JOHN WALDRON

Faugheen (Ire), 2008 g. by Germany out of Miss Pickering, by Accordion

One of the most exciting horses in training, Faugheen retained his unbeaten record at Cheltenham when he added the Champion Hurdle to his facile win in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle. This was his fourth Grade 1 victory, adding to victories in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown and at Cheltenham last year in the Grade 1 Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle.

Winner of his only start in a point-to-point as a four-year-old, it was more than a year before we saw him again when he effortlessly landed a Punchestown bumper by more than 20 lengths. He has since run up a sequence of eight wins over hurdles and posted earnings of over £480,000.

Sold privately through Tattersalls Ireland as a foal by his breeder when offered from the Brogans' Coolnahay Stud for €4,000 to Peter Quinlan, he was re-sold as a store at the Goffs Land Rover Sale from Castletown House to Willie Slattery’s Meadowview Stables for €12,000.

He is a son of the now deceased Germany who was a top-class runner in the country that gave him his name. Germany sired a number of top notch runners, including Captain Cee Bee, Conna Castle and Tiger Cry.

Faugheen was bred in Ballinasloe, Co Galway by medical doctor John Waldron and this is the third nomination for the breeder in this competition. John was an award winner at the ITBA national awards in January.

VOTE: 1512-500565 (Republic of Ireland) or 0901-1100234 (Northern Ireland and Britain).

TEXT BREEDER 1 to 51000 (RoI) or BREEDER 1 to 60999 (NI & UK).

DENIS & TERESA BERGIN

Moon Racer (Ire), 2009 g. by Saffron Walden out of Angel’s Folly, by Wesaam

The rags to riches story of Moon Racer is a heartening tale and it could yet have many more chapters to be written. The six-year-old inmate of David Pipe’s yard was a very smart winner of the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and he is a horse with a huge future in National Hunt racing.

He was bred by Denis and Teresa Bergin at Kilbragh Stud in Fethard, Co Tipperary and they have produced many good horses, including another Cheltenham Festival winner in recent years, Flaxen Flare.

Led out unsold for €250 as a yearling, Moon Racer did find favour when he was offered for sale at the Tattersalls Ireland August Sale in 2013, realising €5,000. He was purchased by Michael Ronayne who took him home and trained him under his restricted licence at Coolcormack, Dungarvan.

The gelding, a full-brother to the smart Saffron Wells, made his racecourse debut in the Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper at Fairyhouse last April. A 50/1 shot, he was partnered by Mark Lynch, a son of Martin and Suzanne Lynch. The complete outsider showed his dozen opponents a clean pair of heels and won by an impressive seven and a half lengths. Five days later he sold to his current trainer for £225,000.

In October at Cheltenham the son of Saffron Walden reappeared and was even more impressive, beating a large field that included several previous winners by 12 lengths. He then added the Festival Bumper.

VOTE: 1512-500565 (Republic of Ireland) or 0901-1100234 (Northern Ireland and Britain).

TEXT BREEDER 2 to 51000 (RoI) or BREEDER 2 to 60999 (NI & UK).

JOSEPHINE O’CALLAGHAN

Cole Harden (Ire), 2009 g. by Westerner out of Nosie Betty, by Alphabatim

Already a Grade 2 winner over hurdles and runner-up in a Grade 1 over the smaller obstacles at Aintree, Cole Harden gave trainer Warren Greatrex his biggest success with his Grade 1 Ladbrokes World Hurdle win.

Bred by Josephine O’Callaghan in Kilworth, Co Cork, Cole Harden was sold through Ballyhampshire Stud as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale for €13,000 to Grove Stud, having failed to attract a buyer when offered for sale as a foal with a €5,000 reserve.

Having landed a bumper at Sedgefield for trainer Brian Storey he was offered for sale at Brightwells the following April but was led out unsold at £30,000. Nonetheless his second start was for his new owners and trainer and he added another bumper win before now adding four hurdle victories. Only once worse than fourth in 13 outings, his career earnings now stand at just over £240,000.

Cole Harden is a full-brother to Wade Harper, a point-to-point winner who won a Market Rasen bumper this week. Their dam is an unraced full-sister to the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle winner Mr Nosie and a three-parts sister to Golden Alpha who was runner-up in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. He went on to win the Red Rum Chase at Aintree.

The fourth dam of Cole Harden was Solbaygina, a seven-time winner and a full-sister to the leading novice chaser Solbina. Their sibling bred Twigairy, a good chase winner at Punchestown and in the USA.

VOTE: 1512-500565 (Republic of Ireland) or 0901-1100234 (Northern Ireland and Britain).

TEXT BREEDER 3 to 51000 (RoI) or BREEDER 3 to 60999 (NI & UK).

MARTIN CULLINANE

Martello Tower (Ire), 2008 g. by Milan out of Johnsalice, by Zaffaran

Mag Mullins made a smart purchase when she picked up Martello Tower for €12,000 at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2011, and two and a half years later her son Danny bought the horse's dam, carrying a now yearling full-brother, for just €10,000 at Tattersalls Ireland through the family’s Canterbrook Stud in Doninga.

A winner of his only start in a point-to-point and of both his starts in bumpers, the son of Milan has also added four hurdle victories from seven starts, culminating with success in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Martello Tower was another winner at the Festival bred in Galway, this one by Martin Cullinane at his Mount Brown Farm. It was Martin who sold him at Goffs as a three-year-old. He is the first foal of his unraced dam and he is easily the best runner from the family in three generations. However, if you go back one more generation you find that the fourth dam is Bardicate and she comes from a famous Mernagh female line.

Bardicate was a twin and did not race. She produced a dozen foals at stud, all but one of which raced. Nine of these won on the race course and were headed by Deep Bramble and Polyfemus. The former was a Grade 1 winner of the Ericsson Chase and his other big race successes included the Kerry National at Listowel and a pair of top chases at Sandown.

VOTE: 1512-500565 (Republic of Ireland) or 0901-1100234 (Northern Ireland and Britain).

TEXT BREEDER 4 to 51000 (RoI) or BREEDER 4 to 60999 (NI & UK).

Calls cost 25c/25p. SMS cost 30c/25p. Mobile charges may vary. Service provider Phonovation. Tel 0818 217100. Lines close at midnight on Tuesday, April 21st. The winner will be announced on April 25th in The Irish Field.