Thursday 16 April 2015 13:14, UK
Our pedigree expert Chris Hill reflects on last week's Crabbie's Grand National Meeting from Aintree.
The Oliver Sherwood-trained Many Clouds (Cloudings) ran out a courageous winner of the Grade Three Aintree Grand National last Saturday carrying eleven stone nine pounds, just one pound off top weight, to bring owner Trevor Hemmings a third victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase after Hedgehunter in 2005 and Ballabriggs in 2011 and ensuring that jockey Leighton Aspell became the first jockey since Bryan Marshall in 1953 and 1954 to win successive Nationals on different horses following last year’s victory on Pineau De Re.
The winner of the Grade Two BetBright Cup Chase and Grade Three Hennessy Gold Cup earlier in the season, Many Clouds was purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock for €6,000 purchase at the 2007 Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. The third foal out of the unplaced National Hunt mare Bobbing Back (Bob Back), Sherwood’s eight-year-old gelding is a half-brother to The Tullow Tank (Oscar), the winner of the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Future Champions Novice Hurdle in 2013 and narrow runner-up earlier this month in the Grade One Ryanair Powers Gold Cup, from the further family of the Ascot Grade One Crispin Handicap Chase (now run as the Ascot Chase) winner Very Very Ordinary.
Many Clouds’ sire Cloudings, the 1997 Group One Prix Lupin winner, stands at Old Road Stud in County Waterford alongside the 2010 St Leger winner Arctic Cosmos and the four-time Group Three winner Mores Wells, and other than the National winner his best performers to date include the 2009 Grade Two Peter Marsh Handicap Chase winner Cloudy Lane - who also carried Hemmings’ famous green and yellow quartered colours to victory - and the 2013 Grade Three Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase winner Cloudy Too.
The Aintree Grand National meeting kicked off last Thursday with Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old gelding Clarcam (Califet) running out a most impressive four length winner of the Grade One Manifesto Novices’ Chase for owners Gigginstown House Stud in the hands of Ruby Walsh.
Bred in France by Jean Michel and Dominique Le Breton out of the winning chaser Rose Beryl (Lost World), a half-sister to the 2005 Grade One Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase winner Bonbon Rose (Mansonnien) and the 2011 Listed Prix Gaston Despres Angers Chase winner Speed Rose (Passing Sale), and herself out of the 1992 Listed Prix Gaston Despres Angers Chase winner Rose Angevine (Master Thatch), Clarcam is a half-brother to three other French jumps winners and hails from the family of the triple Grade Two winning jumper Irish Saint (Saint Des Saints).
All Yours (Halling) initiated a Grade One double for trainer Paul Nicholls on the opening day when Sam Twiston-Davies guided the Potensis Limited-owned four-year-old gelding to a three-quarter-length victory in the Anniversary 4-y-o Juvenile Hurdle.
Out of the dual French Flat winner Fontaine Riant (Josr Algarhoud), a half-sister to the two-time French Listed winner Kentucky Coffee (Kenmare) and to Marienbad (Darshaan), the dam of the three-time Group One winner Marienbard (Caerleon), All Yours is a half-brother to Lac Fontana (Shirocco), a five-time winner under both codes who was victorious for the same connections in last year’s Grade Three County Hurdle before following up a month later with victory in the Grade One Mersey Novices’ Hurdle.
The third foal out of the unplaced National Hunt mare Bobbing Back, Many Clouds is a half-brother to grade One winner The Tullow Tank (Oscar), from the further family of the Ascot Grade One Crispin Handicap Chase winner Very Very Ordinary.
Silviniaco Conti (Dom Alco) completed a treble of Grade One victories for French-breds on the opening day when gallantly holding off Ballynagour (Shantou) by a head under Noel Fehily to record a second consecutive triumph in the Betfred Bowl Chase and sixth success in all at Grade One level.
One of five winners out of the French five-time winning mare Gazelle Lulu (Altayan), the Chris Giles and Potensis Bloodstock Limited-owned nine-year-old gelding is a full brother to the 2011 French Listed Prix Triquerville Chase winner Toscana Conti (Dom Alco) as well as a half-brother to Ucello Conti (Martaline), the 2011 French Listed Prix Roger de Minvielle Chase winner and four-times Grade Three-placed, with Kasper Lulu another French Listed Hurdle winner within the close family.
Last year’s Champion Hurdle hero Jezki (Milan) gained a deserved first Grade One of the season in the Aintree Hurdle when the fall of Arctic Fire (Soldier Hollow) at the last when disputing the lead with the Jessica Harrington-trained seven-year-old allowed A P McCoy to coast home for a thirteen-length victory on the J P McManus-owned gelding.
Bred by Gerard McGrath out of his fantastic broodmare La Noire (Phardante), a placed half-sister to the Grade One winners Strong Run (Strong Gale) and Leading Run (Supreme Leader), who sadly passed away in 2013, Jezki is a full brother to the 2012 Grade Two Festival Novice Hurdle winner Jenari (Milan) and half-brother to the 2008 Grade One Champion Novice Hurdle winner Jered (Presenting) and the 2014 Grade One Tipperkevin Hurdle winner Jetson (Oscar).
