Turning Tide – British jumps stallion industry on a sounder footing

It’s taken plenty of effort and perseverance but there’s now very much the sense that the British jumps stallion industry is on a sounder footing, certainly one that offers encouragement going forward.

Overbury Stud’s coup in gaining Golden Horn provides breeders access with a relatively young stallion in possession of a burgeoning dual-purpose record. There is also a real emphasis is on even more nascent potential, as the recent high-profile additions Logician, Subjectivist and Postponed attest.

Logician was well received when he joined Shade Oak Stud in 2022, as he deserved to be following a career highlighted by wins in the St Leger and Great Voltigeur Stakes. Those victories came during an unbeaten championship season at three and were it not for illness later on in his career, then it’s very likely that he would further riches would have followed. As it is, he was an authoritative Classic winner with the pedigree to match; by Frankel, he is a member of Juddmonte’s Didicoy family via the branch responsible for Bated Breath and Cityscape.

Logician covered over 170 mares in his debut season – the resulting foals have so far sold for up to £25,000 – and another 162 last season, giving him plenty of ammunition to go forward with. His fee holds steady at £4,000 for 2024.

Both of Logician’s stud-mates Dartmouth and Telescope are riding off the back of some notable results. Dartmouth (£3,000), a hardy son of Dubawi who won the Yorkshire Cup and Hardwicke Stakes for the late Queen, is the sire of Naval College, the winner of his last three starts for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing in Australia including the Listed Inglis Australia Day Cup in track record time. His first crop of five-year-olds also include debut hurdle scorer Sailing By.

Some early good-sized crops are also coming in their own for Telescope (£3,000), another winner of the Hardwicke Stakes. The son of Galileo has a potential top-notcher in Slade Steel, who won the Grade 2 Tote Navan Novice Hurdle prior to running second behind Ballyburn in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. Slade Steel belongs to Telescope’s second crop as does current dual Listed hurdle winner Harvard Guy. His supporters will also be looking forward to Bellas Bridge, who won a Ludlow bumper for Jamie Snowden after changing hands for €155,000.

Postponed (£4,000) joins Yorton Farm Stud following a stint under the Darley umbrella, during which he sired the Group 3-placed Almohandesah and progressive Oh So Grand – who looks capable of holding her own in Pattern company – on the Flat. However, the influence that the son of Dubawi is beginning to wield in the jumps sphere is impressive, not least because his first crop are still only five and predominantly Flat-bred. Daughter Zestful ran second in last season’s Listed Cheltenham Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle while Our Boy Wes is a black-type jumper in the US. Movie Night has also been Grade 3-placed over jumps in Italy.

Postponed was a sound horse whose performances included wins in the Coronation Cup, King George and Juddmonte International. Out of a mare by Dubai Destination, who supplied several good winners over jumps, it stood to reason that Postponed would throw tough horses who stay well and progress with time – both attributes that should stand him in good stead in his new position at Yorton.

Yorton’s roster also includes another Coronation Cup winner in Pether’s Moon (£2,500), whose early crops include the black-type hurdles Anneloralas and Lunar Discovery as well as the smart bumper performer Moon Chime, who recently broke his maiden over hurdles at Huntingdon for David Killahena and Graeme McPherson.

Yorton also offers the only son of Shirocco at stud in Britain in Arrigo (£2,000). He is also a half-brother to leading German sire Adlerflug, thereby making him a relation to Galileo and Sea The Stars et al. A Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed, Arrigo joined Yorton in 2021 following spells in Germany and France, where small crops have yielded their share of winners.

The Adlerflug theme is continued by Ito (£3,000), another to have joined from Germany, in his case for the 2023 season. Stallion sons of Adlerflug are few and far between and in Ito, breeders have access to a Group 1-winning champion who is a brother to another champion In Swoop. His early German-sired crops have yielded the Group-placed Sir Philip and Theodora while a handful of British-based jumpers include Ito Ditto, a two-time hurdles winner for Nicky Martin this season.

Veteran Gentlewave (poa), whose accomplished stud record is led by Poker Party, Gentlemansgame, Pearl Swan and Easysland, continues to hold court at Yorton at the age of 21.

