THE impact that Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer) has had on the National Hunt sector got a further advertisement at Navan on Sunday when Falcon Crest took the Grade 2 “Monksfield” Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles.

The six and a half length winner won a maiden hurdle over a half-mile less at Fairyhouse 18 days earlier and his only other outings are the pair of bumpers in which he ran last season, finishing second and fourth.

He was bred by John Power and he is a son of the Group 1 St Leger winner and Grange Stud stallion Milan (by Sadler’s Wells), the horse whose blacktype scorers are headed by the 2014 Champion Hurdle hero and eight-times Grade 1 star Jezki.

Falcon Crest’s half-brother Indian File (by Flemensfirth) was a wide-margin winner of a maiden hurdle at Limerick two years ago, and on only his third start since then he finished third in a two-mile novice chase at Fairyhouse 10 days ago.

The pair are among four foals out of an unraced mare called One By One (by Topanoora) and the first two progeny out of their unraced half-sister Stand In Line (by Flemensfirth) are a 2014 Milan gelding and 2015 Milan colt foal who could be described as being three-parts brothers to Falcon Crest.

BLACKTYPE

One By One is a half-sister to the chase and dual hurdles scorer Chevy To The Levy (by Saddlers’ Hall), she is a full-sister to dual hurdles and four-times chase winner Be The Tops, and her dam, Be The One (by Supreme Leader), is a half-sister to five successful runners, two of whom were blacktype horses.

More Of It (by Furry Glen) won a bumper, twice over hurdles and was listed-placed at Punchestown and Naas, and his half-sister Go For It (by Duky) won the Listed Long Distance Extended Handicap Hurdle at Navan.

Five of the eight wins by their half-brother Manna Reef (by Menelek) came over fences, and their half-sister Swift Messenger (by Giolla Mear) won a hurdle race and three times over the larger obstacles before becoming the dam of Hermes Harvest (by Oats), a prolific chaser whose blacktype included third place in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase.

They are all out of the one-time hurdles winner Homewrecker (by Wrekin Rambler) and that mare’s descendants also include the blacktype-placed hurdler The Bongo Man (by Be My Native), who was a multiple winner over hurdles and over fences.

If you go back two more generations then you will find branches that lead to the high-class chasers Belvederian (by Deep Run) and Coolgreaney (by Bob Back) but their relationship to Sunday’s winner is so remote that they don’t appear on the same catalogue page.

Success for Califet

BLUE Dragon extended his unbeaten record with a 15-length score in the Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier over two miles, three and a half furlongs at Auteuil, a second win at the highest level for the Guy Cherel-trained gelding. He was bred by the partnership of Magalen Bryant, D. Baer and Eurl Chene, he is a half-brother to the hurdles scorer Un Dragon Bleu (by Enrique), and he is out of the winning hurdler Nathalie Blue (by Epervier Bleu). It is the AQPS family of the Grade 1-winning hurdler Usual Suspects (by Goldneyev).

Blue Dragon was one of three winners on that Auteuil card for Boardsmill Stud stallion Califet (by Freedom Cry), the treble also including listed hurdles success for four-year-old Solway.

Presenting winner

RIVERSIDE City won the Grade B Ladbrokes Troytown Handicap Chase over three miles at Navan, a second win over fences. Bred by Frank McGuinness, and a €20,000 graduate of the foal section of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale, the son of Glenview Stud’s multiple champion sire Presenting (by Mtoto) is out the dual blacktype hurdles scorer Blazing Sky (by Beneficial).