COLMS Dream’s victory in the Grade B TRI Equestrian Handicap Chase, over two miles, five and a half furlongs at Leopardstown on Sunday, provided another reminder of the loss the industry suffered when Knockhouse Stud stallion Beneficial (by Top Ville) died three years ago.

Sire of standouts such as Realt Dubh, Cooldine, Benefficient, Monksland and More Of That, the last named being the Grade 1 star who holds the distinction of being the only horse to have beaten the brilliant mare Annie Power, he went into this week holding fourth place in the season’s stallion table, one of seven who have passed the £1 million mark for the campaign.

Colms Dream is trained by Karl Thornton, he was bred by Colm Farrell and he carries the distinctive green and white colours of the Colm’s Dream Syndicate.

He has won four of his 11 starts over fences, this was his first blacktype success, and he comes from the family of a famous and influential champion.

A half-brother to the Leonard Whitmore-trained Kilford (by Snurge), who won the three mile handicap chase at Navan on Saturday by 27 lengths, Colms Dream is out of African Waters (by Be My Native) whom Charlie Swan trained to win a bumper, once over hurdles and once over fences.

Her siblings include the Philip Hobbs-trained gelding Native Fling (by Be My Native), who won a bumper, twice over hurdles and six times over fences, and she was out of a mare called Queens Romance (by Imperial Fling) who was placed once on the flat and four times over hurdles.

It is in the next generation of the family that the big names appear as the third dam of Colms Dream is the Listed Galtres Stakes winner and Group 2 Park Hill Stakes fourth No Surtax (by Never Say Die), one of eight winners out of one-time scorer Sans Le Sou (by Vimy) and so a half-sister to Busted (by Crepello).

His championship year was as a four-year-old in 1967 when he remained unbeaten in four starts including the Coronation Stakes (now Brigadier Gerard Stakes), Eclipse Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, earning a Timeform rating of 134.

He went on to sire horses such as Weavers Hall, Romildo, Erins Isle, Sharannpour, Shernazar, Crash Course and the mighty duo Bustino and Mtoto, many of his sons excelled as National Hunt sires, and his presence is most strongly felt today through the success of his multiple champion sire grandson Presenting (by Mtoto).

Busted’s winning full-sister Ellida also deserves a mention as, even though her best runners were only stakes placed, her many blacktype-winning descendants include Unworldly (by Quest For Fame), Spook Express (by Comic Blush) and Northern Drake (by Varick), Group 1 scorers in Australia, South Africa and Australia respectively.