THE Beeches Stud hasn’t ever really been out of the headlines since Bobby McCarthy developed the farm that has been in the family for around 300 years into a centre of excellence for the production of future champions.

As a key cog in the Coolmore National Hunt operation, the roster of stallions has invariably been deep, the venerable Flemensfirth a brilliant standard bearer who is backed up in west Waterford, between Tallow and Lismore by Derby winners Wings Of Eagles and Soldier Of Fortune (who had top lot out of a Flemensfirth mare at Goffs on Wednesday at €72,000), as well as Highland Reel’s full-brother Idaho, Ocavango, Mahler, Imperial Monarch and Sans Frontieres.