NICKNAME (by Lost World) was an outstanding racehorse, a dual Grade 1 winning hurdler in France who went on to become one of Ireland top chasers.
He beat Central House by 14 lengths in the Grade 1 Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown, won a string of other graded events, including the Grade 2 Fortria Chase and the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase, and his final start, a disappointing sixth behind The Listener in the Grade 1 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown came just a few weeks after his defeat of Kicking King in a Grade 2 contest at Gowran Park brought his career tally to 18 wins.
In addition to his stellar racing record, one of the things that made the Martin Brassil-trained grandson of Last Tycoon (by Try My Best) stand out was that he was a stallion, something that is almost unheard of in the top echelons of the chasing game in Ireland, or in the UK.
It does happen in France, where he was born, and it was to Haras de Victot that he retired to take up stud duties.
Tragically he sustained a fatal injury during the summer of his third year at stud, a loss that appears to be considerable given that his early runners are doing very well on the track.
His daughter Royale Flag won a Grade 1 chase in France in November, Aurore D’Estruval is a Grade 1 placed dual listed scorer over hurdles, and his tally of blacktype winners reached seven when Gwencily Berbas won the Grade 2 Bambury Bookmakers Juvenile Hurdle over two miles at Fairyhouse on Saturday.
FOUR-YEAR-OLD
The Alan Fleming-trained four-year-old represents his sire’s second of three crops and this 11-length victory came on the gelding’s Irish debut. He won and was placed in October, both at Auteuil.
Gwencily Berbas was bred by Lily-Rose Bernabe, and he is the third foal out of a mare caled Lesorial (by Lesotho). She won over a mile as a two-year-old, her winning siblings include the six times scorer Picque Sous (by Caerwent), and her dam is a triple French winner called Eria Allegro (by Diamond Prospect).
That mare, the second dam of Saturday’s Grade 2 winner, has a string of multiple winning siblings in France, including the 11-times scorer Monster (by Lashkari), the stakes placed four-times successful Ares Quercus (by Hero’s Honor), and the Group 1 Criterium International winner Helios Quercus.
PATTERN EVENTS
A son of Diableneyev (by Nureyev), he also won the Group 3 Prix des Chenes and a trio of listed contests, and he was placed in a string of pattern events, mostly at around a mile.
His dam Criss Cross (by Crystal Palace) had a stakes winning half-brother in France, was out of a listed-placed winner called Zelide (by Lyphard), and the next dam is the Prix d’Astarte scorer Zelinda (by Le Haar).
She was placed in the Prix des Chenes as a juvenile, had four winners from five foals, and one of those was the French listed hurdles scorer Zadar (by Carwhite), so Gwencily Berbas is not the first talented jumper for his family.
It will be very interesting to see how the career of this young horse turns out, and although the way the race was run may have flattered him somewhat, he clearly has plenty of ability and has made a bright start.