“THE phone hasn’t stopped ringing since the weekend,” commented Sunnyhill Stud’s Michael Hickey.

He was referring to an amazing week for his new stallion Masar, the 2018 Derby winner who hails from the family of outstanding sires Galileo and Sea The Stars.

Hickey continued: “Masar has been tremendously well-supported in his first season here, and he had seven flat winners in a week. His oldest crop are four-year-olds, and it was one of them, Jewel Hope, who was the main reason for all the calls. He is his first point-to-point runner.”

Trained by Cormac Doyle, Jewel Hope was a most impressive winner of a nine-runner maiden at Ballindenisk, finishing 25 lengths and more ahead of his rivals.

The good-looking gelding, who once sold to Godolphin for 350,000gns as a yearling, is due to again come under the hammer at next Thursday’s Tattersalls Ireland point-to-point sale, and as Lot 24 he could well prove to be one of the star offerings. Described as “clearly a horse of untapped potential”, this half-brother to nine winners is from the family of Sholokhov.

Versatility

The versatility shown by Masar’s stock has not gone unnoticed by breeders, and his recent winners have won over trips from seven furlongs in France, to the three miles of Sunday’s point-to-point.

He had winners in France, Australia and England, while the Andy Slattery-trained Cloud Seeker won for the fifth time in his six most recent starts at Leopardstown, and holds an entry at the Curragh this weekend.