JOHN Brophy bred the Aintree Grand National winner Royal Athlete and also successfully owned and bred good winners on the flat and over jumps. As an owner he won the Irish Grand National with the Paddy Mullins trained Luska.Felix Yonger is another good horse that he bred and that nine-year-old son of Oscar recently won his 11th race, taking the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase for the second time. The first time he won it at Cork, but this year the race was transferred to Navan. A Grade 2 winner also over hurdles, Felix Yonger has gone one better over fences and his Grade 1 success came at Punchestown in the Drogheda Champion Chase.

A hugely consistent sort who has won half of his 22 starts and only been out of the first four twice, Felix Yonger has amassed earnings of more than £300,000 to date. John Brophy bred Felix Yonger from the Be My Native mare Marble Sound and her third dam Alcidette carried Brophy’s colours to a listed race success and a placing in the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh.