RICHARD Venn Bloodstock paid €54,000 on Tuesday at Arqana to acquire Ardissone, a nine-year-old daughter of Mataline and carrying her second foal to Kapgarde.

These sires are among the best in France and are well-known to National Hunt breeders in Ireland and Britain too. What made Ardissone more appealing was the fact that her half-brother is Al Ferof and he won again at the weekend when capturing the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon. A point-to-point winner at Athlacca and a bumper winner when trained by Liz Doyle, he then joined Paul Nicholls and enjoyed great success, winning at Grade 1 level over hurdles and fences.