IT was around 1970 when Niall Flynn’s parents, Niall senior and Dottie, bought Shuil Agragh from the late Michael J McGrath and put her into training with John Kiely.

Since then, the Flynn family, the Shuil Agragh family and the Kiely family have been linked together, allowing for an abundance of success and memories along the way.

Evidence of that success is that Niall (junior) is breeding from seven mares at his Waterford-based Five Naughts Stud, the majority of which are direct descendants of Shuil Agragh.

Four of Shuil Agragh’s direct progeny made the track including Baronet who won the 1998 Scottish Grand National in the colours of Mrs David Thompson for trainer David Nicholson.

However it was one of Shuil Agragh’s daughters that didn’t make the track, Shuil Liss, that was a game-changer for the Flynns. Shuil Liss produced five different winners, most notably Liss A Paoraigh, the Punchestown Champion Bumper in the renowned birdseye blue colours of the Flynns in 2000.

The roots in the Shuil Liss family tree have hit success in nearly every direction they’ve gone in. Liss A Paoraigh bred Liss Na Tintri, who finished second in the mares’ bumper at Aintree in 2009 and Liss Na Tintri bred Just Janice, who followed the blacktype family tradition by scoring in a Grade 3 hurdle. And this is just one line.

Another daughter of Shuil Liss is Liss De Paor, who produced Blazing Liss, who won seven of her 14 races and finished second in the Punchestown Champion Bumper.

“The family has always produced good fillies,” Flynn explained. “We’d never have had a problem selling them but it’s very much true that the filly trade has picked up significantly in the last few years.

“The programme for mares is brilliant now and encourages people to buy fillies because the races are there for them. The fillies’ bonus is a marvellous incentive. We’ve been lucky to win it a couple of times, most recently with Colreevy.”

Niall Flynn accepting an award for National Hunt Owner Breeder from Christy Grassick at the AIRO awards in 2018 \ Philip Doyle

As it happens, Colreevy, who is trained by Willie Mullins, descends from a different line. She is out of Poetics Girl, who is out of the classy four-time bumper winner Aries Girl, who was bought by Flynn’s brother John who owned her in partnership with Wally Strut. Flynn bought that mare off John when she finished her racing career and so established a new line.

There is a high standard set for any mares coming out of the Flynn factory but Colreevy has legitimate potential to be the best. She won the Grade 3 mares’ bumper at the Punchestown Festival in 2018 and then returned last season to win the Punchestown Champion Bumper itself, 19 years after Liss A Paoraigh’s success.

“Liss A Paoraigh’s win in that race is a special memory,” Flynn reflected. “We stopped in a shop in Clonmel to get a paper on the way up to the track and there was no mention of her. I remember saying: ‘They’ll all be talking about her tomorrow!’

“To come back and win both bumpers with Colreevy was a very proud moment for us, especially the first one, which was named after Liss A Paoraigh.”

The future is very bright for the Flemensfirth mare. She was second first time out over hurdles but then won very comfortably at Limerick over Christmas, securing an ITBA Weatherbys NH Mares’ bonus in the process.

“She came on a huge amount for her first run,” said Flynn. “All of Willie’s team at Limerick really fancied her and she did it very well. We’re thinking of the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham for her now. My parents won the Triumph Hurdle with Meladon in 1977. He was the first ever Irish winner of that race and I’d just love to get back there with any winner.

“At the same time, we’ll have to think about the Grade 1 race for mares at Fairyhouse over Easter as well. Maybe that should be her Cheltenham.”

Keep the fillies and sell the colts when you can has been the modus operandi for the Flynn family and there has been plenty of success achieved by the boys who have left Five Naughts Stud. These include most notably the dual Grade 1 winner Next Destination and Nicky Henderson’s exciting novice chaser Pym.

They’re not the first success stories for the Flynn family, and they won’t be the last.