'Just a lucky buy really' - Gold Cup favourite bred out of €400 mare

Should either of the two market leaders for the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup win on Wednesday, they would represent a victory for bargain buying and demonstrate once again that it is not always the most expensive or talented of mares that produce elite winners.

What a story it would be if victory went the way of Road To Respect, his breeder Ivy Rothwell having nabbed a 'three for the price of one' bargain when she bought the unraced Lora Lady, with Road To Respect in-utero and a foal sister to him at foot, for the chicken feed sum of €400 at Goresbridge in 2010.

Since winning a four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange for Eoin Griffin, the seven-year-old son of Gamut, now trained by Noel Meade, has gone on to win a further six races under rules and recorded a career-high Racing Post Rating of 169 for his win in the Christmas Chase at Leopardstown in December, before his staying-on fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"It was just a lucky buy really," said Ivy Rothwell. "I was at Goresbridge on the day and just happened to see the mare - we got three for €400.

"I thought Road To Respect ran fantastically in the Cheltenham Gold Cup considering the ground - it was a bit too heavy for him by right. Even though it's still raining, the ground at Punchestown has dried out a bit and I'd definitely be hoping for a big run."

Lora Lady, who was covered by Milan in recent days, has produced a three-year-old brother to Road To Respect destined for the Land Rover Sale, and also has a two-year-old Leading Light filly and yearling colt by Fairly Ransom, who will both be offered as stores.

Ivy Rothwell: 'I thought Road To Respect ran fantastically in the Cheltenham Gold Cup considering the ground'

'Willie's a wise man'

Bellshill, too, was produced from a mare whose pedigree and race record disguised what a wonderful producer she would become. The eight-year-old King's Theatre gelding was bred by Frank Motherway of Yellowford Farm, who raced the Be My Native mare Fairy Native three times without success, and looked like holding every chance when veering left at the final fence in the Irish Grand National earlier this month.

"We were getting excited when Bellshill was coming to the last and thought we were there but for some reason or other he lost a length or two by running down the fence," said Motherway.

"He jumped brilliantly up until then and ran on again then at the finish, with only a length between him and the winner. It was a great performance and he had to carry a lot more weight than the others.

"This race is a different kettle of fish. It was soft ground and he put up a huge effort, so I'm wondering if it might be a bit soon to be going back to the well, but Willie's a wise man and he knows what he's doing. He's only had a couple of runs this season so that might help him."

Fairy Native's yearling colt by Walk In The Park made €70,000 to Aiden Murphy when offered by Yellowford at Tattersalls Ireland last November while this year she delivered a colt by Flemensfirth - described by Motherway as "a cracking foal" - and is back in foal to the Beeches Stud stalwart again.

Success at Punchestown for either of the pair would be nothing new for their families.

Lora Lady is a half-sister to 2015 Punchestown Gold Cup third Road To Riches, another by Gamut, and shares her granddam with Davenport Milenium, who completed the Champion Novice Hurdle-Champion Hurdle double at the meeting in 2002.

Bellshill, meanwhile, descends from Copp On, also the ancestress of 2016 Stayers Hurdle winner One Track Mind.

Frank Motherway (left) reports his mare Fairy Native is back in foal to FlemensfirthCredit: Peter Mooney

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