Our 2017 National Hunt horse Benny’s Bridge (with Fergal O’Brien) has been terrific fun and this impressive bumper winner and Goffs UK £50,000 Spring Sales Bumper third was a great find at the Doncaster Store Sales last year, so why wouldn’t we go back and attempt to repeat the success?  As well as purchasing another horse for Fergal O’Brien, we bought this tremendous gelding by Arcadio and added the great Nicky Henderson to our training roster.  This 4yo is very athletic, with good breeding, conformation and a great outlook.

This gelding is by the rising star National Hunt stallion Arcadio, who was a high-class middle-distance winner in Germany and a successful sire of Flat racing progeny.  By the successful sire of NH sires Monsun (Shirocco and Network), he is now also better known as a sire of hardy and classy National Hunt stock, his biggest money spinners being the Grade 1 Aintree Novice Chase winner Flying Angel, 13-timer winner (including at Graded level in chases) The Game Changer who has amassed earnings of over £270,000, and Grade 3-winning chaser Go Conquer.  This gelding also comes from a wonderful National Hunt family.  His dam Grangeclare Pearl showed ability for trainer Willie Mullins and was placed an excellent and close 4th of 16 on her racecourse in a bumper at Killarney.  She is a full-sister to the high-class and triple Grade 3-winning hurdle Grangeclare Lark, also a half-sister to the very smart Grade 2-winning hurdler Scarthy Lad.  This gelding is the mare’s first progeny and all the signs are that he will continue the excellent form of his esteemed pedigree.

UPDATE: Following his purchase at the Doncaster Store Sale in late May, this gelding was broken in and ridden away before enjoying a summer break.  He also received a clean bill of health from a panel of vets at the sales. At the beginning of September he joined trainer Nicky Henderson to be prepared for the 2018/19 National Hunt Season. He has really impressed in the early stages of his education, showing a great attitude and he is a wonderful mover.  Nicky Henderson describes him as a very good-looking and really lovely horse, also his most precocious youngster in training.  Nicky is already eyeing a tilt at the £50,000 Goffs Sale Bumper at Newbury in March 2019.