THERE was just one Irish-bred Grade 1 winner over the four days of the Christmas Festival in Leopardstown, Battleoverdoyen, who, on the final afternoon, made all under Davy Russell to land the three-runner, three-mile Neville Hotels Novice Chase by a length from Champagne Classic.

Both horses are trained by Gordon Elliott for Gigginstown House Stud but, importantly for this column, the 2009 Doyen gelding Battleoverdoyen was bred in Dromore, Co Down by Berry Farms out of Battle Over.

Last June, that French-bred Sillery mare foaled a colt by Mount Nelson who is heading to the February National Hunt Sale at Tattersalls later this month.

As has been the case each time he has run, and won, in Ireland, Battleoverdoyen was shouted home in person by members of the Berry family.

On Sunday, parents Callie and Colin were accompanied by son Chris and his wife Elizabeth and daughter Sarah with her boyfriend Connor.

Also in the support party were former international event rider Edwin Bryson, who is well-known among the hunting and point-to-point fraternity for his involvement with the Newry Hunt, and John and Janet Liggett.

As she is busy setting up her own event yard in England, Callie and Colin’s daughter Susie couldn’t attend the meeting. Among the inmates at her purpose-built facility in Northamptonshire is Battleoverdoyen’s half-sister, Drumnavaddy Valencia, an Irish Sport Horse mare.

The five-year-old, who is by the Rosbothams’ Dutch Warmblood stallion Valent, was broken and ridden away by Neil McCluskey and Catherine Robinson.

Battleoverdoyen was sold privately as a foal to Magheralin’s Michael Lynch in whose colours he won a four-year-old maiden at Loughanmore in April 2017, on his sole start began the flags, when trained by Jerry Cosgrave and ridden by Mark O’Hare. Later that month, he was sent over to Tattersalls sale at Cheltenham where he was knocked down for £235,000 to Gordon Elliott Racing.

Drumconnor Lad

Another northern-bred winner at Leopardstown over the Christmas period was Drumconnor Lad who Adrian Keatley sent out to land the two-mile, one-furlong handicap chase on St Stephen’s Day before moving to England to continue his training career.

The 10-year-old Drumconnor Lad, who was ridden by Adrian Heskin, is owned by Belfast’s David Keys. The bay, who was winning for the fifth time on the track, was bred in Dungannon by Martin Abernethy out of the Shahrastani mare Drumconnor Lady.

Drumconnor Lad is by the deceased Winged Love, damsire of Gigginstown House Stud’s German-bred Notebook who won the Grade 1 novice chase over the same trip on the same card for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.