Goffs glory for Nathaniel as Lady Hope brings back memories of a jumping legend

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Nathaniel demonstrated his versatility by siring the winners of the two biggest races at Newbury on Saturday.

Acclaimed as the father of Flat luminaries headed by Enable and Desert Crown, the Newsells Park resident’s inherent stamina has also come into play in the National Hunt world too through the likes of Scottish National winner Kitty’s Light and top hurdlers Zanahiyr and Concertista.

Lady Hope, his daughter who swooped late for trainer Hughie Morrison at 33-1 on her racecourse debut in the Goffs Hundred Grand Bumper, has another big tick in the box from the pedigree on her dam’s side.

The four-year-old was bred by David Redvers and is a granddaughter of Lady Rebecca, who established the career of the bloodstock agent and head of Tweenhills Stud. Redvers famously found Lady Rebecca for 400gns as a yearling and she went on to win the Cleeve Hurdle three times in a row.

While Lady Rebecca had only fair success from the Tweenhills paddocks and died in 2013, Redvers retained her Midnight Legend daughter Mary Eleanor, who won her last of five starts in a novice hurdle at Newcastle in 2017.

Lady Hope, her third foal, qualified for this valuable prize when she was sold to Paul Webber, Peter and Ross Doyle for £55,000 at last year’s Goffs UK Spring Store Sale and now runs in the purple colours of Martin Hughes and Michael Kerr-Dineen, who bred the top sprinter and Ace Stud resident Shaquille.

“She’s beautifully bred, a granddaughter of Lady Rebecca, who we all know was exceptional, by an exceptional sire of all Flat horses and jump horses,” Morrison told ITV Racing. “We all liked her, but she’d been working with other bumper horses I’ve had at home who tend to be Flat horses, and they always worked better because they don’t stay two miles and she obviously stayed it well.

Lady Rebecca with David Redvers at Tweenhills Stud.Credit: Laurence Squire

“She’s an absolutely beautiful mare and well done to everybody involved, well done to Paul Webber for buying her, and fantastic for Martin who supports both Flat and jumping so well.”

Grade 2 BetVictor British EBF "National Hunt" Mares' Novices' Hurdle winner Charisma Cat, the other starring Nathaniel, was a homebred success for the Waley-Cohen family's Upton Viva Stud.

Already a Listed bumper winner at Sandown last year, she’s out of Tidara Angel, the winner of the four-year-old championship hurdle race in France, the Prix Alain Du Breil and a sibling of both top chaser Tidal Fury and multiple Group Flat winner Fiesolana.

Robert Waley-Cohen bought Tidara Angel for €160,000 through Highflyer Bloodstock at Arqana in 2014. Charisma Cat is her fifth and best foal so far.

The whole afternoon at Newbury coincidentally provided other advertisements for sales in Doncaster.

Prairie Wolf has been flying again this season for Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith and bounded clear in the 2m4f handicap chase. He was found by Smith's husband Harvey for just £6,000 as a store at the Goffs UK Summer Sale back in 2020 and has already cleared well over £100,000.

The 2m3f handicap hurdle was landed by another Spring Store Sale graduate in Storming George, another astute £32,000 purchase by Neil King.

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