THERE were a pair of Irish-bred winners on the opening day of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, with the French-sounding Marine Nationale giving the country a boost with success in the opening Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

The son of the former Kildangan Stud, now Indian-based, sire French Navy (Shamardal) is out of a mare who was once trained by Sir Henry Cecil. Unbeaten in five starts, including two bumpers, Marine Nationale also won the Grade 1 Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Bred by J B Bloodstock, a trading name for Ballykelly Stud’s John O’Connor, he raced the dam, Power Of Future (Definite Article), and one of her daughters, Ballinderry Moth (Yeats).

Power Of Future was bred in Germany and won three times. She had five foals, one of which was never named, but the others all ran and won. Ballinderry Moth was a bumper winner, placed in a listed bumper at Navan, and is at stud. Marine Nationale is the last produce from Power Of Future.

Marine Nationale’s grandam Pik Konigin (Konigsstuhl) is a winning own-sister to the 1992 Group 1 German Derby winner Pik Konig. Their dam Pikante (Surumu) earned blacktype when she won the Dujardin Steeplechase at Krefeld, an unusual feat given that she was born a year before her German Derby-winning half-brother, Philipo (Prince Ippi).

Jeremy (Danehill Dancer) is a regular when it comes to winning sires at Cheltenham. His son Corach Rambler won last year’s Grade 3 Ultima Handicap Chase, and did the double this year. Bred by Paul Hillis, this was just his third start since last March, and he is now a firm favourite for the Randox Grand National.

This point-to-point graduate won between the flags at the fifth time of asking, giving him a value of £17,000 when he was sent for sale at the Goffs UK November Sale at Yorton Farm. He has won more than £185,000 for connections and is the sole winner for his dam Heart N Hope (Fourstars Allstar), a half-sister to the listed chase winner A Glass In Thyne (Glacial Storm).

Corach Rambler’s third dam Hi’ Upham (Deep Run) bred Native Upmanship (Be My Native), winner of seven Grade 1 races, notably the Melling Chase twice and the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase on a couple of occasions, and she is grandam of the Grade 1 Power Gold Cup winner Gilgamboa (Westerner).