BOOTHILL (IRE), 2015 g. by Presenting (Mtoto) ex Oyster Pipit, by Accordion (Sadler’s Wells)

Bred by Noel James. Another big race winner over Christmas purchased by bloodstock agent Kevin Ross. He cost £125,000 at the 2019 Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale after being placed in a couple of point-to-points for Wilson Dennison. He has won his purchase price and more, and followed his second-place finish behind Jonbon is a Sandown Grade 1 chase with victory in the Grade 2 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton. His dam is an unraced half-sister to Frantic Tan (Zaffaran), placed in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper and later a Grade 3-winning chaser.

COMFORT ZONE (IRE), 2019 g. by Churchill (Galileo) ex Iveagh Gardens, by Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer)

Bred by Noreen McManus, and races for her husband JP. He is the second, and best, foal and winner for his dam who was bought by Michael Hyde as a yearling and carried JP’s colours to victory in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes at the Curragh. Her first winner is Flying Scotsman (Galileo), two of his five wins coming over hurdles. Iveagh Gardens was the only winner among eight foals from a half-sister to the Group 3 Coventry Stakes winner CD Europe (Royal Academy). Comfort Zone’s win in the Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow is his third to date.

EDITEUR DU GITE (FR), 2014 g. by Saddex (Sadler’s Wells) ex Malaga De St Suplice, by Saint Cyrian (Luthier)

Bred by Daniel Gerault. Editeur Du Gite is one of the best winners for the Group 1 Italian and German winner Saddex who stands at Blackrath Stud. He was runner-up to Duke Of Marmalade in the Group 1 Prix Ganay. Sold as a three-year-old for €125,000, Editeur Du Gite has now won five chases, including the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton and the Grade 3 Red Run Handicap Chase at Aintree. He is one of four winners from his dam and she is from the family of Arthur Moore’s Grade 1-winning chaser Mansony (Mansonnien).

FAVORI DE CHAMPDOU (FR), 2015 g. by Saddler Maker (Sadler’s Wells) ex Pamella, by Subotica (Pampabird)

Bred by Marie-Helene Cassier, Favori De Champdou is another graduate of the Warren Ewing academy. He sold the placed point-to-pointer for €60,000 to Mags O’Toole at the 2019 Goffs Punchestown Sale, and the gelding had earlier been a £34,000 store buy at Doncaster. A bumper winner, Favori De Champdou was later off the track for over a year, but has now won three times in quick succession, including the Grade 2 Limerick Novice Hurdle. He and the French listed hurdle winner Echo De Champdoux (Saddler Maker) are their dam’s only winners.

FIERCELY PROUD (IRE), 2019 g. by Iffraaj (Zafonic) ex Estiqaama, by Nayef (Gulch)

Bred by Shadwell Estate Company Limited. From an outstanding female line that served the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum with distinction, Fiercely Proud was sold as an unraced juvenile for 21,000gns to Highflyer Bloodstock. Having won a three-year-old bumper when trained by Don Cantillon, he resold at the recent Tattersalls Cheltenham November Sale for a handsome profit to Kilbride Equine. His £125,000 sale tag looks decent as his first start for Ben Pauling saw him land the Listed Pony Club Junior NH Flat Race at Cheltenham.

INTHEPOCKET (GB), 2017 g. by Blue Bresil (Smadoun) ex Egretta Island, by Heron Island (Shirley Heights)

Bred by Tessa Greatrex and David Futter. Sold first at the Goffs UK Yorton Farm Sale for £25,000 to Hamish Macauley, Inthepocket won his sole start in a point-to-point for Paul Cashman, carrying the colours of his mother Catherine. He then sold for £290,000 at the 2021 Tattersalls Cheltenham December Sale to Michael Hyde, acting for JP McManus. The leading owner has had to be patient, but time has been benficial and the gelding has now won both his hurdle starts, most recently a Grade 2 novice at Naas, trained by Henry de Bromhead.

MIDNIGHT RIVER (GB), 2015 g. by Midnight Legend (Night Shift) ex Well Connected, by Presenting (Mtoto)

Bred by Swanbridge Bloodstock Limited. Midnight River boosted his career winnings to more than £115,000 with his victory in the Grade 3 New Year’s Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham. This was his third win over fences, adding to three more over hurdles. He cost Ryan Mahon £40,000 as a store at the 2018 Goffs UK Spring Sale, and his family is well-known. His third dam had 13 winners, including French Grade 1 winners Saint Du Chenet (Poliglote) and Tanais Du Chenet (Poliglote), and British Grade 2 winners Irish Royal (Garde Royale) and Gallant Moss (Tip Moss).

