The Cheltenham Festival: Successful Sires

Features / Timeform / 11 March 2010 / Leave a comment

Master Minded, just one of many French-bred starts sure to make an impact at Cheltenham

Timeform take a look at a handful of stallions whose progeny have produced the goods over the years at Cheltenham...

"One French stallion whose progeny always merit respect on these shores is Cadoudal, best known as the sire of Big Buck’s."

One of the clearest trends in National Hunt racing in recent years has been the spectacular success enjoyed by horses imported from France. One need only look at the Timeform ratings for confirmation of this - French-breds currently sit at the top of Timeform's ratings for staying chasers, two-mile chasers, novice chasers, staying hurdlers, two-mile hurdlers and NH Flat horses. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that French-breds have come to the fore at jumping's premier event, the Cheltenham Festival.

One French stallion whose progeny always merit respect on these shores is Cadoudal, best known as the sire of Big Buck's. That horse's victory in last year's World Hurdle was the third for Cadoudal's progeny over the last ten Festivals, adding to Fadoudal du Cochet's win in the 2002 Grand Annual and Majadou's triumph in the 1999 Mildmay of Flete. There is every chance of that number increasing this year as horses sired by Cadoudal hold decent claims in several races. Big Buck's obviously spearheads the challenge as he seeks to add another World Hurdle to his collection, while Timeform's top-rated novice chaser Long Run is towards the head of the markets for both the Arkle and the RSA Chase. The Nightingale (RSA Chase) and Chamirey (Pertemps Final) are two other representatives of Cadoudal who are reportedly heading to Prestbury Park.

Another top French-based producer of high-class jumpers is Nikos, who sired two winners at last year's Festival in the shape of two-mile Champion Chaser Master Minded and Grand Annual winner Oh Crick. Both are set to bid for repeat victories (Oh Crick holds engagements in both races) and they may well be joined among their sires progeny by Nikos Extra, who would come out amongst the top-rated horses in the Jewson should Alan King elect to send him to Cheltenham.

Also worth mentioning is Video Rock, who has provided Festival winners Hussard Collonges, Nenuphar Collonges and Moulin Riche over the past ten years. This year he will be represented by a small but select band of horses, the pick of whom is arguably Osana in the Arkle, though Pepysrock will be part of Nicky Henderson's assault on the Grand Annual.

Other French stallions with contenders for this year's Festival include Villez, for whom Shakervilz probably has a better chance than his current price suggests in the Arkle, his sire having already produced a winner of that race in Voy Por Ustedes, and Robin Des Champs, sire of both Quevega, who heads the David Nicholson market, and current Jewson favourite Rivaliste.

French stallions have done very well with their jumpers this side of the Channel over the years from limited numbers, but unsurprisingly the most productive sires of Festival winners all hail from either British or Irish backgrounds. The three most prolific such stallions in recent times are Accordion, Supreme Leader and Flemensfirth, each of whom has produced five Festival winners since 1999. Both Accordion and Flemensfirth have found the greatest success with their chasers, neither having sired a winner over timber at the Festival, though Flemensfirth did get a Champion Bumper winner with the mare Total Enjoyment. Both of these stallions are likely to be represented by plenty of runners this time round, with Flemensfirth's best chances perhaps being Drumbaloo (Bumper) and Imperial Commander (Gold Cup), while Get Me Out of Here has a good chance of becoming a first Festival hurdles winner for Accordion in the Supreme. Supreme Leader has proved a versatile Festival stallion over the years, having sired three hurdles winners and two winning chasers, and this year his best chance of a winner is arguably Massasoit in the NH Chase.

Other sires worthy of mention are Presenting, Old Vic, Oscar and Bob Back, each the sire of four Festival winners since 1999. Perhaps most interesting to note is that three of Oscar's winners have come in hurdle races, a record that has every chance of being improved with Donald McCain's hugely promising novice Peddlers Cross set to run in the Baring Bingham (Neptune).

Published anually, the Timeform Statistical Review provides a unique summary of the season's top trainers and leading sires.