IN mid-August last year I wrote about an online sale held by Auctav, the French-based company. They offered two lots for sale, Iberique Du Seuil and Heltenham.

The latter, a winner on the flat and placed over hurdles, sold for €82,000 and is now with Dan Skelton. He has been placed twice from three starts.

The Moran’s Bective Stud took ownership of the other rising star sold at the time, Eddie O’Leary paying €150,000 for Iberique Du Seuil. They certainly got the better value, in spite of the price, and this four-year-old son of Spanish Moon (El Prado) is now winner of two of his six starts over hurdles, notably annexing the Grade 2 Donohue Marquees Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse last weekend.

Iberique Du Seuil is one of a pair of winners out of Tulipe Du Seuil, a daughter of Equerry (St Jovite) and a winning half-sister to the dam of seven-time Grade 1 winner Defi Du Seuil (Voix Du Nord). Tulipe Du Seuil gained all of her four victories on the flat, and she has some interesting youngstock yet to race. She is one of five winners from Fleur Du Tennis (Video Rock).

Fleur Du Tennis won six times in France and she is a full-sister to Jimmy Tennis (Video Rock). He won on the level and over jumps in France before moving to Venetia Williams.

With Norman Williamson in the saddle, he won the five-runner Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase on his English debut. That victory held great promise for the future, but he failed to progress and won twice more, handicaps at Leicester and Folkestone, before winning a point-to-point at the age of 12.

Better broodmare

Mendy Tennise (Kadalko), a half-sister to Fleur Du Tennis, showed no form on any of her starts, but she has been a better broodmare.

Her best winner is Farinet (Lord Du Sud), also trained by Venetia Williams, and last year he won a listed chase at Sandown. Mendy Tennise is the grandam of the Grade 3 Ultima Chase winner at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival, Coo Star Sivola (Assessor), and he was also a listed winner and Grade 1-placed over hurdles.

By the sire of Grade 1 winning hurdler Laurina, and the Irish Grade 2 winners Grand Roi and Dallas Des Pictons, Iberique Du Seuil was runner-up on his debut over hurdles at Vichy last August before being sold to join Gordon Elliott. His sire, Spanish Moon, is a grandson of Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer). He won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris as a five-year-old, with Youmzain back in third, and he was beaten a head and a nose in Group 1 contests in Hong Kong and Dubai.

Spanish Moon stands at Haras d’Annebault and this year his fee is €5,000. Iberique Du Seuil is from his biggest crop to date, and it is surprising that the numbers have fallen since then. His progeny are nonetheless well received at the sales.