THE Grade 3 New Year’s Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham was won by the seven-year-old Mahler (Galileo) mare Vienna Court, and she joined Grade 2 chase winner Manofthemountain as the second blacktype winner by the stallion and out of a Presenting (Mtoto) mare.

The breeder of this big race winner is Colman O’Flynn junior, the appendix distinguishing him from his father of the same name who bred the most famous runner in the family, Denman (Presenting). What a star he was, and what popularity he enjoyed, graduating from the point-to-point sphere where he won, to be successful four times over hurdles and 10 times over fences.