GRANGE Stud’s Group 1 St Leger hero Milan (by Sadler’s Wells), whose best offspring include last year’s Grade 1 Champion Hurdle hero Jezki, added another Cheltenham Festival star to his roll of honour when Martello Tower beat Milsean (by Milan) in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (registered as the Spa Novices’ Hurdle) on the final day of the meeting.

It was a third graded victory over the trip for the Mags Mullins-trained seven-year-old, and his undefeated record over three miles also includes a single point-to-point.

Martello Tower was bred by Martin Cullinane, who sold him for €12,000 at the 2011 Goffs June NH Sale, and he is the first foal out of Johnsalice (by Zaffaran).

The mare had a Stowaway (by Slip Anchor) colt in 2010, a daughter of Central Park (by In The Wings) two years later, and then a full-brother to Martello Tower born last April.

She is an unraced half-sister to the point-to-point scorer Nose First (by Ashkalani) and her unraced dam Bramble Charm (by Mandalus) is out of Gold Label (by Deep Run), an unraced full-sister to the Kerry National winner Deep Bramble.

He also won the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown, the Anthony Mildmay-Peter Cazalet Chase at Sandown and the Agfa Diamond Handicap Chase at that same venue, and he was the best of nine winners out of the unraced twin Bardicate (by Bargello).

His half-brother Polyfemus (by Pollerton) won the Mandarin Chase at Newbury, and two of his half-sisters became broodmares of note.

Miss Dunbrody (by Le Prince), who won a bumper, is the dam of the blacktype winning hurdler Kilcarbery (by Mandalus) and she is the grandam of the Grade 3 placed chaser Present Abbey (by Presenting).

The other sister is Ramble Bramble (by Random Shot), whose star son is the Grade 3 Midlands Grand National scorer Seven Towers (by Roselier), and she is the grandam of Teeming Rain (by Supreme Leader), winner of the Grade C Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Punchestown and of the Grade 3 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles.

With family connections like these, it would be no surprise to see Martello Tower go on to excel over fences too.