Don Poli's close relation Debece leads rivals a merry dance

As a second crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup nears for Don Poli, his half-brother was busy making hay at Newbury. It may well have only been a handicap hurdle that the Tim Vaughan-trained Debece contested rather than the grand stage of one of the season’s premier Grade 1s on which his close relation will appear, but the six-year-old put his rivals to the sword by an eased-down 19 lengths to prove himself a decidedly useful performer.

The closely related pair were bred by Brian Griffiths And John Nicholson out of the Sillery mare Dalamine, a two mile Flat winner in France.

Debece, a son of Kayf Tara, was sourced by George Haine for just €12,000 from Tattersalls Ireland back in November 2012, before Don Poli, the highest rated son of Poliglote on Racing Post Ratings, emerged as a talented, if somewhat idiosyncratic, performer.

A younger member of the family also made her debut on Thursday, with Alighting, a sister to Debece who was sourced by Harold Kirk for Willie Mullins for €105,000 in June 2015, finishing fifth of nine in a Clonmel bumper.

Dalamine has also produced a three-year-old filly Beat Hollow and has a yearling sister to Debece on the ground.