ONLY a handful of horses who visited the winner’s enclosure over the past week were bred by Northern Ireland breeders but two, both foaled in England, were bred by the one man, Alfred Buller, and were out of the same mare, Zaffaranni.

The first of the pair to strike was the 10-year-old Desert King gelding, Chill In The Wood, who was sent out by Dominic Ffrench Davis to land the extended three-mile, one-and-a-half-furlong handicap chase at Plumpton last Sunday, notching up his second success in the process. Two days later, at Warwick, the Neil Mulholland-trained Runasimi River, a six-year-old by Generous, recorded her third victory in the two-mile, three-furlong mares’ handicap hurdle.

The two winners are the second and fifth foals out of the 1996 Zaffaran mare Zaffaranni, an own-sister to the four-time winner Santabless, and the winner herself of a hurdle and two chases. This is the family of Indian Stream and Sir Blake.

Also successful at Warwick on Tuesday was the Charlie Longsdon-trained Treackle Tart who won the extended three-mile, one-and-a-half-furlong handicap chase by half a length in the hands of Paul O’Brien. The seven-year-old Winged Love mare, who was winning for the fifth time in her career, and for the third time over fences, was bred by Berry Farms out of the five-time winning French-bred Battle Over (by Sillery),

Fourth win

The Jeremy Maxwell-bred Tikkinthebox recorded his fourth win over fences when justifying 3/1 favouritism in the two-mile handicap chase at Warwick on Monday.

The seven-year-old Tikkanen gelding, who is trained by Jeremy Scott, is out of the six-time winner Surfing France (by Art Francais), the dam of two other winners and a sister of nine.

Also on Monday, but on the flat at Leicester, the Stonethorn Stud Farms-bred Shamshon, an eight-year-old Invincible Spirit gelding, scored for the fifth time this year when landing the five-furlong handicap for the Stuart Williams yard.

The bay, who was posting his 13th career success, is out of the Fasliyev mare Greenisland whose yearling colt by Showcasing is coming up as Lot 263 at Goffs next week.