DEATH DUTY STARS FOR SHANTOU
Gordon Elliott-trained market leaders won all three of the Grade 1 events at Fairyhouse on Sunday, with the warmest favourite, odds-on Death Duty, providing another great result for Burgage Stud's classic star and leading sire Shantou (by Alleged).
A six-year-old bred by Geoffrey Thompson, Death Duty was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles at Naas in January, he is unbeaten in three starts over fences – including a Grade 3 contest at Punchestown in October – and he is a €145,000 graduate of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.
A half-brother to the dual chase winner How About It (by Kayf Tara), he is out of the blacktype-placed bumper and staying hurdles scorer Midnight Gift (by Presenting).
Her siblings include the Grade B-placed three-mile hurdler Hidden Agent (by Pistolet Bleu) and her dam is Midnight Pond (by Long Pond), a half-sister to the high-class pair Shannon Spray (by Le Bavard) and Renagown (by Pragmatic).
In addition to her notable career on the track, Shannon Spray also made an impact at stud as her successful offspring included Grade 2-winning chaser Eirespray (by Executive Perk) and Grade A-placed Shannon Gale (by Strong Gale).
The other two Grade 1 winners on the day have been reviewed here before.
As noted last month, Mengli Khan is a son of Ballylinch Stud's multiple Group 1 sire Lope De Vega (by Shamardal), he was bred by that famous team, and he is out of Danielli (by Danehill), which makes him a half-brother to ill-fated two-year-old champion and dual Group/Grade 1 heroine Chriselliam (by Iffraaj).
He is also a full-brother to the Group 1-placed Group 2 winning filly Very Special, and his Fairyhouse success came in the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
Apple's Jade, who ran away with the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Hatton's Grace Hurdle, is a daughter of Haras de Cercy's excellent but sadly deceased stallion Saddler Maker (by Sadler's Wells), she was bred in France by Ronny Coveliers, and is out of Apple's For Ever (by Nikos).
That makes her the elder sister of the Nicky Henderson-trained filly Apple's Shakira, a French hurdles scorer whose English debut resulted in a 17-length victory in last month's Grade 2 JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Death Duty, Mengli Khan and Apple's Jade all carry the famous Gigginstown House Stud colours.
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COURT CAVE'S STAR STILL ASCENDING
Five of the seven races at Newbury last Friday went to male-line descendants of the phenomenal Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) and the quintet featured Willoughby Court, three-length winner of the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Novices' Chase.
Winner of three of his four starts over the smaller obstacles, including last season's Grade 1 Neptune Investment Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, the Ben Pauling-trained six-year-old is now unbeaten in two starts over fences.
He made a winning debut at Huntingdon early last month and the horse he beat last week was none other than fellow Grade 1 hurdles star Yanworth.
He was bred by Jack Kidd, he is a €48,000 graduate of the Goffs Land Rover Sale, and his early June-born gelding is a son of Boardsmill Stud stallion Court Cave (by Sadler's Wells).
Although himself unraced, Court Cave is a full-brother to Group 1 star and notable dual-purpose sire Beat Hollow and so from the same family as sprint champion and classic sire Oasis Dream (by Green Desert) and brilliant miler Kingman (by Invincible Spirit), whose first yearlings made up to 1,700,000gns at auction this autumn.
In addition to Willoughby Court, Court Cave's offspring include the multiple graded winners Champion Court and Court Minstrel, among others of note.
Willoughby Court's bumper-winning and year-older half-brother Markov (by Morozov), who is also trained by Pauling, made a winning debut over fences at Fontwell last month and they are out of Willoughby Sue (by Dabali).
That granddaughter of Doyoun (by Mill Reef) is a half-sister to two prolific winners and the more notable of the pair is Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase scorer Nil Desperandum (by Un Desperado).
His tally also included the Eider Chase over an extended four miles at Newcastle, his Grade 1 form included third place to Hi Cloy in the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse, and he was only beaten by seven and a quarter lengths when taking fourth to Numbersixvalverde in the Grade 3 Grand National at Aintree.
At this point in his career, Willoughby Court has not raced beyond the two miles, five furlongs over which he won at Cheltenham and Warwick last season, but with such a notable stayer so close up on his page, there is every reason to hope that this young rising star could stay at least the Gold Cup distance.
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GRADE 2 FOR OSCAR SON
Leading National Hunt sire Oscar (by Sadler's Wells), who was a powerful force on the Grange Stud roster for many years, added to his blacktype tally recently when Beer Goggles won the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle over three miles at Newbury.
This was a 40/1 surprise by the prolific six-year-old and the horse who chased home this Richard Woollacott-trained gelding was the top-notch Unowhatimeanharry.
He is now rated 159 over hurdles, which beats the career-high 153 of his listed chase-winning and Grade A Irish Grand National-placed half-brother Home Farm (by Presenting).
Bred by Cathal Ennis, he is out of Tynelucy (by Good Thyne). Given what her other son achieved, and that she is a half-sister to none other than the brilliant Jodami (by Crash Course), one might expect that whatever Beer Goggles achieves over hurdles would be a bonus on top of what he might do over fences.
However, he tried that last season – finishing third on his debut and then failing to complete on his other two starts – and is reportedly 15.2hh, so it is understandable that he will continue over the smaller obstacles, for now.
But, of course, he is only six years old – he won't be physically seven until the end of April – and it is possible that he might take to chasing later in his career.
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MONSUN'S INFLUENCE STILL STRONG
Outstanding German sire Monsun (by Konigsstuhl) died in 2012 but, in addition to the impact he made on the flat, he has also left a powerful legacy under National Hunt rules.
