CASTLE Hyde Stud stallion Westerner (by Danehill) added to his blacktype tally when Wakanda won the Grade 2 CE Facilities Novices’ Chase at Haydock last Saturday. It was a third win from six starts over fences for the six-year-old, adding to a single hurdle race success which he notched up at Sligo 18 months ago, when trained by Tom Taaffe.

He was bred by Bluegate Stud, he failed to meet his reserve in two appearances in the auction ring, and he comes from a family that has produced a large number of blacktype winners.

He is the fourth foal out of an unraced mare called Chanson Indienne (by Indian River), and that makes him a half-brother to Shanahan’s Turn (by Indian Danehill), who won the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown in November. Indeed the pair could be described as being three-parts brothers as each is by a son of the hugely influential Danehill (by Danzig). Their grandam Chanson Du Chenet (by Leading Counsel) won nine times under National Hunt rules in France and her progeny include the listed hurdle winner and five times point-to-point scorer Cheyne (by Indian River), the listed hurdle placed Capetonian (by Mansonnien), and also Really Royale (by Garde Royale), a dual French National Hunt winner who was twice listed placed at Auteuil.

Really Royale is, in turn, the dam of the triple chase winner Master Neo (by Turgeon), whose most recent success came over three miles, one furlong at Market Rasen in November.

Chanson Du Chenet has seven winning siblings, two of whom have also enjoyed an amount of success at stud. La Grive (by Pharly), who won a blacktype contest on the flat in Belgium, is the dam of the Grade 1-winning French hurdlers Grivette (by Antarctique) and Royaleety (by Garde Royale), and that pair notched up 21 wins between them.

Beautywal (by Magwal) got her only win as a two-year-old and her daughter Gazelle Royale (by Garde Royale) was runner-up in both the Group 1 Oaks at Epsom and the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp, but she is best known as being the dam of three high-class National Hunt horses, one of whom is carrying on that success at stud.

Mesange Royale (by Garde Royale) won the Grade 1 Alain du Breil 4yo Summer Hurdle at Auteuil, while Jim’s (by Glaieul) six wins over fences include the Grade 2 Nas Na Riogh Chase and took the runner-up spot in the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. Isle (by Cadoudal) won the Listed Prix Sagan Hurdle at Auteuil and her daughter Isle Enchantee (by Trempolino) has won both the Listed Prix de Chambly Hurdle and the Listed Prix Magne Hurdle at that same venue.