How a mare’s refusal to race was a blessing in disguise

A winning mare refusing to jump off on just her third start might be an owner’s worst nightmare but, in the case of Tinagoodnight, her recalcitrance has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her owner Richard Kelvin Hughes, who has enjoyed considerable success breeding from her.

The daughter of Sleeping Car, a winner on the Flat at Clairefontaine for previous owner David Powell, put four lengths between herself and her rivals in a Kempton novice hurdle on her first start in Britain for Nicky Henderson in October 2007, but was reluctant to go to post and refused to jump off when next appearing in a handicap hurdle at the same course in February 2009.

The Racing Post analysis was correct in its assertion that day that “on this evidence, her next engagement will be at stud rather than on the racecourse”.

Rockpoint wins the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle: view full result and watch race replay

Tinagoodnight was covered by Midnight Legend and produced a filly foal the following spring named Dusky Legend, who has twice been placed in the Grade 2 Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - sponsored by Kelvin Hughes.

The mare has produced seven other foals since then and her first three runners have all acquired black type, with Rockpoint - a son of Shirocco who was an €82,000 store purchase for Thistlecrack’s owners John and Heather Snook - becoming the third to do so when winning the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle by almost three lengths at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Santini, her best runner to date on Racing Post Ratings with a mark of 156, was her first foal by an Irish-based sire in Milan, and the Henderson-trained Grade 1 hurdle winner looks a force to be reckoned with over jumps following his impressive victory in a Grade 2 novices’ chase at Newbury at the start of December.

He also boasts a handsome record at Cheltenham having won a Grade 2 novice hurdle in January and finished third to Kilbricken Storm in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at this year’s festival.

Rockpoint: out of the promising jumps broodmare TinagoodnightCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The rest of the mare’s brood includes the seven-year-old Kayf Tara mare Early Dawne - who has already produced a Saint Des Saints yearling filly and a Shirocco colt foal - as well as a four-year-old Yeats gelding, a three-year-old High Chaparral filly, a yearling Walk In The Park filly and a Pour Moi filly foal.

Tinagoodnight was offered as part of the Trull House Stud dispersal at Goffs UK earlier this year, when she was bought by Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock for £32,000.

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