IT was good to see the Smurfit name among the winners again as Grand Coalition landed a maiden at the Curragh for Tony Smurfit and his partners, father Michael and Samuel Mencoff.

The Johnny Murtagh-trained son of Kodiac was bred at Tally-Ho Stud and sold to BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohue for €75,000 at last year’s Goffs Sportsman’s Sale.

The tenth produce of his dam Defined Feature, Grand Coalition is the mare’s fifth winner. All of her nine named produce have reached the course, among them being an own-brother to the Curragh winner. This is the multiple scorer Harry Trotter.

Defined Feature is a stakes-placed winner of three races at two years and the daughter of Nabeel Dancer is one of seven winners from the unraced Silver Hawk mare Meissarah. One of that septet was Tita Bravo, an Italian-bred winner and the dam of two of the best runners over hurdles in that country. The better of the pair is the Grade 1 winner Branit and this victory came in the Gran Corsa di Siepi di Italia Hurdle.

The Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Shackle Pin appears in the third remove of the pedigree, while a further generation back you will find the names of a number of US stakes winners, the best of which was the Grade 2 General George Stakes winner Who Wouldn’t.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact leopowell@theirishfield.ie and visit our website www.theirishfield.ie with breeding news