Mick Jazz a first Grade 1 winner for Blue Bresil with Ryanair victory

In a race where Faugheen looked set to sparkle, there was a shock result in the Grade 1 Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown as Mick Jazz landed the spoils and became the first top-level jumps winner for his sire Blue Bresil in the process.

The 2015 Champion Hurdle hero Faugheen was the one to beat but he was pulled up and dismounted by Paul Townend when well beaten. That left Cilaos Emery and Mick Jazz to fight it out and it was the latter who used every ounce of his reserves to win by a length and a quarter.

Blue Bresil, a 12-year-old son of Smadoun based at Yorton Farm Stud, has previously made an impact with his jumps-bred runners including the useful hurdler Ibis Du Rheu and dual Grade 2 winner Le Prezien, who came within two and a quarter lengths of scoring at the top level when finishing second to Yorkhill in the 2016 Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree.

Previously based in France at Haras de la Croix Sonnet before joining Yorton Farm for the 2016 breeding season, Blue Bresil has been well represented in the jumps sphere in France where he has been responsible for a host of classy performers including Grade 3 scorer Saint Goustan Blue.

Mick Jazz was bred by Gaelle Albert out of the winning Siam mare Mick Maya and is her most notable runner to date. Mick Jazz is a half-brother to Mick Maestro, who made a winning debut for Tom George and the Crossed Fingers Partnership in a Towcester bumper last year.

Mick Maya has also produced an unraced two-year-old sister to Mick Jazz named Mick Melody.

Having begun his career in France, Mick Jazz joined Harry Fry in the winter of 2014, and placed behind Old Guard and Top Notch in two Newbury hurdle races. He was pulled up behind Old Guard in the 2015 Greatwood Hurdle after suffering atrial fibrillation of the heart.

The gelding was next seen at the 2016 Goffs UK August Horses In Training Sale where he was offered as part of the Potensis dispersal. He was snapped up for £27,000 by Aidan O'Ryan and Gordon Elliott, for whom he has gone from strength to strength winning a Listed contest prior to his first Grade 1 success.

Having covered books of 137 and 131 the past two years, Blue Bresil still has plenty of runners to come over jumps who can further enhance his growing reputation as an exciting young jumps sire.

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