MINELLA INDO (IRE), 2013 g. by Beat Hollow (Sadler’s Wells) ex Carrigeen Lily, by Supreme Leader (Bustino)

Bred by Mrs R H (Anne) Lalor. The multiple Grade 1 winner, including the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, gave Henry de Bromhead a special racing moment when landing the Grade 3 Savills Chase at Tramore. The winning point-to-pointer won twice over hurdles, and has now been successful five times over fences. He was sold from Anne and Dick Lalor’s Rathkenty Stud to John Nallen for €24,000 as a foal at Tattersalls Ireland. Minella Indo is a half-brother to the Grade 2 chase winner Benatar and three other winners, along with a couple of others who won point-to-points.

NO LOOKING BACK (IRE), 2018 g. by Kingston Hill (Mastercraftsman) ex Holy Vow, by Luso (Salse)

Bred by Richard Busher. The first blacktype winner for his sire, and from the second crop of that classic winner, No Looking Back has won three of his four starts, a bumper and two hurdle races, and he caused an upset when overturning Brazil to land the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires Kew Gardens Hurdle at Limerick. He comes from a family reviewed elsewhere on these pages this week. His dam is a full-sister to dual Grade 1 Thyestes Chase winner Preists Leap (Luso), and half-sister to the dam of four-time Grade 1 winner Paisley Park (Oscar).

REAL STEEL (FR), 2013 g. by Loup Breton (Anabaa) ex Kalimina, by Monsun (Konighsstuhl)

Bred by Haras de Plasence and Mme V Saint-Palais. A Grade 1 Punchestown Festival winner, Real Steel was sold out of the Paul Nicholls yard last May for £27,000. Then a nine-year-old, he has raced three times for new connections, and Eric McNamara’s charge netted €110,000 after his win in a Grade 2 at Leopardstown. From the first crop of his sire, and the stallion’s only blacktype horse, Real Steel is one of three winners from his unraced dam. She, in turn, is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to the sprinter, Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye winner Kistena (Miswaki).

SAN SALVADOR (IRE), 2016 g. by El Salvador (Galileo) ex Angel Chorus, by Dylan Thomas (Danehill)

Bred by Annemarie O’Brien. There were a number of firsts about this victory. It was a first blacktype win for the gelding, trained by Joseph O’Brien, as he landed the Grade 2 Tara Handicap Hurdle at Punchestown. Victory provided a first blacktype winner for El Salvador, who was trained by Aidan O’Brien, and he also saddled the winning dam, Angel Chorus. San Salvador is also the first foal and winner for that mare whose third dam is none other than the triple classic-winning mare Oh So Sharp (Kris). Oh, Sarah O’Brien was in the saddle when Angel Chorus won her bumper.

THE REAL WHACKER (IRE), 2016 g. by Mahler (Galileo) ex Credit Box, by Witness Box

Bred by Mrs B Keane. This €12,000 Goffs foal and €21,000 Goffs Land Rover Sale graduate was sixth on his debut behind San Salvador. Since them he has won over hurdles, was runner-up in a Grade 2 at Doncaster, and back with Patrick Neville he is undefeated in two starts over fences, both at Cheltenham. His latest success was in the Grade 2 Dipper Novices’’ Chase, won last year by L’Homme Presse. The Real Whacker is the first winner for his hurdle and chase winning dam, and the first blacktype performer of any kind in the first four generations of his family.

THE TWO AMIGOS (GB), 2012 g. by Midnight Legend (Night Shift) ex As Was, by Epalo (Lando)

Bred by Upton Viva Stud. Once sold as a newly turned yearling for £3,000 to Dick Frisby, The Two Amigos was resold to the late Gerry Griffin for €22,000 as a three-year-old at the Goffs Land Rover Sale. Having won a point-to-point at his third attempt, he then traded for only €30,000 to David Pipe, less than a year later, at the Goffs Punchestown Sale. His record now stands at four chase wins, six point-to-point wins, and he has both won and finished second in the Grade 3 Welsh Grand National at Chepstow.