Impressive Walking On Air another for Refinement's catalogue

There are few guarantees when a top National Hunt mare retires for a breeding career but there has been plenty to commend about Refinement's efforts for the Tabor family.

Michael Tabor has been involved in the family of the very impressive Newbury winner Walking On Air for three generations now, having bought Maneree before she finished third in the 1992 Champion Bumper and who was prolific over hurdles and fences with Neville Callaghan.

Maneree's two foals to race were Manners, a Listed bumper winner for Jonjo O'Neill, and Oscar's daughter Refinement, a fabulous white-faced mare who was second in the Champion Bumper 12 years later and won 13 times, most notably in the Champion Stayers' Hurdle at Punchestown.

View result and watch Walking On Air's win here

Refinement, who died in 2020 according to Weatherbys records, has now produced four winners from as many runners to make the track. Risk Factor was second in a Grade 2 Leopardstown bumper behind Appreciate It for Joseph O'Brien, and the same feat was managed by Meticulous, who was unfortunate to run into Envoi Allen.

Walking On Air, her first foal by Walk In The Park and her eighth and last in all, looked a very smart prospect on only his second start, and his first over obstacles, when taking the Start Your RacingTV Free Trial Novices' Hurdle by 13 lengths.

The Nicky Henderson-trained five-year-old immediately entered calculations for prizes at Cheltenham, where there is certainly a bit of old family form with his dam beaten an agonising short head by Whiteoak in the Mares' Hurdle.

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