The Irish get their heads in front – but only just

ELEVEN of the 21 graded races at Punchestown were annexed by Irish-breds, getting the home side just over the 50% mark. The three mares are dealt with in a separate column.

Ronnie O’Neill bred the Grade 1 Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle winner Champagne Classic and he is a six-year-old son of his former stallion Stowaway. He is one of a few winners produced from his unraced dam Classical Rachel, all by the same sire. Stowaway died in 2015 and is also the sire of Outlander, Champagne Fever and Hidden Cyclone.

What a delight for Valerie Cooper to land the Grade A EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase with Woodland Opera, a son of Rathbarry Stud’s Robin Des Champs and out of her great mare Opera Hat. The dam was the subject of a full page tribute in The Irish Field following her death and it is great to know that Valerie and her family continue to enjoy racing her best offspring.

Three winners at the Festival carried the ‘Sizing’ name. Sizing John is reviewed elsewhere, while Sizing Granite and Sizing Codelco are the others. The former was bred by Thomas Kelly and won the Grade A Guinness Handicap Chase. He is a son of Milan and a former Grade 1 novice chase winner at Aintree, and is the outstanding runner in his family for a number of generations.

Flemensfirth, another stallion under the Coolmore National Hunt banner, sired Sizing Codelco, the Paul Ryan-bred winner of the Grade B Palmerstown House Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase. This half-brother to the Grade 1 winner L’Ami Serge, by King’s Theatre, is from a most wonderful female line, one that has produced the likes of Triumph Hurdle winner Snow Drop, Cheltenham Festival winner The Wicketkeeper, Grade 1 French winner Lina Drop and Noel Meade’s Snow Falcon.

It is also the family of Don’t Touch It. This former Grade 1 winner last week landed the Grade B Pigsback.com Nick Coen Memorial Handicap Chase. His former Coolmore sire Scorpion is having a good year, Might Bite being his star runner. The Michael Ryan-bred seven-year-old is out of the Supreme Leader mare Shandora.

Francois Bayrou, a candidate for the presidency in France until his recent elimination from the race, is the breeder of Open Eagle, the Montjeu-sired winner of the Grade B Ballymore Handicap Hurdle.

Montjeu is becoming more and more of an influence in National Hunt circles as a sire of sires, while Open Eagle joins his half-sister and Group 3 winner Viane Rose as the best produce of their winning Kaldoun dam.

Jane Mangan bred the Grade B Shamrock Enterprises Handicap Hurdle winner Minella Awards, a six-year-old son of the hugely successful Oscar and out of the Presenting mare Montys Miss. Minella Awards and the Grand National winner Monty’s Pass both trace back, in different branches, to Synarria, a smart hurdler who is the third dam of both. It is also the family of Grade 1 winning chaser Harbour Pilot.

The Grade B Killashee Handicap Hurdle fell to Western Boy, bred by Patrick Kelly. This son of Antonius Pius is out of a Skala, a daughter of Hernando and whose own dam is a winning half-sister to Invermark, winner of the Group 1 Prix du Cadran, and Craigsteel, the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes winner and Grade 1 National Hunt sire.

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