'He's a real show-off, like Tiger Roll' - half-brother to National legend among Goffs December NH Sale offerings

The handsome bay colt occupying Box 16 of Barn K at Kildare Paddocks until Monday evening has no idea that his older half-brother is one of the most famous and most loved racehorses of the past decade; Tiger Roll.

Eamon Phelan's Derryluskin Stud consigns the Harzand foal (lot 176) on behalf of his breeder Jerry O'Brien at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale, which begins on Monday morning. 

The retired vet didn't intend to breed a National Hunt legend when he sent the Vintage Crop Stakes runner-up Swiss Roll to Authorized, but that's exactly what the 2010-born foal would grow up to be.

"It wasn't by design but it was marvellous everybody followed him and got such a thrill out of him racing – every sport needs a hero like that and he was great for everyone really," he says of the horse who, it shouldn't be forgotten, won the Triumph Hurdle, National Hunt Challenge Cup and three renewals of the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in addition to his two Grand National triumphs.

Despite his diminutive stature, Tiger Roll dwarfs his siblings' accomplishments on the track, but there is much more to the family than he alone.

Ahzeemah, Swiss Roll's son of Dubawi, was a talented horse on the Flat. He won the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup for Godolphin and was second in the Irish St Leger behind Lady O'Reilly's Voleuse De Coeurs. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, he was also successful in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy and was twice placed in both the Goodwood Cup and Dubai Gold Cup.

Jerry O'Brien at the ITBA awards where he was recognised for breeding Tiger RollCredit: Caroline Norris

Her Teofilo son Austrian School showed potential as a stayer for Mark Johnston, finishing second in the Glasgow and Rose Bowl Stakes and third in the Henry II Stakes before injury intervened. 

O'Brien remarks with some understatement: "I thought Tiger Roll might be a good middle-distance horse but it turned out differently."

Having one of National Hunt racing's immortals as a sibling does create a tendency to blot out the sun.

"Ahzeemah is in the shadows of Tiger, nobody really mentions him, but he won the Lonsdale Cup and was second in the Irish Leger," says O'Brien. "He was nearly always placed and was a very resolute, tough horse."

Swiss Roll is the dam of four winners, with her four-year-old gelding Olympic Order, a full-brother to Austrian School, who stands at Clongiffen Stud, travelling in the opposite direction to many National Hunt horses. Trained by Francois Nicolle, he was third on his hurdling debut at Bordeaux earlier this year.

It is those very qualities of tenacity and determination that O'Brien references which made Tiger Roll into the colossus who strode across each spring. That was never more vital or alive than in his final race, when he went out on his shield in the Cross Country at Cheltenham, going down by a neck to stablemate Delta Work. The two Gigginstown horses were led back into the winner's enclosure together, welcomed by a spine-tingling roar that echoed the crowd's exhortations for one last victory up Cleeve Hill.

Tiger Roll's heroic last stand at Cheltenham with Delta WorkCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Brien says: "Tiger Roll was a very versatile horse and the family are very resolute and strong-minded, they give everything. His mother was the same, all of the family are the same; very sound with great minds."

The breeder knows the family inside-out, having purchased Tiger Roll's second dam On Air as a five-year-old. The daughter of Chief Singer had shown talent on the Flat and over jumps, winning in France before hurdles success in Britain. 

From On Air, O'Brien bred three black-type performers on the Flat. In addition to the full-siblings Swiss Roll and Berenson, On Air is also the dam of the Group 3 Park Express Stakes winner and Fairy Bridge Stakes second Pollen, by Orpen. Now a broodmare in Japan, she has produced Pollentia, who carried the Equinox colours of Silk Racing and is a Group 3-placed daughter of Heart's Cry.

On Air is also the dam of Khachaturian, by Spectrum, who was also successful on the Flat and over hurdles, and earned his black type in a Listed handicap hurdle at the Grand National meeting.  

Her unraced daughter Vespers is the granddam of Tommy Docc, who was second in Royal Ascot's Queen's Vase and third in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy for Keith Dalgleish.

O'Brien has only one broodmare at his property near the shores of Lough Derg in north Tipperary, Swiss Roll, but her two-year-old filly by Doyen has been retained and having been broken and ridden will be sent into training next year. Her breeder is keen to keep the line going and in the daughter of the King George winner by Sadler's Wells, he has a filly who, like her older brother, is in-bred to Sadler's Wells.

The opportunity to breed from top-class middle-distance horses like Doyen, and at the other end of the career spectrum horses such as Crystal Ocean and Poet's Word, is one that is not lost upon O'Brien, who spent a significant portion of his veterinary career working at Coolmore.

Tiger Roll's half-brother by Harzand has his love of attention and performingCredit: Grossick Racing 07710461723

He says: "It is a great time for owner-breeders to be able to access these wonderful racehorses at reasonable stud fees. They are very good value. There is a market for selling on middle-distance horses in training too, so there are options for breeders."

Having produced high-class horses on the Flat and over jumps, O'Brien was not short of choices when considering which stallion he should send Swiss Roll to for her most recent covering, but he alighted upon one of those excellent middle-distance options; Harzand, who stands at Kilbarry Lodge Stud. 

"Harzand didn't take much imagination," O'Brien says modestly. "He won two Derbys but it was the way he won them as well. You need plenty of speed to win these races and he had that. I went to see him and thought he was a beautiful-looking horse with a lovely temperament. He is a son of Sea The Stars and he has everything."

Early indications suggest that the Sea The Stars line could be a successful cross for the family. Skid, a Montjeu half-sister to Swiss Roll, is the grandam of Max Of Stars, who was second in a Listed juvenile fillies' hurdle at Newbury on the first day of the month. She is from the first crop of Cloth Of Stars, the Prix Ganay winenr by Sea The Stars.

There is something of Tiger Roll's personality about the colt foal, that enjoyment of life and love of attention that the Aintree hero has in abundance.

O'Brien says: "The foal has a very good temperament and is a lovely mover with very good conformation. He loves attention and he is a real show-off, like Tiger Roll. Being the only foal here, he gets a lot of attention and he enjoys it."

That attention continued at Derryluskin, where his preparation was overseen by O'Brien's former Coolmore colleague.

"Eamon Phelan is a consummate horseman and did an excellent job with the preparation," he adds.

If the Harzand foal in Barn K goes on to build a racing career that is anything like that of Tiger Roll, then the colt will find that attention will follow him throughout his days.

The Goffs December National Hunt sale begins at 11am on Monday.

Goffs December National Hunt Sale factfile 

Where Goffs, Kildare Paddocks

When Four-day sale begins on Monday at 11am; other three sessions from 10am

Last year’s stats From 691 offered, 480 lots sold (70 per cent) for turnover of €8,735,800 (up 22 per cent year on year), an average of €18,200 (up 13 per cent) and a median of €11,000 (up ten per cent)

Notable graduates Flooring Porter (sold by Ryehill Stables, bought by Richard Rohan for €6,000); Tommy's Oscar (sold by Thistletown Stud, bought by Richard Frisby for €27,000); Sporting John (sold by Grange Hill Stud, bought by Richard Frisby for €20,000); Croke Park (sold by Ballincurrig House Stud, bought by Ballygriffin Stud for €47,000)

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