THE Listed Junior Jumpers Open National Hunt Flat Race at Cheltenham went to the French-sounding, but Irish-bred Fortune De Mer, a four-year-old son of Doyen (Sadler’s Wells) bred by Denis Cusack. He purchased the gelding’s dam Creation (Vendangeur) at the end of her racing career from Gigginstown House Stud, giving €42,000 for her at Goffs in 2019, carrying her first foal.

That turned out to be Fortune De Mer, who was sold through Sunnyhill Stud as a foal for €22,000 at Tattersalls Ireland, resold for €48,000 as a three-year-old last year at the renamed Arkle Sale, and after he placed second in a point-to-point, having unseated his rider on his debut, was picked up for £105,000 by Ryan Mahon in a private transaction at this year’s Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale.