THE European flat turf season has almost completely wound down for the year, but the National Hunt one is moving up a gear, and one stallion has already sailed past the £1 million mark in seasonal earnings.
The usual suspects are in the top 10 in the current rankings, and it is the late Ballylinch Stud sire King’s Theatre (by Sadler’s Wells) who has established a large lead and accumulated a seven-figure prize money total.
Just over £17,600, of the more than £1.13 million kitty, was contributed last Saturday by the easy Grade 2 Bathwick Tyres Rising Stars Novices’ Chase scorer Southfield Theatre, a Paul Nicholls-trained gelding who was a Grade 2-placed listed winner over hurdles, and who is now two-for-two over fences.
Angela Yeoman’s homebred six-year-old is the first foal out of the talented Chamoss Royale (by Garde Royale), her second and third foals are the bumper scorers Southfield Vic (by King’s Theatre) and Southfield Royale (by Presenting), and so the mare has made an excellent start to her stud career.
Each of her three younger offspring has also been named: two-year-old filly Southfield Etoile (by Enrique), yearling gelding Southfield Torr (by Fair Mix), and the August-born colt foal Southfield Harvest (by Kayf Tara).
The Neil Mulholland-trained Southfield Royale was a five-length debut winner at Market Rasen in June.
Chamoss Royale, who stayed three and a quarter miles, was trained by Paul Nicholls, and her five wins included hurdle races at Wincanton and Kempton, chases at Folkestone and Exeter, and a win over the French hurdles at Pau.
She was also placed eight times for the stable, and she picked up some valuable blacktype when runner-up to Penneyrose Bay in the Listed EBF/Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Mares’ Only Novices’ Chase Final, over two miles, six and a half furlongs at Newbury on her final start, and when third in a listed mares’ hurdle event at Cheltenham.
Her siblings include the triple chase winner Chapolimoss (by Trempolino) whose most recent outing was at Sedgefield late last month when pulled up in the three mile, six furlong Durham National.
That race was won by the King’s Theatre gelding Royale Knight who is, like Southfield Theatre, out of a daughter of Garde Royale.
Most of the handful of others who represent that cross, and who raced in Ireland, in Britain, or at the major French tracks, have also won multiple times, including the French Grade 3 hurdles scorer King’s Daughter, but it is only a small sample size and so other than catching the eye, it probably has little significance beyond momentary academic interest.
The grandam of Southfield Theatre is a one-time French winner called Chamoss (by Tip Moss), and as she is a half-sister to three notable winners, two of whom excelled over obstacles, it is hardly a surprise that she should have such a talented grandson.
The flat star among them is Mont Basile (by Frere Basile), who took the Group 3 Prix Berteux at Chantilly and the Group 3 Prix de l’Esperance at Longchamp, but the other pair are Steeple Dancer (by Nice Havrais) and Saint Preuil (by Dom Pasquini), the latter successful in blacktype company over fences and hurdles.
Their half-sister Irona (by Iron Duke) won on the flat and three times over jumps in France, and although none of her seven winning progeny is a blacktype horse, two of them have made an impact at stud.
Dominatrice (by Dom Pasquini) is the dam of the Grade 1-placed, Grade 3-winning French chaser Cokydal (by Cadoudal), whereas her full-sister Anais Du Berlais is responsible for five blacktype horses, headed by the excellent Madison Du Berlais.
A son of Indian River (by Riverman), his 10 wins include the Grade 2 totesport Bowl Chase at Aintree, the Grade 2 Levy Board Chase at Kempton, and the 2008 renewal of the Grade 3 Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.
He has also been placed in various top contests, including the Grade 3 Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham, the Grade 1 Betfair (Lancashire) Chase at Haydock, and the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton, in which he chased home the runaway winner Kauto Star.
His half-brother Jameson Du Berlais (by Royal Charter) won a listed hurdle race at Auteuil, and his Grade 3-placed half-sister Shanon Du Berlais (by Turgeon) won a listed chase at Pau in January.
The other pair are the listed-placed Houston Du Berlais (by Mansonnien), and her four-year-old half-sister Hilton Du Berlais (by Saint Des Saints) who finished third in the Grade 1 Prix Renaud du Vivier (Grande Course de Haies des 4 Ans) at Auteuil last Sunday.
These talented horses are all descended from the multiple blacktype winning French chaser Montecha (by Montevideo), and she is the third dam of Southfield Theatre.