With an emphatic fifteen length victory in Friday’s Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase, the Paul Nicholls-trained Saphir Du Rheu (Al Namix) became the second winner at the highest level by the triple French Listed Flat winner Al Namix, following Grandouet who landed the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Punchestown in 2011.
Out of the four-time French jumps winner Dona du Rheu (Dom Pasquini), a full sister to the dual-French Listed jumps winner Ponte Novu (Dom Pasquini), the Stewart Family-owned winner is a half-brother to two other winners including the 2012 Grade Three Prix la Perichole Chase runner-up Centaure du Rheu (Cadoubel).
Gigginstown House Stud’s Don Cossack (Sholokhov) was an even more emphatic winner in the following race, the Grade One Melling Chase, when A P McCoy guided the eight-year-old gelding to a twenty-six length victory for trainer Gordon Elliott.
One of six winners produced by the two-time German winner Depeche Toi (Konigsstuhl), a half-sister to the 1996 Listed Frühjahrs Stuten Preis winner Dapprima (Shareef Dancer) who is herself the dam of the German Group Two winner Denaro (Dashing Blade) and Group Three winner and sire Davidoff (Montjeu), Don Cossack is a half-brother to the triple German winner Dubai Diva (Unfuwain), the dam of the French Listed Prix Aguado Hurdle runner-up Dubai Star (Lord of England), and hails from the further family of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom.
Another wide-margin winner on Friday’s card was Colin Tizzard’s seven-year-old gelding Thistlecrack (Kayf Tara) who came home thirteen lengths clear under Tom Scudamore in the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle after his nearest rival Alpha Des Obeaux (Saddler Maker) fell at the final flight.
Twice a graduate of Tattersalls Ireland having initially been purchased as a foal by John McDonald for €32,000 at their 2008 November National Hunt Sale before current owners John and Heather Snook obtained the then three-year-old for €43,000 at the 2011 August National Hunt Sale, Thistlecrack is one of three winners produced by the four-time winning chaser Ardstown (Ardross) meaning he is bred along the same lines as the dual Listed-winning chaser The Package (Kayf Tara).
With an emphatic 15 length win in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Saphir Du Rheu became the second winner at the highest level by the triple French Listed Flat winner Al Namix, following Grandouet who landed the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle at Punchestown in 2011.
The opening race on Grand National day saw Willie Mullins’ Nichols Canyon (Authorized) record his third victory at Grade One level when piloted by Ruby Walsh to a comfortable four-and-a-half length success in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, having won the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Deloitte Novice Hurdle earlier in the season.
Formerly trained on the flat by John Gosden for whom he landed the Listed Noel Murless Stakes and Prix Denisy in 2013, Nichols Canyon was a 48,000 guineas purchase by Blandford Bloodstock at the 2011 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Out of Zam Zoom (Dalakhani), an unraced half-sister to the 2011 Group Three Winter Derby winner Nideeb (Exceed and Excel), from the further family of multiple Group One winners Luso and Warrsan as well as last year’s dual French Classic heroine Avenir Certain, Andrea and Graham Wylie’s five-year-old gelding is a half-brother to Bright Approach (New Approach), a winner for Gosden in 2014 and third in last season’s Listed Cheshire Oaks.
Grange Stud-resident Milan was represented by a second Aintree 2015 winner at the highest level, when the Henry De Bromhead-trained Sizing Granite (Milan) ran out a length winner of the Grade One Maghull Novices’ Chase under Johnny Burke, a victory that was swiftly followed by a third at the meeting for the stallion when Duke of Lucca (Milan) won the Listed Betfred Handicap Chase for a second successive year.
Another two-time graduate of Tattersalls Ireland having first been purchased as a foal for €4,200 at the 2008 November National Hunt Sale before current owner Alan Potts acquired the then three-year-old for €68,000 at the 2011 Derby Sale, Sizing Granite is a half-brother to the dual winning hurdler Doransfirth (Flemensfirth) out of the winning hurdler Hazel’s Tisrara (Mandalus) meaning De Bromhead’s seven-year-old gelding is bred along the same lines as the Grade Two chase runner-up Crash (Milan) and the Listed chase third Night In Milan (Milan).
Also on Saturday, the Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old gelding Whisper (Astarabad) retained his Grade One Liverpool Hurdle crown with a hard-fought three-and-a-half length victory under Nico de Boinville over World Hurdle winner Cole Harden (Westerner) for owner Dai Walters.
A €45,000 purchase by Highflyer Bloodstock at the 2009 Arqana October Yearling Sale, Whisper is a full brother to Chuchoteuse (Astarabad), a two-time winner of the French Listed Prix de Besancon Hurdle, being out of the dual French jumps winner and 1999 Listed Prix Finot Hurdle runner-up Belle Yepa (Mansonnien), herself a full sister to the two-time French Grade Three winning chaser Subehargues (Mansonnien) and half-sister to the dual French Listed hurdle winner Cutty Sark Memory (Un Kopeck).
Chris Hill
Chris is a Pedigree Researcher for Weatherbys Ltd, the company that provides the majority of pedigrees for thoroughbreds sold at public auction in Britain and Ireland and who offer a range of products and services to suit your Bloodstock needs.
For further information please visit http://www.weatherbys.co.uk/bloodstock
