Stallion career beckons for Tiger Roll's half-brother Austrian School

Tiger Roll's younger half-brother Austrian School will take up stallion duties at Robert Honner's Clongiffen Stud in County Meath for the 2020 breeding season, in a deal brokered by John Walsh Bloodstock.

Bred by Jerry O'Brien, the five-year-old son of Teofilo is a half-brother to the dual Grand National hero Tiger Roll, who has also struck in the Triumph Hurdle, National Hunt Chase, and twice in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The pair are inbred 3x3 to the legendary Sadler's Wells through their dam, the Listed-placed Entrepreneur mare Swiss Roll, who also produced the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup scorer Ahzeemah to Dubawi.

"Austrian School is an absolutely gorgeous horse and we're thrilled with the prospect of standing Tiger Roll's half-brother," said Honner, whose stud is just five minutes' drive from Gordon Elliott's yard, the home of Tiger Roll.

"We think he'll make a great National Hunt stallion. It's a strong sire-line. Teofilo is a great sire and has supplied some talented hurdlers and chasers.

"We're only just starting to show Austrian School to breeders and they've all been impressed by his size and scope, and he's got a great walk to him.

"Tiger Roll is an absolute legend - everyone goes on about him winning two Aintree Grand Nationals but they forget about his four wins at the Cheltenham Festival."

Trained by Mark Johnston for owner Jim Walker, Austrian School boasts an attractive race record having won a mile novice auction stakes at Ripon on his debut in the August of his two-year-old campaign and rounding off that season with a second win in a Pontefract novice stakes over ten furlongs.

Austrian School won again on his seasonal reappearance in a 1m6f handicap at Chelmsford, and followed up when landing a prestigious handicap at Chester's May meeting over an extended 12 furlongs.

He finished in the frame in all 11 starts as a three-year-old and also placed in Listed company in the Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton and the Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot.

Austrian School posted a career-best Racing Post Rating of 114 when powering to a six-length success in the Queen's Cup at Musselburgh on his seasonal bow at four, and also got to within two lengths of his stablemate Dee Ex Bee in the Group 3 Henry II Stakes at Sandown.

Teofilo has sired 16 Group 1 winners on the Flat, including the Prix Jean Prat scorer Havana Gold, whose son Havana Grey landed the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh, while his runners over jumps have included Nadaitak, winner of the Grade 2 River Don Novices' Hurdle at Doncaster, and London Prize, successful in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.

Austrian School retired with five wins in 21 starts and is available for breeders to inspect at Clongiffen Stud, where he will command a €3,000 fee.

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