Hipodromos y caballos - Racetracks and horses BloodStockReview2013 | Page 53

N AT I O N A L H U N T 2 0 12-13

front of an appreciative crowd at Punchestown
with victory over Sizing Europe.
Sprinter Sacre’s sire is by Monsun, who
in the coming years looks sure to have a
big influence on the National Hunt sphere.
His young sire sons are already beginning
to make their mark. Shirocco, who has been
recently added to Rathbarry Stud’s roster of
jumps stallions, is responsible for hugely
exciting mare Annie Power, winner of a
Fairyhouse Grade 1 for Willie Mullins on

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Hurricane Fly
(left) and
Solwhit

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her final start last season, as well as Listed
bumper winner Red Sherlock, and Arcadio is
the sire of The Game Changer, a €190,000
purchase by Mags O’Toole who won a Cork
bumper before being brought down in better
grade when going well at Punchestown.
Big Buck’s was grounded after picking
up a leg injury following a bloodless victory
in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury,
which left the door ajar for a new champion
in the staying hurdle division.
The French-bred Solwhit, by German
Group 1 winner Solon, completed a splendid
comeback with a smooth win in the World
Hurdle. Connections had to wait almost
two years for a leg injury to come right, but
it was worth it. The nine-year-old, given
a typically ice-cool ride by Paul Carberry,
always travelled strongly and was produced
just before the final flight before sticking
on well to deny Galileo’s leading hurdler
Celestial Halo, who subsequently made
amends with a Grade 2 win at Auteuil.
Solwhit was equally as impressive at
Aintree but was firmly put in his place in
the French Champion Hurdle by emerging
home talent Gemix, a five-year-old son of
the young Linamix stallion Carlotamix,
who switched to Coolagown Stud in 2013.
There was an almighty turn-up in the
Grand National when 66-1 shot Auroras
Encore stormed to a nine-length success. The
11-year-old is by the late Second Empire,
who has had his share of talented jumpers,
including Grade 1-winning chaser Somersby,
who scooped one of the big prizes of the
nascent 2013-14 jumps season, the Haldon
Gold Cup at Exeter in November. 