Champion access

Of all the proven sires available in this sphere, however, it is hard to get away from the achievements of Golden Horn (£10,000). A champion who won the Derby, Eclipse Stakes and Arc, here is a horse who supplied three Group 2 winners on the Flat last season in Trawlerman, Gregory and Goldenas. All the while, his reputation as a jumps sire continues to be bolstered, notably through last month’s Kingwell Hurdle winner Nemean Lion. Nusret and Stag Horn are other Grade 2-winning hurdlers from the sire’s early crops while another classy performer, Pawapuri, recently won the Abram Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. In other words, the purchase of Golden Horn by Jayne McGivern of Dash Grange Stud to stand at Overbury is a real coup for British breeding.

Anticipation has surrounded fellow Overbury stallion Jack Hobbs (£5,000) since he retired in 2018 as winner of the Irish Derby and Dubai Sheema Classic. The imposing son of Halling has been well supported and is now starting to make his presence felt with his first crop of five-year-olds, a group that includes bumper winners Stungbythemaster and Intense Approach; the latter won two bumpers for John McConnell after selling for £210,000 off the back of his winning point debut. There’s also a 91-rated Flat performer in The Gadget Man.

One step behind Jack Hobbs is Frontiersman (£2,000), a Group 1-performing Dubawi son of Ouija Board whose first crop are four-year-olds. Despite never standing for more than £1,000 until this year, Frontiersman is the sire of three winners from just four starters on the Flat, among them Curragh nursery scorer Asian Daze, while both his first jumps runners under rules have been placed. He is, after all, a half-brother to Australia who had the talent to overcome his compromised vision to run second in the Coronation Cup, so has the profile to make an impact at stud.

That trio stand alongside veteran Schiaparelli (£2,000), whose lengthy innings has yielded high-class hurdlers such as Ronald Pump and Indefatigable.

 

Classic form

There is no shortage of horses with Group 1 race records. Nunstainton Stud in County Durham is home to four of them in Kingston Hill, Cannock Chase, Falco and Dragon Dancer. Kingston Hill and Falco bring Classic form to the table as winners of the St Leger and Poule d’Essai des Poulains respectively while Cannock Chase won the Canadian International. Dragon Dancer ran a close second in the Derby.

Falco (poa) has hit elite heights under both codes, with dual Group 1 winner Odeliz flying the flag on the Flat and Triumph Hurdle winner Peace And Co and high-class chaser Hitman leading the way over jumps. He is the veteran of the trio as the future very much lies in front of Kingston Hill (£3,000), who was recruited from Coolmore stand at Nunstainton in 2021. With large early crops to fire for him, the son of Mastercraftsman is unsurprisingly making his presence felt as the likes of No Looking Back, a Grade 2 winner over hurdles, Irish Hill, a five-time winner for Paul Nicholls, and Listed-placed bumper performer Shinji illustrate. A pair of four-year-olds, namely the winning pointers Butchers Hollow and Kingston Pride, sold for £200,000 and €200,000 last year while his book increased to 75 mares.

Cannock Chase (£2,000) doesn’t have early large crops but there is plenty to like about this good-looking son of Lemon Drop Kid. Most notably, his early select group of jumpers include the Grade 1-placed novice hurdler Cannock Park.

Classic form is also offered by German Derby winner Nutan (poa), whose early German crops include Flat Group 3 winner Alpenjager. A half-brother to Group 1 winner Nymphea and related to top jumper Melon, Nutan’s first British-bred crop are yearlings. He stands at Vauterhill Stud alongside Irish St Leger winner Sans Frontieres (poa), sire of the high-class hurdler Jason The Militant.

In Dorset, Etheridge Farm boasts the distinction of standing Group 1-winning miler Virtual (poa), currently in the headlines as sire of Shark Hanlon’s popular King George winner Hewick. Irish two-time winning chaser Bushmans Pass has also kept Virtual’s name prominent this season.

Manton Park might be a relative newcomer to the stallion scene but their roster already offers something for a wide range of tastes, including one French Classic winner who should appeal as a dual-purpose option.

Technician was a rapid riser through the ranks for Martyn Meade as a three-year-old, winning the Geoffrey Freer Stakes and Prix Chaudenay prior to the Prix Royal-Oak. The son of Mastercraftsman, who hails from a deep Aga Khan family, began his stud career at Haras de Montaigu in France but switches to Manton Park, where he has been priced at £5,000.

