Why everything looks in place for Ocovango to excel as a jumps sire

Traditionally jumpers are four or five when making their debut, and often seven or eight before reaching their peak. The extended lag time, compared to the Flat, leads to less volatile stud fees in the National Hunt stallion ranks.

For example, the evergreen Kayf Tara, still covering this year at the age of 26, spent his first 16 years at stud with fees ranging from £2,000 to £5,000. It wasn't until 2017, when the leading jumps sire was 23, that he stood for £10,000 – a price near the ceiling for any stallion in this sphere.

That said, latching on to the right sire early can still prove lucrative – especially for any breeder who sells their stock as stores. Those who sent a mare to Kayf Tara in 2015 for £3,000 would have been in clover with their three-year-old stores when offered in 2019. Those geldings averaged more than 58,000gns, and the fillies were in equally strong demand, posting an average of 24,000gns.

The temporary closure of racing has inhibited the chance for younger sires to be given the chance to showcase their progeny. This is especially true of those who had their first four-year-olds in 2020.

Despite that, Jet Away was still able to sire three point-to-point winners since the turn of the year. One of those winners, Brandy Love, sold for £200,000 to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins.

Another sire who posted some notable early results with his progeny is Ocovango – standing for €4,500 at The Beeches Stud. In fact, his first runner over jumps, Langer Dan, is already a stakes winner.

Despite his National Hunt pedigree, Langer Dan was sent juvenile hurdling at three by trainer Dan Skelton and overcame inexperience against ex-Flat rivals to win his first two starts. That included the Listed Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle, where he showed a good turn of foot. His last run this season came when beaten just over four lengths into sixth behind Aramax in the Grade 3 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The future looks bright for Ocovango as a sire in the point-to-point scene, too.

Colin Bowe's Glenglass, a €42,000 Derby Sale purchase, looked a top prospect when producing a resolute win at Tallow. Bowe holds him in high regard, describing him as a horse with "tonnes of raw ability". The market spoke similarly highly, with Aidan O'Ryan and Gordon Elliott stretching to £155,000 to secure the gelding at the Tattersalls Cheltenham February Sale.

At the same sale, the runner-up in the race, Poppa Poutine, sold for £100,000 to Ian Ferguson and the third, Bebravefortoday, realised £82,000 to Select Racing and Tim Vaughan.

Trained by Andre Fabre for Prince Faisal, Ocovango won his only start at two over a mile on testing ground. Put away for a Classic campaign, he won on his seasonal reappearance in the Listed Prix Francois Mathet and cemented his Derby credentials with a win in the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe over ten furlongs.

He arrived at Epsom unbeaten and one of the leading fancies, his reputation further enhanced by Fabre's record with his select number of overseas runners. In the end he was fifth, beaten just two lengths by Ruler Of The World, and appeared value for more than his finishing position, meeting with interference just as the race was taking shape.

He earned a Racing Post Rating of 117 for that effort and confirmed his class later that season when he got to within three-quarters of a length of Ruler Of The World with the pair second and third in the Prix Niel, having finished a gallant third to Flintshire in the Grand Prix de Paris in the interim.

A fluent traveller who stayed well, Ocovango is by the influential German stallion Monsun. His superior sons have been highly sought after by National Hunt stallion masters for quite some time.

After posting incredible stats from small numbers, Monsun grew to become a potent source of top-class middle-distance performers. They include Manduro, the world champion racehorse of 2007.

Monsun also sired the likes of Shirocco (sire of Annie Power), Maxios (sire of the aforementioned Aramax and a new recruit to the National Hunt ranks) and Getaway – at present one of the most in-demand sires thanks to his stream of classy hurdlers and chasers.

A stallion who far and away exceeded expectations at stud, Monsun is a valuable outcross as he is free of Northern Dancer blood.

Ocovango, from the successful 'Crystal' family, is out of a daughter of Fillies' Mile winner and Irish 1,000 Guineas-placed Crystal Music. He is a suitable outcross for Sadler's Wells line mares, as he is free of Northern Dancer until the fourth generation.

Ocovango has received sustained support from breeders with three-figure books, and there are some high-priced stores yet to make their debut. They include Prize Fighter, a three-parts brother to Getabird who made €75,000 at last year's Derby Sale when bought by Aiden Murphy and MV Magnier.

There are also ample point-to-point handlers, including Colin Bowe and the Monbeg Stables operation, who have progeny yet to run. This could well lead to another high-profile transaction.

With all this in mind, there is plenty to come from the promising sire.

Read our Life in Lockdown Q&As with industry figures

Colm Sharkey: 'I've been torturing myself trying to sort out my golf swing'

Rachael Gowland: 'I didn't realise how much I loved racing until I couldn't go'

Sam Hoskins: 'I've been listening to endless Cold War podcasts on my tractor'

Niamh Spiller: 'Video calls are very important to keep everyone motivated'

Jamie Lloyd: 'Staff have had all their own gear labelled, even wheelbarrows'

Micheál Orlandi: 'The stallions are flying and that gives me great hope'

Richard Venn: 'The French are in a good position to get back racing sooner'

Tim Kent: 'It's difficult to plan when we don't know when racing will resume'

Russell Ferris: 'Weatherbys had contingency plans that we activated at once'

Grant and Tom Pritchard-Gordon: 'Inglis Easter has kept us busy since January'

Peter Hockenhull: 'The social side of meeting and chatting to breeders is gone'

Polly Bonnor: 'We've fulfilled every feed order, including all our exports'

Richard Lancaster: 'We're fortunate that some Shadwell staff live on site'

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