STAR Of Inch (Arctic Star) did not possess the same racing ability as her full-brother. He was born two years before her, was named Arcticeelagh (Arctic Star), and his victory in the Beresford Stakes at two was enough to earn him the accolade of champion two-year-old in Ireland in 1957.

When he retired to stud a few years later, and where he enjoyed success principally as a National Hunt sire, Arcticeelagh had won seven times on the flat and twice over jumps. His own-sister was therefore a valuable broodmare prospect when she was put in training and, though well tried, the best she would manage for her owner Joe McGrath and trainer Seamus McGrath was a third-place finish in a six-runner maiden over a mile and five furlongs at Bellewstown as a three-year-old.

Years later, as a 10-year-old in 1967, Star Of Inch was sent to the sales at Goffs in Ballsbridge and purchased for 230gns by Vincent Byrne from Kilmore, Co Wexford. It took a private sale to acquire her and at the time she had yet to produce a winner or placed horse from four foals of racing age.

Her fortune was to change and after her move to Wexford the winners started to come. Five of Star Of Inch’s offspring won races, while three of her daughters bred National Hunt blacktype winners. Her first foal, the unplaced Bally Star (Ballyogan), bred the listed hurdle winner Eggnog (Hot Brandy) who finished second in the 1980 Irish Grand National as a novice to Daletta.

Righthand Boy

Her second filly, Gleann Buidhe (Pampered King), won a couple of hurdle races, and the best of her progeny was the high-class Righthand Boy (Proverb), winner of the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase, the 1984 Grade 3 Welsh Grand National and runner-up in the 1985 Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grade 3 Scottish Grand National. At Cheltenham he chased home Forgive ‘N’ Forget.

The last foal from Star Of Inch was Saltee Star (Arapaho), born when she was 22 years of age. She was destined not to run, being retained for breeding purposes. Her influence is still felt in the Byrne family, the present torchbearer of the dynasty being Vincent Byrne’s grandson, another Vincent.

Saltee Star continued the family tradition of the mare’s breeding a good ‘un, her best being the Grade 2 winning chaser On The Other Hand (Proverb), a cross that was very effective. His biggest success was gained in the Arkle Chase at Leopardstown for John Mulhern.

Patricia Byrne

Two of Saltee Star’s daughter have produced graded winners, while another is the grandam of one. No Easy Way (Mandalus) bred the Grade 2 winning chaser Made In Taipan (Taipan), Righthand Lady (Buckskin) is grandam of the Grade 2 hurdle and chase winning mare Westerner Lady (Westerner), while Telstar (Montelimar) is dam of last weekend’s Grade 3 Scottish Grand National winner, Win My Wings (Gold Well), who was bred by the late Patricia Byrne.

Today, Vincent is breeding from a half-sister to Win My Wings, Star Island (Heron Island), and she is the dam of Monatomic (Arcadio), a Grade 2-placed winner over hurdles and fences. He was foaled the same year as Win My Wings and Isle Of Destiny (Gold Well), and all have earned blacktype. Monatromic’s half-brother Macs Charm (Le Fou) has won his last three starts over hurdles for trainer Colm Murphy and should go on to get blacktype.

It is fair to say that Vincent and his family owe much to the use of stallions who stood or stand at Eoin Banville’s Arctic Tack Stud. The Scottish National winning mare Win My Wings is a daughter of Montjeu’s unraced full-brother Gold Well (Sadler’s Wells), and she is one of 20 blacktype winners he sired. He did very well as a sire, and Grade 1 winners Galvin, General Principle and Holywell are among his best runners.

Exceptional sire

Gold Well has also proven to be an exceptional sire of mares, one of whom, Agusta Gold, challenges for Grand National glory today at Aintree. Win My Wings, Nell’s Well, Emmas Joy, My Old Gold, Pink Sheets, Sayce Gold, Well Set Up and Legacy Gold are other blackytpe winning females he sired. Quite a strike rate indeed.

Win My Wings is one of four racecourse winners from the unraced Telstar, an unraced daughter of Montelimar (Alleged), and she is also responsible for the Grade 2-placed chaser Fairly Legal (Beneficial) and last month’s hurdle winner for Kim Bailey, Starvoski (Aizavoski).

Incredibly, Win My Wings was sold for a mere £9,250 at the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot December Sale as a five-year-old, in spite of being an Irish point-to-point winner and being so well related. Even Homer nods!!