WHEN Ger Lyons paid €40,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Sale in 2016 for a daughter of Zoffany (Dansili) out of the Verglas (Highest Honor) mare Llew Law, he had a little bit of an advantage over other potential purchasers. The filly was the second offspring of her dam and Lyons had the year older half-brother Thunder Crash (Footstepsinthesand) in his yard at the time.

Last year he won with both of them. Thunder Crash was bought from breeder Patrick Headon’s Wraymount Stud for €37,000 as a yearling at Goffs and he won twice over a mile and a half in 2017. He returned to the Goffs Horses In Training Sale last autumn and agent Richard Venn acquired him for €66,000.