THERE are few stallions available to breeders in the west of Ireland, but Eamonn Hogan has one that has delivered where it matters most, on the racecourse.

Altruistic (Galileo) stands at Hogan’s Rosshill Farm in Galway, and he sired his first racecourse winner when Pearlofflorida won over hurdles this week in Sligo, trained by Liam Cusack for John Murray and the mount of Charlie O’Dwyer.

The six-year-old won a point-to-point last year, is from the first crop of her sire, and was bred by Hogan. Sold for a derisory €1,000 as a foal, Pearlofflorida is out of Bibi’s Pearl (Posidonas), and that mare’s dam is a half-sister to none other than Florida Pearl (Florida Son).

We all remember how good Florida Pearl was. A winning graduate of the point-to-point sphere, he first showed his ability when powering home in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

He went chasing straight away, and his 14 wins over fences included a number of Grade 1 races, notably the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton, the Royal and SunAlliance Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, a remarkable four editions of the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup Chase at Leopardstown, and the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup Chase.

Other successes for Florida Pearl included the Grade 2 Martell Cup Chase, at Aintree and the Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase at Leopardstown, while his numerous placed efforts were topped by his second-place finish in the Grade 1 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase, a race in which he also finished third on another occasion.

This week, delighted with a first winner under rules for his sire, Hogan said: “Altruistic stands at a very reasonable price of only €500, thanks to his owner Dr Cyrus Poonawalla. The horse has been busy this season, and also has a couple of other daughters and sons running well.”

A high-class two-year-old in 2013 who had cost €130,000 as a yearling, Altruistic won by two lengths first time out in a maiden race at Naas over seven furlongs, and was then was placed in group races on his other two starts. In the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at the Curragh, he was a close third to the smart performers Geoffrey Chaucer and Oklahoma City; then he was sent to Doncaster for the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy where he was third to the unbeaten Kingston Hill and Johann Strauss, with The Grey Gatsby behind him.

Good walker

Altruistic is a son of the great Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) and a very good walker. Galileo was a European champion in 2001, won the Group 1 Epsom Derby and the Group 1 Irish Derby, and was champion sire in Europe 11 times. Although he has had so many successes on the flat, Galileo also comes into a large number of National Hunt pedigrees, and his sons include Soldier Of Fortune and Mahler.

No less well-related on his female side, Altruistic’s dam Altesse Imperiale is a daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar (Danehill). She won in France and has produced five winners, including Teodoro (Teofilo) whose six wins include the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock and he has also won twice over jumps in the USA, while her daughter September Stars (Sea The Stars) is a five-time winner, among which was the Listed Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita.

Half-sisters to Altesse Imperiale include Angara (Alzao), a top-class racemare in America with wins in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga and the Grade 1 Beverly D Stakes at Arlington, and also the Group 2 Prix Corrida heroine Actrice (Danehill). Another half-sister Arlesienne (Alzao) was a listed winner in France and dam of three blacktype winners including Aizavoski (Monsun), winner of the Grand Prix de Bordeaux and two runnings of the Vase d’Argent in France, placed at up to Group 2 level, and who later enjoyed some success as a sire of jumpers.