on Sunday followed his Grade A success in the Bar One Racing Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse last month.
This latest win sent his earnings north of €185,000, a good return on his €80,000 purchase price as a store at the Goffs Land Rover Sale when he was picked out by the late Dessie Hughes, father of Acapella Bourgeois’ trainer Sandra.
Point-to-Point
Having won a point-to-point on his debut for Pat Doyle, Ball D’Arc joined Gordon Elliott and won a bumper and three hurdle races including the Grade 2 Johnstown Novice Hurdle at Naas and a listed hurdle race at Punchestown.
He is now a three-time winner also over fences.
His pedigree was reviewed in this column following his big Fairyhouse success. In summary, he is the first foal of Pretty Moon, an unraced daughter of Moon Madness (by Vitiges), and she a daughter of the unraced Neustrian (by Matahawk) mare Lextrienne, the dam of four winners.
Her Le Triton gelding Royal D’Arc is the best and has won 13 races to date and been listed placed over hurdles in France. Ball D’Arc is easily the best runner in the family.
A son of Monsun, Network is covering this season at Haras d’Enki at a fee of €10,000. A Group 2 winner over 11 furlongs in Germany, he has become established as one of the best National Hunt sires in Europe and his many blacktype winners over jumps also include Rubi Light, Rubi Ball and Saint Are.
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