Belfast Banter extends Jeremy's legacy with another Grade 1 strike

The only member of Jeremy’s four Cheltenham Festival heroes not to strike at Grade 1 level quickly promoted himself into the same category as Belfast Banter collected a major spring double in the Betway Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Friday.

It had been handicap company for Peter Fahey’s gelding last month, breaking both the trainer and his experienced rider Kevin Sexton’s duck at that meeting in the County Hurdle.

Garryrichard Stud’s Jeremy, who died in 2014, has produced some crackers from his final crops. Like Belfast Banter, the Champion Bumper hero Sir Gerhard was also born a year later.

On the opening day of Cheltenham, Jeremy had sired a Grade 1 double from two seven-year-olds with Appreciate It running away with the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Black Tears claiming the Mares' Hurdle.

Belfast Banter is one of a few canny purchases by Fergal O’Neill's Direct Bloodstock operation which has developed quickly over the last couple of seasons and unearthed Fahey’s subsequent Limerick Grade 3 scorer Soviet Pimpernel for just €18,000.

This horse cost only slightly more, being knocked down for £30,000 at the 2019 Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale after finishing second in a four-year-old maiden point at Oldcastle for Patrick Turley.

Bred by Seamus Cooney, he had to be offered three times as a young horse before making €10,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. He is the second foal of the twice-raced Irish pointer Sumtin Nice, a half-sister to Tony Martin’s Cheltenham Festival winner Dun Doire.

Cooney sold a three-year-old half-brother by Soldier Of Fortune to Joe Casey for €13,000 at Goffs last summer.

Long-standing Coolmore resident Dylan Thomas also had his best day in the National Hunt sphere. Not only did his son Ahoy Senor provide a breakthrough Grade 1 when causing a 66-1 upset in the Doom Bar Sefton Novices' Hurdle, his previous jumps flagbearer Nuts Well also ran a blinder to finish second in the Marsh Chase despite getting coming off badly in scrimmaging.

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