WITHIN the flat racing sector we are used to a short time elapsing between the end of a colt’s racing career and the decision as to whether or not he is going to be a success at stud.

National Hunt stallions, however, may not have many runners until their first progeny are five or six years old, in contrast to the plethora of two-year-old runners for flat sires, and as many hurdlers and chasers will be seven, eight, or nine years old before reaching their peak, it can happen that the true merit of a jumps stallion may only become apparent when he is quite old, or has already died.