‘We were thrilled to bits’ - promising Fanshawe winner leaves Hopper family feeling far from blue

Low-profile it might have been, but a Kempton novice contest last month could ultimately prove to have been the launchpad for the latest notable name associated with Jan and Peter Hopper.

The joint-owners and breeders of debut winner Kind Of Blue have been involved with plenty of James Fanshawe stable stars down the years, and the three-year-old son of Blue Point, who they share with Mike and Michelle Morris, certainly looked promising when scoring under Daniel Muscutt by a nose from subsequent easy winner Not Real.

Kind Of Blue built on that in a stronger novice contest at Doncaster this month, beating no fewer than 17 rivals by upwards of two and a half lengths, with Muscutt again in the saddle.