A FAMILY that has served me exceptionally well over the years, produced its most significant win to date last Sunday, when Marhaba Ya Sanafi, a son of Danega, won the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp.

Having only bought the mare relatively cheaply at Goffs last November, it has been an incredible journey following the progress of her Group 1 winning colt over the last seven months.

I never had a direct interest or involvement in horses until I was 45. My father worked as manager of a steel factory, while my mother was employed as a secretary. In those years, my hometown of Falkirk, was considered the world centre of iron castings.

As a child, my only real exposure to sport was through following the fortunes of our local football club.

After secondary school, I went on to study chemistry in college, before going abroad to work in the oil business. While based out of London, I started to go greyhound racing, soon graduating to owning a few myself.

The sport was in its prime during those years in the 1950’s, with eight different tracks in the city alone. I punted on horses as well as dogs but up until I got married, I had never owned a racehorse.

My wife’s father, Charlie Mallon, was a horse trainer, who sent out Linwell to win the 1957 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Unfortunately, he passed away before we married but I had met him on a number of occasions prior to that.

I had a senior oil job by that time, so was in a position to travel that bit more and indulge in my passion for greyhounds. The sport took me over to Ireland quite a bit, especially to Enniscorthy, where I had a lot of connections.

I went dog racing and horse racing as often as time allowed; often in the company of greyhound trainer, Tommy Manning.

Agreed to sell

One afternoon, we were at the races when I saw a filly running for Michael Hourigan. I rang him up after the race and he agreed to sell, once she remained in training with himself.

After racing successfully, I later mated her up - the first mare I ever bred from. In the early 1980’s, having done well out of the oil business, my wife and I decided to retire and relocate to Ireland.

Having bought Newtown Lodge Stud, in Co Kildare, initially, we divided our time between there and London. Then, once the original cottage had been refurbished, we sold up in the UK and moved over to Ireland permanently.

With the guidance of Robert Hall, of the BBA, I bought three mares to start off; one died after only a few years but the other two turned out to be top mares.

Gradille, whose bloodline Marhaba Ya Sanafi originates from, became the foundation mare of the stud. Jim Bolger was a great supporter, buying a lot of her produce.

One of the most significant winners she bred was La Meilleure, the grandam of Irish Derby winner, Soldier Of Fortune. The second mare, Never The End, bred a host of winners also.

I retained a number of her filly foals to race; including Dash Of Red and Dashing Colours. The former won her maiden at the Phoenix Park for trainer John Murphy, while the latter won the Joe McGrath Handicap and Listed Knockaire Stakes, for his son.

Never The End was also the grandam of Captain Marvelous, who won the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte, after finishing third in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes. Fort Bastion, from that same family, was sold to Sir Robert Ogden, before going on to be placed in both the Listed Chesham and Group 3 Acomb Stakes.

Branch out

In the 1990’s, I decided to branch out somewhat and buy a few store horses but that venture wasn’t particularly successful. However, I did later get a significant result from a gelding named Bracing Breeze.

Having failed to sell at the Derby Sale, I decided to put the horse into training with Gerry Stack. After finishing third in a point-to-point on his second start, the horse was then tailed off on his racecourse debut in a bumper.

Believing that he had to be better than that bare form, we then entered Bracing Breeze for both a maiden hurdle and beginners chase at Down Royal. Although favouring the former option, when he failed to get into that race, we took up the second engagement.

Landing a touch

Opening up at 33/1 on track, we backed the horse from that price, right down to 11/2 and he won easily in the hands of a young, Ruby Walsh. As a punter for many years, I enjoyed landing a touch of real significance.

Having had the family of Gradille for over two decades, I was out of it for a few years, after losing the only daughter I retained. Then, last November, I spotted Danega in the Goffs November Breeding Sale.

I had broken my hip earlier in the year, so hadn’t been racing or attending sales.

After consulting close friends, bloodstock agent Larry Stratton and Jacqueline Norris of Jockey Hall Stud, I knew I had found the one.

So, I asked my gardener to drive me to Goffs and half-an-hour after, I bought the mare! She was in-foal to Hello Youmzain at the time but the Muharaar colt wasn’t listed on her page.

Sometime later, a friend rang me, asking how to spell the mare’s name. Once I had confirmed, he told me that she had bred a colt that won at Chantilly just a few weeks after I bought her.

Thrilled

Obviously, I was thrilled to hear she had bred a winner at one of the premier tracks in France.

Everything went quiet until February, when I noticed that Marhaba Ya Sanafi won a conditions race on his reappearance. Again, while delighted with his success, it wasn’t at a level that significantly impacted the pedigree.

Then, last month, Marhaba Ya Sanafi ran in the Prix de Fontainebleau at Longchamp; one of the main Guineas trials. In finishing second, the colt picked up valuable blacktype, while also emerging as a genuine classic contender.

Last Sunday afternoon, I sat down to watch the French 2000 Guineas, believing that the Andreas Schutz-trained colt had realistic claims.

Aside from a few anxious moments turning in, I was happy throughout the race and it was without doubt a personal highlight.

My wife described it as being akin to her father training the Gold Cup winner.

Danega now has a gorgeous Hello Youmzain colt foal on the ground and has been recently been covered by Minzaal. So, after a gap of a years, the future looks bright for both Newtown Lodge Stud and the Gradille bloodline.

Duncan McGregor was in conversation with John O’Riordan