Bun Doran becomes the third black-type winner for his remarkable dam

Peter and Mary Griffin's wonderful National Hunt broodmare Village Queen made it three black-type winners from as many runners under rules when son Bun Doran landed the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton on Friday.

Bun Doran, trained by Tom George for the Crossed Fingers Partnership, has always been a smart performer, his previous best runs coming when winning valuable handicap chases at Cheltenham and Newcastle and a second-placed effort in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup at the festival.

He added a deserved Graded success to his record with a fluent victory over Grade 1 winners Duc Des Genievres and Sceau Royal in the two-mile contest at Kempton's Christmas meeting.

Bun Doran, an eight-year-old son of Burgage Stud stalwart sire Shantou, is Village Queen's second foal.

The mare's first offspring, the Shantou nine-year-old Shantou Village, won the Grade 2 Hyde Novices' Hurdle in 2015, while her third – the seven-year-old Portrush Ted, also by Shantou – won the Grade 2 bumper at the Aintree Grand National meeting of 2018.

Sadly, Village Queen suffered more than her fair share of bad luck after producing those three talented performers.

She lost pregnancies after coverings by Shantou in 2013 and 2014, and did the same in 2016 and 2017.

Just days before Portrush Ted's Aintree triumph, she also aborted a foal by Champs Elysees.

However, the Griffins have had more cause for cheer recently.

Village Queen's four-year-old Shantou gelding, her first foal born since Portrush Ted, was retained by the Griffins and sent to trainer Cormac Farrell. He ran a promising third between the flags at Lingstown on his debut last month.

That gelding has the poignant name of Il Courra – French for 'he'll race', the words of the Griffins' close friend, the respected vet Ned Gowing, when he examined him as a foal.

Gowing died less than a year after Il Courra's birth.

Village Queen also produced a colt foal by Mastercraftsman – better known for his exploits as a Flat sire, having supplied the likes of Alpha Centauri, Kingston Hill and The Grey Gatsby – in April.

The chestnut was sold to Peter Nolan for €68,000 at the recent Goffs December National Hunt Sale.

Village Queen was covered by Mastercraftsman at Coolmore again this year.

The unraced mare is a King's Theatre half-sister to Punchestown Champion Hurdle third In The Forge out of Harir, an unraced daughter of Kris and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Gharam, ancestress of useful Flat performers Duneflower, Flaming Spear and Lottie Dod.

She actually arrived at the Griffins' farm in Rathvilly, County Carlow, by accident – the details of which can be read here in an interview with Peter Griffin from 2018.

Bun Doran was a €7,200 foal purchase at Goffs by Richard Frisby. After he failed to meet his reserve when bidding reached €19,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, Frisby sent him to point-to-point handler Michael Goff and he was an impressive 14-length winner of a four-year-old maiden at Necarne.

Furnished with that eye-catching form, the horse went back through the ring at Cheltenham and he made £76,000 when knocked down to Tom George and agent Alex Elliott.

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