Boum! Bright young sire brother of Big Buck's supplies Gold Cup winner

Buck's Boum confirmed himself one of the hottest young jumps sires anywhere in Europe as son Al Boum Photo landed the Magners Gold Cup on Friday to make it two winners at this year's Cheltenham Festival after another son, Duc Des Genievres, took the Racing Post Arkle on Tuesday.

Success at the meeting is in the blood of Buck's Boum, as he is a brother to four-time Stayers' Hurdle winner Big Buck's.

He showed he had some of his outstanding sibling's ability when finishing second to Long Run in the Prix Cambaceres, a Grade 1 hurdle at Auteuil, before being retired to Haras d'Enki in western France.

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Like many horses sent over obstacles in France, Buck's Boum had been left entire – thus allowing him to pass on his genes to the next generation.

Kapgarde and Nickname, also on the sires' scoresheet at Cheltenham this week with A Plus Tard and Frodon, were likewise raced over jumps across the Channel, Nickname later joining Martin Brassil in Ireland.

Indeed, it is the third year in a row that the Gold Cup has fallen to a horse whose sire raced over jumps. Last year it was Native River, by Indian River, and in 2017 it was Sizing John, whose sire Midnight Legend was highly unusual in that he was a British-trained jumper who was spared the unkindest cut.

Buck's Boum: stands at Haras d'Enki at a fee of €5,000

Incidentally, both Buck's Boum and Indian River are by Cadoudal, who supplied 2011 Gold Cup hero Long Run.

Buck's Boum, also sire of this season's Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase winner Dynamite Dollars, has seen his fee rise from a lowly €1,500 to €5,000 this year. He will no doubt have been the target of several takeover bids from Irish and British stallion studs but, for the moment at least, he remains at Haras d'Enki.

Al Boum Photo was bred by his former trainer in France, Emmanuel Clayeux, with Jacky Rauch, the same pair behind Dynamite Dollars.

Rauch has a rich history of festival glory, having also bred or co-bred Al Ferof, Naiad Du Misselot and Royal Auclair.

Al Boum Photo's unraced dam Al Gane, by Dom Alco, is out of a half-sister to Scottish Grand National winner Al Co and to Fee Magic, the dam of Grade 1-winning chasers Grands Crus and Le Richebourg.

Al Boum Photo was the first foal for the 14-year-old Al Gane, who has also produced French-winning jumper Diteou to Big Buck's and has an unraced four-year-old filly, Al Alamaison, with Clayeux.

The dam has T'Araison, a two-year-old son by Buck's Boum, and Al Inea, a yearling filly by Cokoriko, coming through.