At Newbury on Saturday, for example, two of the four blacktype races went to his descendants – one a son and another a granddaughter.
The son is the Ben Pauling-trained High Bridge who justified favouritism in the Listed Ladbrokes Intermediate Hurdle (registered as Gerry Fielden Hurdle).
He won two of his five bumpers and was a close sixth to Ballyandy in the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, after which he made his one appearance on the flat, finishing runner-up in a 12-furlong maiden at Thirsk.
That may seem like an unusual move, especially as that outing was his sole one as a member of the Charlie Appleby stable, but then this Darley-bred gelding is out of Group 1 1000 Guineas heroine Ameerat (by Mark Of Esteem) and so was bred for the flat rather than for a career over obstacles.
He joined Pauling's team a year ago, won his first three starts over hurdles, finished down the field behind Labaik at Cheltenham, then came home a two-length third to Elgin in the Listed William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Ascot on his seasonal reappearance last month.
High Bridge is a six-year-old full-brother to the dual listed-placed filly Oojooba, while his classic-winning dam is a half-sister is a half-sister to the multiple stakes-placed Walmooh (by In The Wings), a capable miler who notched up a double-digit tally of wins.
His grandam, Walimu (by Top Ville), won over eight, 10 and 12 furlongs and she was a granddaughter of Roussalka (by Habitat).
Winner of the Group 2 Coronation Stakes and two editions of the Group 2 Nassau Stakes, that half-sister to triple classic heroine Oh So Sharp (by Kris) was the dam of several talented performers, including Group 2 Sun Chariot Stakes winner Ristna.
Their dam Oh So Fair (by Graustark) has been the ancestor of many notable runners and, in addition to Ameerat and Oh So Sharp, the stars among them include Group 1 winners Rosefinch (by Blushing Groom), Hibaayeb (by Singspiel), leading National Hunt sire Shantou (by Alleged), and this season's classic-placed Breeders' Cup heroine Wuheida (by Dubawi).
The other successful Monsun descendant at Newbury was the Richard Hobson-trained Dame Rose, who gave her future paddocks value another boost with a nine-length score in the Listed Ladbrokes Mares' Novices' Hurdle over the extended two miles.
A Grade 2 bumper winner at Aintree in April, the four-year-old is a daughter of leading National Hunt sire Network (by Monsun).
She was bred by SCEA De La Chaussee, she is out of the flat middle-distance AQPS (autre que pur sang) winner Ile Rose (by Le Riverain) and so is a half-sister to Prime Rose (by Video Rock).
That mare was a multiple winner in France and she is the dam of three winners from her first three foals, most notably Daring Rose (by Al Namix) – a Grade 3-placed multiple chase winner in 2017, aged four.
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REGALLY BRED FILLY HAS STAKES POTENTIAL
Several horses notch up a string of wins on the all-weather tracks over the winter months each year but few are as interesting, from a pedigree perspective, as an Aidan O'Brien-trained filly who, last Friday evening, took her winning streak to four.
She was bred by Deerfield Farm, she carries the famous J.P. McManus colours, and this daughter of Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross) is a 500,000gns graduate of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Clear Skies chased home subsequent Group 1 star Alice Springs in a valuable sales race at Newmarket on her final start at two but was not seen in action again until mid-April of this year.
The four-year-old was runner-up that day then not seen out again until early October, just over a month before she won a 10 and a half-furlong maiden at Dundalk.
She followed that with two handicap wins over the same course and distance and then made it four in a row with a two and three-quarter-length score over 12 furlongs at the venue last week.
For that performance her handicap rating rose again, and as she's now rated 96, while looking capable of moving up another bit in the rankings, she is now at a level where blacktype placing, or even a win, could be possible.
An obvious problem, however, is that it's now December of her four-year-old season: where can she go to try for that accolade?
Clear Skies is out of mile listed scorer Out West (by Gone West) and that makes her a half-sister to a trio of blacktype horses, with Derby hero and classic sire Motivator (by Montjeu) the standout.
His full-brother Macarthur won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot and Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester, and their pattern-placed half-brother Imperial Star (by Fantastic Light) won the 10-furlong Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton a decade ago.
It will be fascinating to see what achievements Clear Skies's record shows in the next five to 10 years.
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EXCITING MARE FOR GREAT PRETENDER
Great Pretender (by King's Theatre) was a listed winner on the flat and over hurdles and the Haras de la Hetraie stallion has supplied plenty of talented offspring, with Ptit Zig, Mr Mole and Great Field among the standouts.
The latter, a Grade 1 star at Punchestown in April, is trained by Willie Mullins and so too is Benie Des Dieux, the Gerard Doyen-bred six-year-old who overcame a near one-year absence from the track to take the Listed Houghton Mares' Chase easily at Carlisle on Sunday.
The official winning margin at the end of the two and a half-mile trip was eight lengths, but it could easily have been farther.
She is the first foal out of Cana (by Robin Des Champs) and that mare's winning siblings include Cardounika (by Nikos), now a broodmare of note with two blacktype sons to her name.
Cokoriko (by Robin Des Champs), a three-parts brother to Cana, was a listed scorer over hurdles at Auteuil, he stands at Haras de Cercy and his first crop will turn three in January.
Half-brother Ceasar's Palace (by Voix Du Nord) is a gelding but his tally over hurdles includes a trio of Grade 3 events at Auteuil.
Benie Des Dieux won a bumper and was a Grade 3-placed dual hurdles winner in France, but she has won her only two starts for the Mullins team by a total of 38 lengths and this great-granddaughter of Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer) could be anything.