Why the domination of French-breds should be the subject of more alarm

Good Morning Bloodstockis Martin Stevens' daily morning email and presented here online as a sample as it returns after a festive break.

Here he highlights the leading stallions in action over the Christmas period - subscribers can get more great insight from Martin every Monday to Friday.

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Happy New Year and welcome back to Good Morning Bloodstock. I hope Father Christmas brought you everything you wished for – a Weatherbys Return of Mares, a poster of the prominent sire-lines in Europe and a stallion-branded beanie hat, knowing my audience.

I spent much of my festive break re-watching every episode of Jonathan Creek on BBC iPlayer – all 34 and a half hours of them – and frantically searching for receipts to send off with my self-assessment tax return.

I did also manage to keep an eye on the racing, you’ll be relieved to hear, and have some findings to report on the National Hunt action in Britain and Ireland from Christmas week to last Sunday.

It was especially pleasing to see several stallions who I had highlighted in these emails just before the holidays fare so well.

Malinas, new to Coolagown Stud in a joint-venture with Rathbarry Stud this year, was on the mark with Faugheen Novice Chase winner Master McShee and three handy winners in Britain – Aurora Thunder, Percussion and Silver Flyer.

The late Coolmore National Hunt sires Fame And Glory and Gold Well were also in red-hot form.

Fame And Glory fielded Challow Novices’ Hurdle hero Stage Star, Christmas Hurdle second and third Glory And Fortune and Soaring Glory, Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase runner-up Do Your Job, novice hurdle winners Judicial Law and Petticoat Lucy and bumper scorer The Nice Guy.

It is worth highlighting that the son of Montjeu, who covered large books in his first four seasons at Grange Stud, was represented by a mammoth 68 runners during the eight days in question. But at least there appears to be a fair degree of quality as well as quantity.

Fame And Glory emerges from the festive period in pole position in the 2021/22 National Hunt sire table, having overtaken Castle Hyde Stud resident Yeats, but holding only a narrow lead of £21,000 in progeny earnings over the legendary stayer.

Fame And Glory was represented by Challow Novices' Hurdle scorer Stage StarCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Yeats, bred on the same Sadler’s Wells-Top Ville cross as Montjeu, didn’t have a bad Christmas himself. Far from it, in fact. Mount Ida took a Grade 3 mares’ chase at Fairyhouse, Dubrovnik Harry and Where It All Began struck in maiden hurdles, and Flooring Porter and West Balboa filled second position in Grade 1 events.

Again, though, it’s important to put those achievements in the context of the size of his representation. He had just the 78 starters in Britain and Ireland from December 26 to January 2.

Gold Well, the unraced full-brother to the influential Montjeu, supplied Savills Chase victor Galvin, 12-length Fairyhouse beginners' chase winner Jungle Boogie and wide-margin Market Rasen handicap chase scorer Tokay Dokey – all three eight-year-olds hailing from their sire’s sole season standing at The Beeches Stud after his move from Arctic Tack.

Montjeu’s popular son Walk In The Park, who stands at a private fee at Grange Stud, struck with Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle winner Ginto and easy Leopardstown bumper scorer Facile Vega, the second produce of the mighty Quevega.

Jonbon, the full-brother to Douvan by Walk In The Park, also impressed when winning the Kennel Gate Novices’ Hurdle just before Christmas. He and Ginto cost £570,000 and €470,000 after winning their point-to-points, which helps explain why their sire is by some way the most expensive member of the Irish National Hunt stallion ranks.

Sholokhov, another proven source of jumping superstars who stands at Glenview Stud, got on the seasonal scoreboard with impressive Finale Juvenile Hurdle winner Porticello, slick Desert Orchid Chase scorer Shishkin and the highly progressive handicap chaser Sounds Russian, who was successful by 16 lengths at Kelso.

Sholokhov’s son Timos is also the sire of the much talked about Leopardstown beginners’ chase winner Galopin Des Champs, and his daughter Diorissima is the dam of eye-catching Limerick Grade 2 novice hurdle winner Eric Bloodaxe.

Newsells Park Stud’s wonderful Flat sire Nathaniel fired only 12 arrows over jumps around Christmas but they included Dawn Run Mares Novices' Chase winner Concertista, Matheson Hurdle neck-second Zanahiyr and Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle third Burning Victory.

Overbury Stud’s retired elder statesman Kayf Tara produced a glut of winners including Edwardstone in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase, Rainyday Woman in a Taunton Listed mares’ novice hurdle, World Of Dreams in a Plumpton novice hurdle and Naughtinesse and Filanderer in bumpers at Fairyhouse and Warwick.

Kayf Tara: Overbury Stud statesman in fine formCredit: Overbury Stud

Burgage Stud’s late grandee sire Shantou was represented by Neville Hotels Novice Chase runner-up Run Wild Fred, popular Cheltenham scorer Dolphin Square and exciting youngsters Carrig Sam, Embassy Gardens and Harbour Lake, all of whom are unbeaten under rules following their yuletide victories.

