Lulamba's Punchestown revenge a first Grade 1 success for Haras de la Hetraie's Nirvana Du Berlais

Haras de la Hetraie can now proclaim its young stallion Nirvana Du Berlais a Grade 1 sire after the victory of his first crop son Lulamba in Punchestown's Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle.

Carrying the same yellow and black checked silks as Friday's Champion Hurdle hero State Man, Lulamba is trained by Nicky Henderson for Joe and Marie Donnelly, sustaining a strong association between the couple and the Seven Barrows trainer, a partnership that is synonymous with talented performers including Shishkin.

In winning Saturday’s Grade 1, Lulamba also gained revenge over his Cheltenham conqueror Poniros, who inflicted the only defeat of the bay gelding's career in the Triumph Hurdle.

Lulamba was bred by Thierry Cypres, whose establishment is notable as one of France's leading National Hunt breeders and the source of Grade 1 winners, including Kargese who triumphed in last year's renewal of this race and was third behind State Man and Golden Ace in Friday's Grade 1 Champion Hurdle.

Sourced by Jerry McGrath for Henderson, Lulamba is the second foal out of Ejlund, who was also bred by Cypres and won three of her five starts. The daughter of the late multiple Group 1 winner Vision D'Etat was runner-up in the Listed Prix d'Arles at Auteuil on her final start.

The 11-year-old has produced two winners from her first two runners with her oldest offspring, the five-year-old Cokoriko gelding Kayo Coko successful in a hurdle at Lion D'Angers last autumn.

Grade 1 winner Nirvana Du Berlais is a son of MartalineCredit: Auctav

Ejlund has a three-year-old full-sister to Kayo Coko named Maldive in training with Elisabeth Allaire and a two-year-old full-sibling to the pair named Nanshan. She was covered last year by Tunis and returned to Nirvana Du Berlais last month.

By the leading National Hunt sire Martaline, the nine-year-old Nirvana Du Berlais is a half-brother to three Graded winners and is a full-brother to Nice To Meet You, dam of this season's Grade 2 Finale Hurdle winner and new Haras de Montaigu sire Nietzsche Has.

Nirvana Du Berlais's dam Katioucha was third in the Listed Prix Finot Hurdle at Auteuil and is a Mansonnien half-sister to Ma Filleule, successful in the Grade 2 Doncaster Mares' Hurdle and the Grade 3 Topham Trophy over the National fences for Henderson.

Lulamba's sire won the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres Hurdle for three-year-olds at Auteuil and the Grade 3 Prix Aguado Hurdle at the Parisian track.

From his first crop Nirvana Du Berlais is also the sire of Grade 3-placed Lady Ga and Victory Valley and Nirvalla, both of whom were Listed-placed at Auteuil.

His sire Martaline’s progeny includes, amongst others, Intense Raffles, Mighty Potter, Caldwell Potter, Dynaste and Disko. 

Nirvana Du Berlais is standing his sixth season at Pascal Noue's Hetraie and is advertised at a fee of €6,500.

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