Saint Des Saints polishes his halo at Aintree

Haras d'Etreham's Saint Des Saints reigned over Aintree on the second day of the Grand National meeting with new Grade 1 winners in his roles as sire and broodmare sire.

The 24-year-old elder statesman of French National Hunt breeding has long been the heir to his sire Cadoudal's fantastic legacy and he added a 14th individual Grade 1 winner to his glittering resume through the success of Gelino Bello in the Cavani Menswear Sefton Novice' Hurdle.

Trained by Paul Nicholls for John and Barbara Cotton, Gelino Bello had four and a half lengths to spare over runner-up Gentleman At Arms. He made a winning hurdling debut at Aintree in October and had twice been second in Grade 2 contests at Cheltenham but skipped the festival to wait for this race.

Bred by Remi Boucret out of the Robin Des Champs mare Parade, Gelino Bello has twice been through the sales ring. First time was at Osarus, where he was sold by his breeder for €50,000 as a yearling at the company's Maisons-Laffitte November Sale to LKF Bloodstock.

He reappeared at Arqana's Summer Sale the following July and was sold for €95,000 by Jean-Marie Callier to Pierre de Malyeissye.

Saint Des Saints has previously crossed successfully with his family as Parade is a half-sister to Auteuil Listed winner Vladimir.

Jonbon already had a lot to live up to as the younger brother of Douvan before his £570,000 price tag heaped more expectation upon the six-year-old's handsome head.

His reputation only grew with a fine second place to stable companion Constitution Hill in the Supreme Novices' and, without that rival to contend with, he showed tenacity to fend off the challenge of El Fabiolo by a neck in the Betway Top Novices' Hurdle.

In doing so he became the fifth individual Grade 1 winner by his red-hot sire Walk In The Park and enhanced Saint Des Saints' growing reputation as a broodmare sire of note.

One of Douvan's Grade 1 triumphs also came at Aintree in the Maghull Novices' Chase and they are out of Star Face, who is from the family of Discover D'Auteuil.

Saint Des Saints' daughters are excelling as broodmares with 11 black-type winners alone in 2021, including Jonbon. The Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed sire is also the broodmare sire of Grade 1 winners including Envoi Allen and Appreciate It.

He is represented by two horses in Saturday's big race; 2019 Irish Grand National winner Burrows Saint, who was fourth to Minella Times last year, and Romain De Senam.

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