CAROLINE Berry has bred plenty of good performers, and one that has the potential to be up there with the best she has produced is Taurus Bay. The four-year-old son of Poet’s Word is out of Tea Time Tilly (Shantou), an unraced mare that Berry bought for €9,000 as a yearling.

The mare did not have the best start at stud when her first produce, a colt by Getaway, was never named. After that she has had four foals by Poet’s Word, and it would be no surprise were she to visit him again in 2026. Her first offspring by him is the Ben Pauling-trained Taurus Bay, who remains unbeaten after three starts, taking a point-to-point before winning twice over hurdles, firstly at Stratford and more recently at Aintree.