JEREMY Maxwell and Hugh Suffern, who have both stood stallions in Northern Ireland in the past, were on the mark as breeders recently.

Maxwell was the first to strike when the Jimmy Mangan-trained Capture The Action landed the two-mile handicap hurdle at Thurles last Thursday week. The seven-year-old Gold Well mare is the last of eight foals out of the French jumps winner Huit de Coeur (by Cadoudal), the dam of two other winners.

The Suffern-bred Perfect Candidate defied his age when recording a runaway success in the extended three-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Haydock on Saturday, a race he was winning for the second successive season.

Trained by Fergal O’Brien, the 13-year-old Winged Love gelding, who was posting the ninth victory of his career, is the third of eight foals, and the only colt, out of the unraced Insan mare Dansana. The first five, which included Lovey Dovey (six wins on the track and one point-to-point), Hidden Horizons (two wins on the track and one point-to-point) and Jodies Miss (two point-to-points), were all by Winged Love while the last three are daughters of Conduit.

At Navan on Sunday, the Jessica Harrington-trained Ashdale Bob won the opening two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle on his fourth start.

The five-year-old Shantou gelding was bred by Fiona McStay and is the third produce, and second winner, out of the four-time winner Ceol Rua, a Bob Back half-sister to the multiple high-class winners Glens Melody, Lean Araig, etc., being out of the nine-time winner Glens Music.