Useful Galileo colt The Anvil to join the French jumps stallion ranks

Talented Ballydoyle colt The Anvil, last seen setting a furious pace in the St Leger, has been bought to stand as a jumps stallion at the Haras du Grand Chesnaie in the Mayenne department of north-west France.

The son of Galileo was beaten just a neck into second in the Royal Lodge Stakes and finished third in the Autumn Stakes at two, while this year he landed a Dundalk maiden and was third to Venice Beach – and just a nose behind subsequent Derby hero Wings Of Eagles – in the Chester Vase.

The Anvil raised eyebrows when sent well clear in the early stages of the St Leger under Michael Hussey, only to weaken four furlongs from home and eventually finish a long way adrift of the field.

Franck Lamy, co-director of Grand Chesnaie, told Jour de Galop: “We had been searching for a son of Galileo to stand as a National Hunt stallion, as he is asserting himself as a sire of sires in the jumps sphere.

“After seeing several in Ireland, we chose The Anvil. He's a beautiful horse, a bay without any white apart from on his head. He measures 1.65 metres but is only three and so should grow further.

“He will arrive in France at the end of November and will be at the stallion shows at Lion d'Angers. His page is excellent: by Galileo and his first three dams are by Rainbow Quest, Dancing Brave and Mill Reef.”

The Anvil certainly has the pedigree to excel as a jumps sire, as his third dam is Juddmonte blue hen Bahamian, also ancestress of Beat Hollow, Coastal Path, Martaline and Reefscape, all of whom have supplied Grade 1 winners over hurdles or fences.

Grand Chesnaie is set to launch a loyalty programme for The Anvil, with breeders who commit two mares to him in each of his first three seasons being rewarded with a lifetime breeding right.

The stallion's fee has been set at €2,300 with concessions for filly foals.

The Anvil had been entered to sell at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.

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