At Mickley Stud, it should pay to keep an eye on Yorgunnabelucky (£2,500), a brother to Shamardal who won five races. His first crops are underpinned by a balance of talented bumper horses, among them Listed winners Aslukgoes and Timeforatune, and hurdlers, headlined by Gerry Feilden Handicap Hurdle scorer Onemorefortheroad.

Frammassone (£1,000), who is new to Tenbury Wells Stud, is also gaining traction, with his select representatives led by the Grade 2-winning novice chaser Gabbys Cross. Frammassone was, after all, a Grade 1-winning jumper himself in his day, and so is bred for the job.

Frammassone switches from Batsford Stud, which remains home to a favourite in Passing Glance (£3,000). Few stallions can boast his kind of stud record, which contains a Group 1-winning globetrotter on the Flat in Side Glance and a pair of top-notch jumpers in Dashel Drasher and Millers Bank. Another proven veteran Linda’s Lad (poa), the sire of Grade 1 chaser Cash Back, holds court at Elusive Bloodstock.

At Norton Grove Stud, there is a roster of high-class and tough dual-purpose options. Marmelo (£2,000) arrived in 2022 having begun his stud career in France, the scene of his wins in the Prix Maurice de Nieuil and two renewals of the Prix Kergolay. The son of Duke Of Marmalade won seven races in total for Hughie Morrison and was placed on another nine occasions, notably when second in the Melbourne Cup.

Another Norton Grove resident, the Cape Cross horse Century Dream (£3,000), won ten of 35 starts including the Celebration Mile and has first yearlings. Wells Farhh Go (£2,500) also demonstrated similar durability as the winner of three stakes races over five seasons, namely the Acomb Stakes at two, Bahrain Trophy at three and Fred Archer Stakes at four. The son of Farhh has his first foals this year.

Another tough customer, Listed scorer Mildenberger (£1,500), stands at Groomsbridge Stud in Suffolk. A well-bred son of Teofilo, he won seven races in total. Plumton Hall, meanwhile, is home to the Dubawi horse Universal (poa), whose varied stud record ranges from Flat Listed winner Universal Order to seven-time jumps scorer Xcitations. High-class stayer Geordieland (poa), the sire of Straw Fan Jack among others, is also available at Beech Tree Stud.

‘British breeding is in the strongest position that it’s been in for recent years’

The enthusiasm at Alne Park Stud is infectious, making it easy to see how the Warwickshire-based outfit has developed into a thriving stallion base in such a short period of time.

Grace Skelton dipped her toe into the stallion market only three years ago when recruiting Dink, sire of the top Dan Skelton-trained two-mile chaser Nube Negra, and expanded further last year with the additions of Ocovango and Midnights Legacy.

It’s a safe bet, however, that more mares than ever will be heading through the Alne Park gates this season, and not just because the established pair of Ocovango and Dink continue to gain traction. In what is something of a coup for British jumps breeding, the stud welcomes Subjectivist as its latest resident. A brilliant stayer who had the measure of Stradivarius when winning the Ascot Gold Cup for Dr Jim Walker, Subjectivist could easily have headed further afield to start his stud career but is instead available to British breeders at a fee of £4,000. For that, there is access to a well-bred son of Teofilo who was handled by Mark Johnston to not only win the Ascot Gold Cup by five lengths but also the Prix Royal-Oak as a three-year-old and run stakes-placed at two. In fact, Subjectivist came to hand early enough to break his maiden, a 7f novice at Chelmsford City, by seven lengths in the July of his juvenile campaign.

“It really is fantastic to see a horse like Subjectivist kept in the country,” says Grace Skelton. “That was something that Dr Jim Walker and Mark Johnston were tremendously enthusiastic about doing. There are not many horses out there who have beaten Stradivarius. Joe Fanning was positively effusive about the horse – ‘genuine’ was the one word that he kept coming back to.”

In all, Subjectivist won six races and nearly £900,000 in earnings. He was at the peak of his powers fresh off that Ascot Gold Cup win when injury halted his 2021 campaign but he was back two years later at the Royal meeting to run third in the latest renewal, thereby demonstrating a toughness that should prove attractive at stud.

“He’s a serious specimen and he has the page,” says Skelton, alluding to the fact that his dam, the Listed-placed Danehill Dancer mare Reckoning, has also produced Group 2 winner Sir Ron Priestley. “That is what is so exciting – he could be anything. He’s got excellent credentials under both codes. He really was an exceptional racehorse.”

The arrival of Subjectivist adds gloss to a roster that combines the established with the new. One year on from Subjectivist is Midnights Legacy, a son of the British success story Midnight Legend who reached a high level under both codes and now has first foals on the ground. Midnight Legend’s crowning moment at stud came as the sire of Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John, an achievement unlikely to be envisaged when he was covering small numbers at a pittance during his early days in Somerset. But the beauty of this sport is that a good one can appear from anywhere and through a consistent stream of winners, plenty of them high-class, Midnight Legend came to be one of Britain’s best jumps stallions, latterly under the care of David and Kathleen Holmes of Pitchall Farm.

Now hopes are high that Midnights Legacy, his only son at stud and from the family of top hurdler Katchit to boot, can assume the mantle. A winner at two, he reached a rating of 101 on the Flat and was a three-time winner over hurdles for Alan King. He stands for £3,000.

“The Midnights Legacy foals that I’ve seen have been lovely, scopey, well put together types,” says Skelton. “He’s a scopey, well put together horse himself but the big thing for me about him is the way he moves and the foals that we’ve seen have that lightness to them.”

She adds: “I would love to see those breeders who used and did well with Midnight Legend come out of the woodwork for him. I think they’d be rewarded. Every day you open the paper and Midnight Legend still has plenty of runners and winners working for him. He left us a while ago but he’s still doing it.”

Midnights Legacy’s retirement coincided with the arrival of Ocovango from the Beeches Stud in Ireland. Winner of the Prix Greffulhe, the son of Monsun had already done a good turn for the Skeltons as the sire of Langer Dan, who was trained by Dan Skelton to win the 2021 Imperial Cup at Sandown. With large numbers working for him from his time in Ireland, it was only a matter of time before the winners started flowing in and indeed no sooner had he arrived at Alne Park, then a Grade 1 winner emerged in Champ Kiely. Langer Dan, for his part, struck in last year’s Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival while this season’s standouts include Inis Oirr, the 27-length winner of the Edinburgh National, and Highstakesplayer, who has some loftier targets ahead of him after overcoming a lengthy absence to win a handicap chase at Kempton. At the time of writing, Ocovango is Britain’s leading jumps sire and the youngest active name within the top 30 overall. He stands for £4,500, a slight increase from 2023.

“I think at the moment Ocovango ranks as a really exciting prospect,” says Skelton. “They’ve all got this fantastic attitude, they’re gutsy horses. He gets bumper winners, hurdle winners, they win over fences – I think that versatility is a testament to his quality. His first crop are still only eight so he has a lot of time ahead of him.”

Representation is also on the rise for Dink. The 20-year-old, who remains the only son of Poliglote at stud in Britain and Ireland, is best known as the sire of Nube Negra, whose brother Noche Negra recently won a novice handicap chase for Laura Morgan. Both were bred in Spain, where Dink resided until a switch to France ahead of his arrival at Alne Park. His first British-bred crop are two-year-olds but there are a number of older representatives to fly the flag as well.

“I owe Dink a lot,” says Skelton. “We put a lot of faith in him but then he offered us the opportunity to dip our toe in the water. He’s got some excellent young stock on the ground and I hope that people continue to see the stamp of horse that he produces.”

She adds: “I wake up excited every morning for what these foals and stallions represent for our sport. The industry does have its challenges but there’s a lot to be optimistic about as well. British breeding is in the strongest position that it’s been in for recent years. If you look around, there are a lot of quality stallions now available, there’s no need to look across the Irish Sea. It’s come a long way and that’s something to be proud of.”

 

Warm reception for Capri

Stuart Ross didn’t need to be asked twice when the chance arose to stand Capri at his Willow Wood Stud in Kelsall, Cheshire. A dual Classic winner by Galileo from a successful Aga Khan family with Lagardere roots is not the kind of profile that comes along very often. Added to that, Capri’s future is very much ahead of him; relatively young at ten-years-old, his first crop turned three this year and already includes a two-year-old winner in El Capri, his only runner to date. They were sired during the horse’s tenure at Grange Stud for Coolmore, from whom Capri has been leased.

Unsurprisingly, the grey has been afforded a warm reception at his new home, with an open day at Willow Wood backed up by a positive day of showing during the TBA National Hunt Showcase at Doncaster.

Capri joins the Sadler’s Wells horse Ask, winner of the Coronation Cup and Prix Royal-Oak, on the Willow Wood roster. Ask was the stud’s first stallion but following a successful initial season, was forced to sit out 2023 after an attack of colic compromised his fertility. Hopes run high that Ask, whose current runners include the Challow Hurdle second and third Lookaway and The Jukebox Man, will be able to make a return to duty this year.

“We’ve been foaling mares for outside people for about five or six years and that side was growing. I had an itch to bring in a stallion and so I got Ask,” says Ross. “It couldn’t have gone any better in that first year with Ask, I enjoyed everything about it. So last year I asked Richard Venn – ‘The Stallion Man’ – about potential stallions and he came up with a list of ones available. I said to him do you think there would be anything available at Coolmore? When he said Capri, I said right away we’d have him.

“I’d sent two mares to him in his first season. I was a big fan of him as a racehorse and then at stud, so you could say that I already had a lot of faith in him.”

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Capri was a hardy two-year-old who broke his maiden at the Galway summer meeting before rising through the ranks to take a Listed event at Tipperary ahead of the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh. He signed off his year with a third in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud to Waldgeist.

Capri had Waldgeist well behind him the following summer, however, when capturing the Irish Derby at the expense of Cracksman and Wings Of Eagles. That in itself marked him out as among the best of his generation, an idea was later confirmed when he defeated Crystal Ocean and Stradivarius to take the St Leger. He was also a Group 3 winner at four.

“He was out in the July of his two-year-old year,” says Ross. “He was then well campaigned from two to five, beating all those good horses, and he retired sound after all that.

“When people stand into him, they’re surprised at how big he is – he’s a good 16.2 with good bone.”

Capri, whose brother Brazil won the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, stands for £2,500.

A colt by Capri was one of the star turns among the two-year-olds in the Tattersalls Ireland Springhill Dispersal Sale, selling for €62,000 to Cleaboys Stud. Liz Lucas’ Swanbridge Bloodstock also came away with a €32,000 filly out of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale and is set to support the horse further by sending her Grade 2-winning mare Alasi. At the time of writing, seven Elite National Hunt mares were booked to the horse.

“We’ve had a good reception to him,” says Ross. “He showed well at Doncaster and again at our open day. I really couldn’t be happier with him.”

 

‘The ultimate all-rounder’

Few have put as much into the British jumps stallion scene in recent years as Simon Davies. From investing in the stallions Planteur, Bangkok (below) and Walzertakt to stand at Roisin Close’s Chapel Stud in Worcestershire to building up an enviable collection of National Hunt broodmares, Davies has certainly done his bit to reinvigorate the domestic industry.

A niggling issue unfortunately means that Walzertakt, a Group 2-winning son of Montjeu who covered over 70 mares last year, has to sit out this season but in his place at Chapel are Trueshan’s sire Planteur and the regally-bred Group 2 winner Bangkok.

Prix Ganay winner Planteur joined Chapel in 2021 following seven seasons in France, initially at Haras de Bouquetot. His arrival followed hot on the heels of Trueshan’s emphatic win in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October 2020, since when Alan King’s popular gelding has further padded out his career with Group 1 victories in the Goodwood Cup and two renewals of the Prix du Cadran.

Meanwhile, Planteur has compiled an accomplished record as a jumps sire, one that is highlighted by the Grade 2 winners Gran Diose, successful in the Prix Georges Courtois Chase at Auteuil, and Edidindo.

“A high proportion of them run as two-year-olds but they go on and get better,” says Close of the son of Danehill Dancer who is priced at £4,000. “I view him as the ultimate all-rounder. He could absolutely breed you a tough, sound horse on the Flat but also a good jumper. There’s a toughness, soundness and longevity to them.

“He was well supported in France in his last two seasons at Haras du Grand Courgeon and those crops should start appearing soon in the French juvenile hurdles. Simon has sent him some really good jumps mares as well, like Put The Kettle On [the Queen Mother Champion Chase winner who was bought for £380,000 at the end of her racing days; she has a yearling filly by Planteur]. So he has some decent crops on the ground to go to war with.”

