NEW GRADE 1 WINNER FOR LATE SADDLER MAKER
Haras de Cercy stallion Saddler Maker (by Sadler's Wells) died last year and his loss was further advertised when Messire Des Obeaux won the Grade 1 Betfred Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
The Alan King-trained five-year-old won this two-mile, four and a half furlong contest by two lengths from the Gordon Elliott-trained Baltazar D'Allier, adding to his half-length defeat of Ballyandy in a Grade 2 event at Sandown four weeks before.
He was bred in France by Marie Devilder and Fernand Sellier, he is out of Madame Lys (by Sheyrann), and that makes him a full-brother to the talented Paul Nicholls trainee Bouvreuil.
That newly turned six-year-old was out of the frame in the Grade 3 Caspian Caviar Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last month, but was a half-length runner-up in a listed novice chase at the Festival there in March.
One year before that, he chased home Qualando in the Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the same venue.
Their dam won over hurdles and fences in France, she is a half-sister to several multiple winners, including the nine-time scorer Passe Droit (by Le Balafre), and out of Divine D'Estruval (by Reve Bleu).
That mare is, in turn, a half-sister to the Grade 3-placed blacktype winner Garde D'Estruval (by Garde Royale), to a pair of blacktype-placed winners, and also to Option D'Estruval (by Epervier Bleu), the winning dam of the dual listed scorer and Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle runner-up Aurore D'Estruval (by Nickname).
The third dam of Messire Des Obeaux is the blacktype-winning jumper Sainte Sambre (by Sanctus), who was a half-sister to the flat listed scorer Samaca (by Acamas) and to the notable Sambristan (by Faristan), whose wins included the Prix de la Haye Jousselin.
Saddler Maker's other notable runners include Alpha Des Obeaux, Bristol De Mai, and the outstanding filly Apple's Jade.
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BIG CHELTENHAM DOUBLE FOR ALLEGED SIRES
Dual Arc hero Alleged (by Hoist The Flag) has had a considerable impact on the National Hunt sector and his male line kicked off 2017 with a graded double at Cheltenham.
First strike went to Whisper (by Astarabad), half-length winner of the Grade 2 Bet Bright Dipper Novices' Chase over the extended two and a half miles, adding to his course and distance success from three weeks before.
The Nicky Henderson-trained nine-year-old was bred by Hubert and Sandra Hosselet and he is out of Belle Yepa (by Mansonnien), which makes him a full-brother to a string of winners, including the prolific French mare Chuchoteuse, a dual listed scorer at Enghien.
Their dam was listed-placed over hurdles at Auteuil and she is a full-sister to the Grade 1-placed Grade 3 scorer Subehargues, one of five of her blacktype siblings.
The quintet also includes the multiple blacktype winner Cutty Sark Melody (by Un Kopeck).
Their dam, Grande Yepa (by Yelapa), won three times over obstacles in France.
Whisper's win was followed by the 20/1 three-length victory of Shantou Flyer in the Grade 3 BetBright Best For Festival Betting Handicap Chase over the same course and distance.
As his name suggests, the seven-year-old is a son of the classic-winning Burgage Stud stallion Shantou (by Alleged) and Irish racegoers will remember this Rebecca Curtis-trained bay well as he was a Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase winner when based here by Colin Bowe.
Shantou Flyer is a €28,000 Goffs Land Rover Sale graduate, he was bred by Tom McCarthy, and he is one of four blacktype offspring for his dam, Carrigmorna Flyer (by Bob Back).
The tragically ill-fated Carrigmoorna Rock (by King's Theatre) was a Grade 3 and listed winner over hurdles, her full-brother Carrigmorna King is a Grade 2-placed multiple chase scorer, and Mrs Mac Veale (by Karinga Bay) won the Grade C Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas.
There are some very famous names to be found in earlier generations of the family, and I reviewed Shantou Flyer's pedigree in detail in the 21st November 2015 edition of The Irish Field.
