RATHBARRY Stud has been in the Cashman family for generations and their National Hunt stallions stand at Glenview Stud. The influence of the late boss Liam Cashman is still felt by breeders who have supported their stallions year in, year out and the present roster comprises five stallions.

In alphabetical order we start with Blue Bresil (Smadoun) who is a newcomer to the stud this year. He is already a proven sire of Grade 1 winners and his stock are in demand when they come up for sale, realising up to €280,000 last year. He is a complete outcross for Sadler’s Wells line mare.

The Group 1 German Derby second Malinas (Lomitas) moved to Glenview a few years ago and his first Irish crop of three-year-olds will be at the store sales this year. He has sired Grade 2 winners over jumps in Ireland, England and France.

While he is far from a one-horse wonder, all you really need to say about the English, American, German and Italian Group/Grade 1 winner Shirocco (Monsun) is that he is sire of the brilliant, five-time Grade 1 winning mare Annie Power. Throw in Lac Fontana, Rock The Kasbah and Minella Rocca, and a couple of Group 1 winners on the flat, and you have one of the most versatile sires around.

Sholokhov (Sadler’s Wells) had a memorable Cheltenham 2020 as his son Shishkin won the Grade 1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. This wasn’t a first for him at the Olympics of National Hunt racing as his son Don Cossack won the Gold Cup four years ago.

Finally, the proven Youmzain (Sinndar) has his first Irish crop of yearlings in 2020 but previous crops have shown their ability, from listed Royal Ascot two-year-old winners, Grade 1 flat winners to Grade 1 National Hunt performing runners.

Tiger Roll’s half-brother is an eye-catching newcomer

CLONGIFFEN Stud in Longwood, near Enfield in Co Meath, is the new home for Austrian School (Teofilo), and he has an eye-catching pedigree for a horse standing as a National Hunt stallion. He is a half-brother to the legendary Tiger Roll, the dual Grand National winner – cruelly robbed of a chance to make it three this month – and four-time Cheltenham Festival winner.

Austrian School was trained by Mark Johnston and retired with a record of five wins in 21 starts. He is priced at €3,000. A winner from a mile to 14 furlongs, and from two to four, he was in the frame on all his 11 starts as a three-year-old.

He won a mile novice at Ripon on his debut and posted a second win in a Pontefract novice race over 10 furlongs. At three he won on his seasonal reappearance over 14 furlongs at Chelmsford, before dropping back to win an extended mile and a half handicap at Chester in May. He also placed a few times in listed company.

He once again won on his first start of the season at four, recording a six-length win at Musselburgh, and he was two lengths off his stablemate Dee Ex Bee in the Group 3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown.

Snow Sky to make a summer impact at the sales

SNOW Sky (Nayef) and Alkaadhem (Green Desert) stand at Willie and Jimmy Murphy’s Ballycurragh Stud in Rathoe, Co Carlow. The former has his first crop of three-year-olds being prepared for the store sales, while Alkaadhem’s ability as a sire has been well represented by the likes of Global Citizen, The Organist, A Hare Breath and Moylisha Tim from very limited opportunities.

Snow Sky was trained by Sir Michael Stoute who paid tribute to him when saying he “has a very good temperament, is very courageous and willing to dig deep”. He was ridden by Pat Smullen who was also impressed with him.

A winner of five races, four of them group or listed, his wins included the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup. At two he was a runaway winner by 11 lengths, while a standout among his placed efforts was to finish third in the Group 1 St Leger. During his career he beat 18 individual Group 1 winners.

His multiple Group 1 winning sire Nayef is also a sire of sires, while his offspring also included a number of smart performers under National Hunt rules.

High-class son of Danehill Dancer moves to Kilkenny

MULLINAVAT in Co Kilkenny is where you will find Michael Shefflin’s Annshoon Stud and this year he welcomes a new stallion to the farm. Sumbal is a son of Danehill Dancer (Danehill), just like Jeremy, and he was a €180,000 yearling.

Sumbal won the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe, was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix d’Harcourt, Group 3 Prix Exbury and Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange, and all of his wins, plus two of his pattern placings, came on ground that was heavy or very soft. He spent a single season at Haras de Grandcamp in France, so he has foals on the ground now.

His grandsire Danehill (Danzig) has had a profound influence as a sire, and his influence in National Hunt circles has been growing. Champs Elysees, Dylan Thomas, Indian Danehill, Jeremy, Mastercraftsman, Mountain High, Multiplex, Westerner and Zoffany are sons or male-line descendants of his who have made the top 100 in this season’s National Hunt sires’ table.

Classically-related son of Monsun deserves attention

LAURO (Monsun) was a Grade 2 winner in Canada, a listed winner in France and runner-up in the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap in the USA. He was also placed a number of times at group level in Germany.

His sire, a three-time Group 1 winner, has gone on to become one of the most influential sires of the last two decades, and is now a noted sire of sires, both on the flat and under National Hunt rules.

Lauro’s first Irish crop are yearlings and he has sired many winners in France, including Fee De Mee, Lovato, Soiesauvage, Dream Conti and Dentley de Mee. From a top-class German female line, Lauro’s dam is a half-sister to two winners of the Group 1 German Derby.

Lauro is at Hayes Stud near Navan.