The younger Bangkok has been similarly well supported, although in his case from breeders such as King Power Racing, in whose colours he ran, and Kingsclere Stud. That is in addition to Davies, whose support is headlined by the high-class hurdler and bumper performer The Glancing Queen, herself a £150,000 purchase.

“The Glancing Queen has had a very good filly the other day,” says Close. “She’s a good first foal so we’re very pleased.”

It is little wonder that those closest to Bangkok are keen to support the horse. A 500,000gns yearling purchase by King Power, the son of Australia is out of multiple stakes producer Tanaghum, a Darshaan daughter of Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Mehthaaf from the famous Fall Aspen family, and lived up to that heritage by winning the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown at three and the York Stakes at four. The winner of six races overall, he earned close to £700,000 and is standing his third season for £3,000. Attached is a ‘Bangkok Bonus’ in which breeders and owners can win up to £10,000

“You couldn’t ask for a better stallion’s pedigree,” says Close. “He was sound and he raced for four seasons all over the world. So he brings pedigree, performance and soundness.

“Though he hasn’t covered big books, there’s a real quality to them. He’s been supported by some really good people. He’s had support from some good owner-breeders, including the Balding family. Simon [Davies] has sent him some really good jumps mares and then we went out and bought some really good sharp ones because we all know that making a good, early impression counts.

“He has a lot of quality – he’s really short in the back – so for some of those bigger National Hunt mares that need sharpening up, he ticks a lot of the boxes. But he covers the whole spectrum as well and you could see him doing well on the Flat as well.”

 

The outside view

“Poet’s Word is throwing really good stock. He’s a very good-looking horse, top-class for Sir Michael Stoute, and I’ve liked the young stock that I’ve seen. Golden Horn and Nathaniel are two horses who you can rely on for a dual-purpose job. Golden Horn had a really good year on the Flat last year and now his jumps stock are coming through, and some of them look exciting.” Timmy Hillman, Castledillon Stud

 

“I’ve like what I’ve seen from Order Of St George so far – I had one by him called Mighty Bandit, who won at Punchestown in November. The vibes about him around Ireland are good.” Gordon Elliott, trainer

 

“Postponed has only had a small amount of runners over hurdles but has a very high strike-rate. It looks like only a matter of time before he gets a proper one. When he gets some proper National Hunt mares, anything could happen. I was also pleased to see Triple Threat go to Capital Stud. Again, his early results are promising and the stock I’ve seen in France are good. He’s good-looking and well-bred, so he has every chance.” Hamish Macauley, agent

 

“I’d be most keen on sires that give good temperaments and are sound and tough. An old saying – don’t look at the stallion, look at his progeny and judge him that way. Poet’s Word stamps them well. I love a stallion that stamps his stock and he does. I also like the Sea The Stars sire line. I can see Harzand making it – he’s a beauty to look at. I think Sea The Stars will transpose plenty of his attributes to his sons and grandchildren, not least temperament.

“There’s a good word for Order Of St George from some of the pointing lads. Another horse who is starting to get a few winners is Sea Moon while Night Wish has a couple of nice winners in the right hands. A sleeper could be Free Port Lux in France. We’ve had a couple through our hands that we’ve liked a lot. They’ve been good looking horses with plenty of size to them.” Harry Fowler, Rahinston Stud

 

“The progeny of Harzand and Order Of St George both took my eye on my recent visits to Ireland, where I have seen upwards of 400 horses in point-to-point yards. As an English and Irish Derby winner by See The Stars, Harzand has everything needed to be a top National Hunt stallion. Realistically, he will only have decent numbers of National Hunt stock coming from here on in – he has stood at Kilbarry Lodge Stud since 2023 but the animals I’ve seen so far suggest he’s an exciting stallion for the jumping ranks as they have size, scope and movement. I have bought a good few so far from Flat pedigrees and they are sound and reliable.  I look forward to watching them closely.

“Order Of St George was a proper staying Flat horse. The word is good so far from a soundness and ability to work with them. His oldest are four-year-olds but I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far on the ground. They will be appearing in point to points this season. Obviously Mighty Bandit looked smart when winning at Punchestown in November.” Tom Malone, agent