Page 22 - Demo

nh racing
Notebook: the son of Samum is making great strides and is now a short price for the Arkle Trophy
Delta Work: jockey Jack Kennedy is all smiles
In 2019, his sale ring offerings were topped by Mags O’Toole’s €180,000 purchase of a gelding out of Toledana from Roxborough Stud. He is a half-brother to a French Listed placed hurdle winner and his dam is a Protector half-sister to the Grand Annual (G3) winner Oiseau De Nuit.
At the time of writing, this winter Milan has bagged 55 winners from 230 runners, a winners-to-runners strike rate of 23 per cent.
His leading performer by earnings is Roaring Bull, who has won over £100,000 courtesy primarily of his success in the valuable 3m Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown on December 27. Out of a Presenting mare and trained by Gordon Elliot, if Roaring Bull remains in the good heart through the spring, he could be a contender for major staying handicaps.
Milan’s major graded race performer over Christmas was the admirable Monalee, who after a good front-running performance in the Savills Chase (G1), finished second to Delta Work. Monalee, a nine-year-old bred by Aidan Ahern, is due to be freshened up and will head straight to the Gold Cup.
Monalee was continuing the strong run
of form for trainer Henry De Bromhead and jockey Racheal Blackmore, the combination’s highest point from a number of good results over the Festive period came in the Racing Post Novices Chase (G1) with Notebook and in the 2m1f Grade 1 Chase at Leopardstown on December 27 with A Plus Tard.
His final runs of the year came in the Arc de Triomphe (fifth) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf in which he was beaten just three- quarters of a length by Fantastic Light.
He was injured on his only four-year-old start and retired to the Coolmore NH ranks.
With form in the book and a fine pedigree to be taking to the NH sphere (he is by Sadler’s Wells and out of Kithanga,
a daughter of Darshaan who finished third in the Irish St Leger) he were always expected to be an important NH sire.
Judges were perhaps a little disappointed
A Plus Tard:
it was a strong Christmas season for his sire Kapgarde
It was an inspired purchase – Notebook has only once in nine subsequent starts finished out
of the first two places
that his early-produced crops did not immediately create the biggest
impact, but his best horse to date, the Jessica
Harrington-trained Jezki, arrived in his 2008 crop.
With Jezki’s first Grade 1 hurdle
wins coming in 2012, it helped to created some
forward momentum for the sire which is beginning to be realised on the track. Since 2009 Milan’s fee has crept up from
€5,000 to this year’s €10,000.
The sire’s best store horse sale came in
2018 when Aiden Murphy for MV Magnier paid €365,000 for Ballyreddin Stud’s
half-brother to the three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Alitor.
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