Another much-missed Irish jumps sire, Whytemount Stud’s reigning rags-to-riches champion Stowaway, was on song with Neville Hotels Novice Chase winner Fury Road, Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle scorer Hillcrest and nine-length Uttoxeter maiden hurdle winner Carlow Farmer.

A number of French sires who enjoyed a productive Christmas included:

- Brave Mansonnien, whose tiny French crops accounted for just two runners in Britain and Ireland in the last eight days: emphatic Kauto Star Novices’ Chase winner Bravemansgame and Taunton novice hurdle scorer Brave Kingdom, both of whom were bred or co-bred by Michel Guiot, who stands the stallion at his Haras de Talma.

- Doctor Dino, who supplied Matheson Hurdle winner Sharjah and Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle scorer Fil Dor to help justify his hefty covering fee of €18,000 at Haras du Mesnil.

- Kapgarde, who managed just one winner on these shores over the holidays – In Rem, who completed a four-timer this season in a Warwick handicap hurdle – but was also responsible for the honourable runners-up in both festive highlights: Clan Des Obeaux in the King George and A Plus Tard in the Savills Chase.

- Martaline, who delivered Future Champions Novice Hurdle winner Mighty Potter, Racing Post Novice Chase runner-up Riviere D’Etel and Neville Hotels Novice Chase third Vanillier, to emphasise the tragedy of his death at Haras de Montaigu three years ago.

- No Risk At All, who has picked up the baton from Martaline at Montaigu and supplied Kempton Christmas Hurdle heroine Epatante and wide-margin hurdle winners Allegorie De Vassy and Aucunrisque.

- Saddler Maker, who had a host of talented youngsters on his festive team: Galia Des Liteaux, a 30-length winner of a Wetherby mares’ novice hurdle; Crambo, an impressive winner of a Huntingdon bumper; Gerri Colombe, an easy winner of a Down Royal maiden hurdle; Harmonya Maker, a 12-length winner of a Punchestown mares’ bumper; and Challow Novices’ Hurdle third Gringo D’Aubrelle. It looks like the son of Sadler’s Wells might have only just been getting going when he died at Haras de Cercy aged 18 in 2016.

Eric Bloodaxe: son of Saint Des Saints struck at LimerickCredit: David Keane

- Saint Des Saints, who sired Grade 2 winner Eric Bloodaxe, Leopardstown beginners’ chase scorer Haut En Couleurs, rapidly improving Mandarin Handicap Chase winner Saint Palais, Finale Juvenile Hurdle runner-up Saint Segal and King George third Saint Calvados. Thank heavens the son of Cadoudal is still in service for Haras d’Etreham at the age of 24, although at €15,000 he isn’t cheap – and rightly so.

As that long list of in-form sires who stand (or stood) across the English Channel indicates, French-breds proved superior in many of the top races over Christmas.

They accounted for eight of the 14 Grade 1 winners and five of the eight Grade 2 winners in this period, and although the winners of the two most prestigious races, Tornado Flyer in the King George and Galvin in the Savills Chase, were Irish-breds they were chased home by a sea of horses bred in France.

Irish-breds scored in five of the other six Grade 1s, and two of the other three Grade 2s, with Master McShee and Edwardstone the only British-bred to score in the top two categories of competition since Christmas.

I find it quite astonishing that the domination of British and Irish jumps racing by French-breds is not the subject of more alarm. While many commentators were able to recognise that the Melbourne Cup had become ruled by imports to Australia, or worry about the number of European horses sold to compete abroad, few seem to bat an eyelid at the worrying disparity in the balance of imports and exports in the National Hunt sphere.

The number of French-breds winning our top jumps races is particularly hard to fathom when you consider that the ratings of horses standing as National Hunt stallions in Britain and Ireland has improved so dramatically in the past quarter of a century, as stamina breeding has become less fashionable in the Flat sector.

Maybe I’ve watched too much Jonathan Creek, who solves mysteries using lateral thinking and logical deduction, but I can’t help coming to the conclusion that, if the quality of bloodlines in Britain and Ireland should have improved, yet the native-bred is regularly being beaten by French-breds, then the answer must lie somewhere other than breeding.

The obvious assumption is that the French-bred and reared horse has benefited from being taught to jump obstacles at a younger age, an approach that the thriving Irish point-to-point scene and the rush to win four-year-old contests has emulated, wittingly or not.

Thankfully, some decision makers in the corridors of power in Britain have recognised that an earlier preparation is key to the French-bred jumper’s success and have taken steps to encourage trainers and owners here to prepare their charges to race over jumps earlier in their lives.

Hence the introduction in Britain from mid-October of Junior Development Hurdles for three-year-olds who have not previously raced on the Flat is one of the more welcome innovations we will see in 2022.

Get involved!

What do you think? Share your thoughts with other Good Morning Bloodstock readers by emailing gmb@racingpost.com

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Pedigree pick

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Good Morning Bloodstock is our latest email newsletter. Martin Stevens, a doyen among bloodstock journalists, provides his take and insight on the biggest stories every morning from Monday to Friday