'He hasn't put a foot wrong' - Stage Star brings honour to family in Challow win

Stage Star was not only maintaining his unbeaten record over obstacles with a near seven-length strike in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury on Wednesday, he was also adding further polish to the record of Sparky May, his Grade 2-winning and top-level placed dam.

The winner of three starts over hurdles, the five-year-old was upholding family honour as the Midnight Legend mare won the Warfield Mares' Hurdle at Ascot as well as finishing third in an Aintree Grade 1 and finishing second to the mighty Quevega at the Cheltenham Festival.

Stage Star's emphatic triumph was also a source of pride for Baroda Stud's David Cox, whose County Kildare operation bred the Paul Nicholls-trained star on behalf of Andy Muddyman.

Cox said: "We bred him for the owner, Andy Muddyman. Andy is a good client of Ross Doyle's and Ross asked me to look after the mare for him.

"She was a very good mare, being a Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed in the Sefton Novices' Hurdle. She was a star, she didn't have much of a pedigree but she's made the pedigree herself."

Sparky May: the dam of Stage Star with Patrick Rodford and Keiran BurkeCredit: Edward Whitaker

It was therefore a surprise to Cox that Stage Star made a relatively lowly €60,000 to Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls at the 2019 Goffs Land Rover Store Sale, a purchase that now looks a particularly shrewd bit of business by the all-conquering duo.

Cox explained: "We really liked Stage Star and thought he'd make more as a three-year-old. Tom Malone loved him and bought him and he hasn't put a foot wrong since they got him."

Stage Star is by a missed star of the National Hunt stallion ranks in Fame And Glory, a Classic and Gold Cup-winning son of Montjeu whose leading offspring also include Grade 1-winning novice hurdlers Commander Of Fleet, Ballyadam and recent Christmas Hurdle third and last season's Betfair Hurdle victor Soaring Glory.

Cox added: "Fame And Glory was a very good looking horse and we thought he'd suit the mare. It's a shame he died but he gets very good looking stock and he suited the mare."

There are more chapters set to be written for Sparky May, with the 16-year-old's Walk In The Park filly selling to Gavin Cromwell for €50,000 at Goffs in June, while there is a Mount Nelson yearling and filly foal by Harzand in the wings.

Cox said: "She was a good looking, athletic moving filly so I'd be surprised if she wasn't good. The dam also has a Mount Nelson yearling and had a filly foal by Harzand this year."

The stage is clearly set for Stage Star and his remarkable dam.

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