Yorkhill's half-brother makes his debut at Warwick on Thursday

Our resident bloodstock experts profile the well-bred eyecatchers and expensive purchases set to grace the track.

Dutch Corner

Visit Racingtv.com Newcomers' National Hunt Flat Race (5.05 Warwick, Thursday)

What's the story?

A little of the Tour de France comes to Warwick with brothers Dan and Harry Skelton and owners the Crowe Brothers unveiling Dutch Corner in the bumper at their local track. The mad-cap crowd of Dutch fans that colonised Alpe d'Huez is the inspiration for the name of a Getaway half-brother to an enigmatic Cheltenham star who could have been even greater if he could managed to get out of his own way.

How's he bred?

Dutch Corner is a four-year-old half-brother to Yorkhill, successful in Grade 1 novice events at back-to-back Cheltenham Festivals for Willie Mullins, Andrea and Graham Wylie and Ruby Walsh before he started to overthink life and racing.

The gelding won a four-year-old point-to-point maiden for Wilson Dennison and Colin McKeever before his transfer to the Closutton yard and the start of a sequence of wins which culminated in a Grade 1 hat-trick in the Tolworth, Neptune Investment and Mersey Novices' Hurdles.

Ending his hurdling career with a fourth at the Punchestown festival, Yorkhill was sent novice chasing the following season and he won his first three races in the sphere, adding a second Cheltenham Grade 1 victory in the JLT Novices' Chase but it was after that when Yorkhill's quirks started to get the better of him.

Having won nine of his first 11 starts under rules, four Grade 1s, he then conspired to win just one of his 14 remaining starts for connections before he was gifted to David and Donna Armstrong and golfer Lee Westwood by the Wylies when they left racing.

Yorkhill's triumph in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on just his second start, first completed, for the trio and trainer Sandy Thomson showed the lovable rogue retained his ability even though he was fast approaching his 11th birthday. However a tendon injury sustained in training for the Sky Bet Chase forced the Presenting gelding into retirement.

Fun Fun Fun and Paul Townend on their way to winning the Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann

The enigmatic chestnut isn't all that Dutch Corner's pedigree has to recommend him. Ocean Breeze, a Presenting sister to Yorkhill and half to Dutch Corner, is the dam of Fun Fun Fun who won Limerick's Grade 3 Hugh McMahon Memorial Novice Chase last weekend. By Martaline, the seven-year-old mare was bred by Patrick Mullins and is a Grade 2 bumper winner and successful at Grade 3 and Listed level over hurdles.

Patrick Keating bred Yorkhill and Dutch Corner, who was sold as foal for €50,000 by Limekiln Stud to Church Farm at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. 

Keating also bred their dam, the unraced Saddlers' Hall mare Lightning Breeze who is closely related to quadruple Grade 1-winning chaser The Listener, Punchestown Grade 1 winner Offshore Account and Grade 3 Foxrock Handicap Chase winner Dooneys Gate, all by Oscar. She is also a half-sister to Reynoldstown Novices' Chase winner Distant Thunder and Grade 3 handicap chase winner Fork Lightning.

Park Breeze, their dam, is an unraced Strong Gale full-sister to Risk Of Thunder, who carried Sean Connery's colours to glory over the banks at Punchestown.

Dutch Corner is a son of Getaway who is behind only stud mate Walk In The Park in the sires' standings this season.

Who does he face?

All 12 runners declared are newcomers. Charlie Longsdon saddles Not At That Price, a five-year-old Kayf Tara full-brother to Let It Rain, successful in a Listed bumper at Ascot last season for Skelton.

Fergal O'Brien runs Hey Buddy for Paul and Clare Rooney and the five-year-old son of Vadamos is out of Assistance, a Dansili half-sister to Supreme Novices' winner Cinders And Ashes. Moon Search, their Rainbow Quest dam, is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Brian Boru, Group 2 winner and National Hunt sire Sea Moon, Soviet Moon, dam of Derby and Arc hero Workforce, Kushnarenkovo, the second dam of Group 1 winners Best Solution and El Bodegon, plus Kitty O'Shea, second dam of Group 1 winner Loving Dream.

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