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Look out for new era of Blue Bresil British-breds at Cheltenham

Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023

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By Jess Stafford

The increasing sense of competition between British and Irish-trained horses at recent Cheltenham Festivals has spilled over into the bloodstock world too.

Indeed, British racing fans might be tempted to try and claim Honeysuckle as flying the flag for England, the daughter of Sulamani having begun her life at The Glanvilles Stud, Dorset in 2014 before making her way over to Ireland for the Tattersalls Store sale.

She has remained in Ireland since and is now firmly the Queen of Irish racing but luckily for the British she will always have that (GB) suffix etched to her name.

However as much as she might be seen as being British-bred, she was firmly an Irish trained winner last year, and as well as being responsible for a landslide in terms of where the winners were trained, the Irish also dominated from a breeding perspective with 20 of the 28 victors having been born there. The remaining eight were split between France and Great Britain.

The strength of the Irish-breds ties in closely with the quality and numbers of National Hunt Stallions available to breeders in Ireland. Owners ofIrish-based mares are long in options with all of the top 20 jumps sires in Britain and Ireland being based in Ireland.

The most recent recruit to Irish shores with the potential to have his best Cheltenham Festival to date is Blue Bresil. The son of Smadoun spent his first three seasons in his native France at Haras de la Croix Sonnet and these original crops found plenty of success at the Cheltenham Festival.

From his first crop, foaled in 2011, came The Martin Pipe winner of 2016, Ibis Du Rheu and the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual winner of 2018, Le Prezien.

From the remaining French crops, we can still look forward to seeing Royale Pagaille and Blue Lord at this year’s Cheltenham Festival with the former having a very live chance in the Sporting Life Arkle Novice Chase.

Royale Pagaille heads to the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup for the second time, hoping to go closer than his sixth place last year where he sustained an injury during the race.

Royale Pagaille has flown the flag very high for Blue Bresil as his highest rated progeny in training. However, the stallion's time at Yorton Farm is bringing forth a new band of British-based progeny who could elevate this sire to new heights.

Current favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle is Blue Bresil’s most recent Grade One winner in Constitution Hill, bred by Sally Noott of Throckmorton Court Stud, who sent her King’s Theatre mare Queen Of The Stage to Blue Bresil in his first year at Yorton Farm when he was standing for just £2,750.

Son of Blue Bresil, Constitution Hill, wins the Tolworth

If Constitution Hill can’t provide Blue Bresil with his first success at the Festival for four years then perhaps it could come from Redemption Day who was co bred by Yorton Farm Stud’s David Futter. Sold to Donnacha Doyle for £40,000 he created a big impression on debut at Leopardstown for Willie and Patrick Mullins and heads to the Weatherbys Champion Bumper with plenty of potential.

The achievements of Blue Bresil caught the eagle eyes of Coolmore in 2019 and he was purchased by them to stand at Glenview Stud in Ireland for the 2022 season. Additional Cheltenham Festival success will undoubtedly see him become one of their pivotal sires.

Coolmore will be hoping that it will be a successful Cheltenham across a broad section of their National Hunt sires with their standout in this division, Walk In The Park, set to have his best Festival to date.

Douvan and Min have already provided the son of Montjeu with victories at Prestbury Park but he has yet to have more than one winner in the week. That could change this year with Jonbon, Ginto and Facile Vega all holding leading chances for their respective races.

Coolmore will see plenty of their sires competing against each other with one of the more exciting match-offs coming in the Champion Bumper. American Mike is a son of Beeches Stud’s Mahler who is yet to sire a Cheltenham Festival winner, but could soon see the monkey come off his back, should the five year old get the better of his main market rival.

Mahler has long been a leader as a sire in the Point-To-Point scene in Ireland and a Cheltenham Festival winner is the only plaudit missing from his illustrious CV. His second leading hope is Journey With Me, who will hope to emulate his stablemate Bob Olinger in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and also give the owners Robcour back to back victories in the race.

Another sire looking to crack a first Festival winner is leading French National Hunt sire, Doctor Dino. The son of Muhtathir stands for a lofty €18,000 at Haras du Mesnil and has been responsible for the likes of Sceau Royal and four-times Grade One Matheson Hurdle winner Sharjah. A Festival winner has so far passed him by with his best result coming from Sharjah who has finished a runner up in the Unibet Champion Hurdle on two occasions.

This year represents Doctor Dino’s best opportunity with State Man looking to take advantage of his handicap mark in any one of the Coral Cup, County Hurdle or Martin Pipe and Dinoblue hoping to add to Willie Mullins' control over the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Can State Man supply Doctor Dino with a first Cheltenham Festival winner?

Throw Fil Dor (JCB Triumph Hurdle) and Gin On Lime (Paddy Power Mares’ Chase) into the mix and it could be a fruitful week for Doctor Dino.

Potentially adding to the delights of Haras du Mesnil would be victory for A Plus Tard in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup glory as he is a homebred of the Devin family who own the Normandy-based stud.

The strength of the French does not stop there with Galopin des Champs, L'Homme Presse, Allaho, Good Risk At All, Bravemansgane, Jonbon, Energumene, Vauban, Echoes In Rain, Grangee, Ginto and Elimay all French-breds with big chances.

As for the meeting's leading sire, it could be hard to topple last year’s winner. The late, great Stowaway took the plaudits with five winners and he could just about edge it again. The linchpin of Whytemount Stud in Ireland died as a 21-year-old in 2015 but his legend lives on with his exceptional progeny.

For 2022, he is responsible for three of the seven ante-post favourites on Day One with Fury Road, Telmesomethinggirl and Stattler all hoping to get his week off to a good start. Two of last year’s winners The Shunter and Put The Kettle On will hope to achieve back to back victories at the Festival whilst British hopes will firmly rest on Hillcrest to land the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Chase.

We might be on the brink of another domination display from Irish-trained horses at the Cheltenham Festival but the pendulum could be just about swinging back around from a breeding perspective with a number French and British-bred runners holding sway in the betting.

Enjoy more in-depth views from Jess and other contributors in the latest Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide, edited by Paul Ferguson. Tap here for more details.

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