SIXHILLS was trained by James Fanshawe for her owner/breeder Dr Catherine Wills. The daughter of Sabrehill (Diesis) won at three and she comes from a family that Catherine had many strands of and which has produced many tough, durable winners.

The dam of Sixhills was Moidart (Electric) and her half-sister Rynechra (Blakeney) bred a couple of stakes winners and the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes runner-up Applecross (Glint Of Gold). The latter enjoyed great success as a broodmare and bred, for Catherine Wills, the likes of Group 1 Prix du Cadran winner and Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Invermark (Machiavellian) and the Group 2 winner, Grade 1 runner-up and successful National Hunt sire Craigsteel (Suave Dancer).

Moidart bred six winners and the best of these was a listed winner and close relation to Craigsteel named Eilean Shona. Another daughter was responsible for the French 2000 Guineas third Venomous (Red Ransom), while Sixhills is another winning offspring but she has made her mark in a different racing arena, the National Hunt sphere.

Her sixth runner is Diamond Hill and this four-year-old daughter of Beat Hollow (Sadler’s Wells) made a winning debut in a bumper at Ballinrobe this week, owned and bred by Jackie Mullins, trained by husband Willie and ridden by son Patrick. She thus became the sixth winner for Sixhills in the process, all trained successfully at Closutton.

Previous winners include a pair who earned blacktype for their efforts. Allure Of Illusion (Captain Rio) was placed in a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree and runner-up in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Fairyhouse. Those achievements were dwarfed by the successes enjoyed by Blackstairmountain (Imperial Ballet). He won 11 races and was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles and fences in Ireland, landing the Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown and the Christmas Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

However, it was on a trip abroad that Blackstairmountain possibly made the biggest impression as he travelled to Japan and won the Nakayama Grand Chase and some £465,000 in the process. He was the first European trained winner of the race and only the fifth overseas winner. That victory, in 2013, was the last time the gelding was seen on a racecourse.

Beat Hollow stands at Ballylinch Stud and Diamond Hill is from his first crop sired after the Group 1 winner moved to Co Kilkenny.

A true dual purpose sire of the highest class, Beat Hollow is the sire of Wicklow Brave, Beaten Up and Proportional, all Group 1 winners on the flat, while his National Hunt winners at the highest level include Cheltenham Festival winner Cinders And Ashes.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact Leo Powell at leopowell@theirishfield.ie with news and updates for the column, and to visit our website www.theirishfield.ie for daily breeding news