WE’RE not too sure what they were watching on TV last Monday week at Tom Jones’s Greaghwillan Stud outside Carrickmacross, but apparently it wasn’t the thrilling neck, neck and a head finish to the five-furlong race which closed out the meeting at Wolverhampton.

They should have been, because the Andrew Martin-owned and trained winner Lion King, who was recording his sixth career success on his 72nd start, was bred by Tom’s sister Breda out of Bling Ring, who was placed once at two. All the bay’s wins have been over five or six furlongs on all-weather tracks and all have been posted since moving to Martin’s yard early in 2023.