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LINAMIX LINE STRIKES AGAIN
There is a growing number of National Hunt graded winners being sired by sons of the classic-winning miler Linamix (by Mendez) and they include Agrapart, who sprang a 16/1 surprise in the Grade 2 Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle over the extended two and a half miles at Cheltenham on Sunday.
The Nick Williams-trained six-year-old was ridden by Lizzie Kelly, who also took the opening race on the card, the Listed Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle over the same trip, with Coo Star Sivola (by Assessor), who represents the Nijinsky (by Northern Dancer) sire line.
Agrapart was bred by Jean-Marc Lucas, Williams got him for €42,000 as a yearling at the Arqana Deauville Autumn Mixed Sale, and he is a half-brother to two horses of note.
Indeed, he could be described as being a three-parts brother to Afrad (by Linamix), a capable flat stayer who was also a Grade 2-placed multiple winner over hurdles.
Their half-brother Afsoun (by Kahyasi), who was bred by H H the Aga Khan, was a dual Grade 2 winner over hurdles whose best result from several attempts at the Cheltenham Festival was his third place finish to Sublimity in the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle.
Agrapart is a son of Haras de la Reboursiere et de Montaigu stallion Martaline (by Linamix) and the successful Linamix sires also include Al Namix, Fair Mix, Fragrant Mix, established flat sires Sagamix and Slickly, promising young blacktype flat sire Rajsaman, and Coolagown Stud's Carlotamix.
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AZAMOUR FILLY DOUBLES UP
Progeny of the late Gilltown Stud stallion Azamour (by Night Shift) have notched up plenty of good blacktype results since his premature death and, on New Year's Eve, his daughter Goodyearforroses became a dual stakes winner.
The former Rae Guest-trained bay has been running in Canada and in the USA, she was a three-length winner of a 12-furlong listed contest at Woodbine in August and won Saturday's Listed Robert J Frankel Stakes, over nine furlongs at Santa Anita, by five and a quarter lengths.
She has just turned five, she was bred in Ireland by The Hornets, and her siblings include the stakes-placed multiple scorer God's Speed (by Oratorio).
Her dam, Guilia (by Galileo), was placed in middle-distance listed events at Newbury and Lingfield and finished fifth behind Alexandrova in the Oaks.
The third dam of Goodyearforroses is the New Zealand champion Let's Sgor (by Creag-An-Sgor).
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ANOTHER FOR WESTERNER
Castle Hyde Stud stallion Westerner (by Danehill) got his year off to a good start as Champagne West, winner of the Listed Download The Free At The Races App Chase at Tramore on New Year's Day, became a new blacktype winner to add to his tally.
The Henry De Bromhead-trained nine-year-old was bred by Peter Byrne, this is his third win from 10 stars over fences, and it adds to a trio from six starts over hurdles and a single point-to-point success.
He is the first foal out of an unraced mare called Wyndham Sweetmarie (by Mister Lord) and her second and third foals are the winners Its A Sting (by Scorpion) and Star Trouper (by King's Theatre).
Her winning siblings included the ill-fated The Culdee (by Phardante), who had a listed hurdles success at Galway among an overall career total of eight, which included two on the flat and two over fences.
The grandam of Champagne West is the bumper and prolific hurdles winner Deep Inagh (by Deep Run), who chased home Fortune And Fame in a listed hurdle race at Punchestown on her penultimate start.
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2YO WINNER FOR YOUNG IRISH NH SIRE
It's not a blacktype result, but the victory of Touch Me in a seven-furlong maiden on the polytrack at Lingfield on Saturday caught the eye.
The Karl Burke-trained two-year-old was making her third start, running in a hood for the first time, and she is one of two flat winners for Annshoon Stud's Masterofthehorse (by Sadler's Wells), a Group 1 Derby-placed full-brother to classic star Alexandrova.
His oldest progeny have just turned five and his only runner under National Hunt rules, so far, is the mile flat winner Zainat, who finished fourth on his jumps debut at Kelso in early October.
Touch Me is owned and bred by Hassan Al Abdulmalik, she is the first foal out of User Name (by Mr Greeley), and her third dam is the St Leger and dual Oaks heroine User Friendly (by Slip Anchor).