JUDGING from the post-race comments of the winning trainer, Padraig Roche, a visit to Cheltenham this year is highly unlikely for Slip Of The Tongue. Given his inexperience, but his undoubted talent and potential, I am sure that the owner J.P. McManus and connections will do what is best for the five-year-old.

Slip Of The Tongue was bred by the trainer’s parents, Christy and Noeleen Roche, and this is a family that has given them and J.P. some great racing moments over the years. Others too have also enjoyed success with some of the family.

A son of the great Flemensfirth (Alleged), who turned 30 this year but is well and living out his time at The Beeches Stud, Slip Of The Tongue won the Listed INH Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday, despite almost throwing it away with a mistake at the last.

A Tipperary debut winner over the smaller obstacles, he had since been placed behind some smart performers. A full-brother to last year’s bumper winning mare Something Abouther (Flemensfirth), Slip Of The Tongue is the sixth winner on the racecourse for his dam Female (Saddlers’ Hall). She also bred another who won between the flags.

Female won a bumper in 2005 on her debut, in the colours of Noeleen Roche, and that day Padraig was in the saddle. She then raced for J.P. McManus and was not disgraced when seventh, beaten just six lengths, behind Hairy Molly in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.

Her next start was in the valuable mares’ bumper at Punchestown and she went down by a neck to Shuil Aris in the 23-runner contest.

While Female won over hurdles and was placed, she went to stud after just seven career starts, and she was a most desirable breeding prospect. She is one of nine winners for her dam Mursuma (Rarity), and they came from just 11 foals. Two of that nine stand out a mile.

Best ever

Direct Route (Executive Perk) was described by the former trainer Howard Johnson as the best horse he ever trained. The 15-time winner, five of which were Grade 1 chases, is best remembered for a race he lost, being within touching distance of victory in the 2000 Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase when he was caught on the line by Henrietta Knight’s Edredon Bleu. It was one of steeplechasing’s greatest races.

It took the most successful jump jockey of all-time, A.P. McCoy to deny Direct Route, a horse whose roll of honour included the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, a pair of victories in Aintree’s Grade 1 Mumm Melling Chase, and a Grade 1 novice chase win at Punchestown.

The other standout son of Mursuma was born three years after his Grade 1 winning sibling. Joe Mac (Topanoora) faced the starter just seven times, but sadly suffered a fatal injury on his last run. He won twice for J.P. McManus in Grade 2 hurdle races, was runner-up at Cheltenham, to Alexander Banquet in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper and to Hors La Loi in the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Remarkable feat

Mursuma was a winning half-sister to four winners, three of which won Grade 1 races under National Hunt rules – a remarkable feat for their dam In My Time (Levmoss). Galmoy (Flair Path), Dance Beat (Dancing Dissident) and Youlneverwalkalone (Montelimar) won six Grade 1 races between them, and half of these are credited to Galmoy.

In the days when an Irish-trained winner at Cheltenham was a rarity, John Mulhern won a pair of Grade 1 Stayers’ Hurdles with him, he also finished second in the race, and the gelding later gained his only win in a chase in the Grade 1 Drinmore at Fairyhouse.