DATA BOOK STAKES RESULTS National Hunt Grade Ones ARVIKA LIGEONNIERE b g 2005 Briar Hill’s record now stands at four High Top 60 HENRY VIII NOVICES’ CHASE G1 61 TINGLE CREEK CHASE G1 Top Ville successive victories since he was Sega Ville Pistolet Bleu Armos bought for £100,000 on the strength SANDOWN PARK. December 7. 16f. Good. SANDOWN PARK. December 7. 16f. Good. Pampa Bella Kendie ARVICO b 98 of an encouraging point-to-point 1. HINTERLAND (FR) 5 b g 1. SIRE DE GRUGY (FR) 7 ch g Blushing Groom Baillamont victory. Even so, he still appears to be Poliglote - Queen Place (Diamond Prospect) My Risk - Hirlish (Passing Sale) Lodeve Arvika O- Chris Giles B- E Aubree, C Bresson O- The Preston Family & Friends Ltd B- La Grugerie Nureyev a work in progress. Having sprung a Beaute Dangereuse TR- Paul Nicholls TR- Gary Moore Allicance 25-1 surprise in the Weatherbys Busted 2. Grandouet (FR) 6 b/br g 2. Somersby (IRE) 9 b g Labus Cordovilla Champion Bumper, he has made the Al Namix - Virginia River (Indian River) Second Empire - Back To Roost (Presenting) Akarad Abdos Licata successful transition to hurdling, 3. Taquin du Seuil (FR) 6 b/br g 3. Captain Conan (FR) 6 b g Gaia DARAKA b 86 notably making all to beat a solitary Voix du Nord - Sweet Laly (Marchand de Sable) Kingsalsa - Lavandou (Sadler’s Wells) Diatome Margouillat Tita opponent in the Gr1 Navan Novice Vanelia Age Starts Wins Places Earned Age Starts Wins Places Earned Huntercombe Vanda Diana Hurdle. But everything about him 3-5 13 57£107,188 4-7 21 10 9 £238,512 Bowling Green suggests that it is as a staying chaser HINTERLAND b g 2008 SIRE DE GRUGY ch g 2006 The Vauterhill Stud in Devon must be that Briar Hill will be at his most Nearctic Kenmare Northern Dancer Highest Honor more than happy with the decision to effective. Natalma High River Sadler’s Wells Take Risks When his sire Shantou won the Bold Reason Be My Guest import the French stallion Arvico at the Fairy Bridge Baino Bluff Special Rapids 1996 St Leger he was following in the POLIGLOTE b 92 MY RISK b 99 start of 2011. The stallion’s first three Val de Loir Lyphard Val de L’Orne Vacarme years in England have coincided with footsteps of his second dam Oh So Aglae Virunga Alexandrie Miss Pat Sir Gaylord Bon Sang the emergence of Arvico’s son Arvika Sharp. Shantou went on to win the Apachee Miss Mood Americaine Missy Ligeonniere as one of the most Gran Premio del Jockey Club and Raise A Native Northfields Mr Prospector No Pass No Sale Gran Premio di Milano before retiring Gold Digger No Disgrace successful chasers in Ireland. This Diamond Prospect Passing Sale Social Climber Youth bold gelding was recording his fourth to stud in Italy, where he sired several Sociable Angel Reachout And Touch Turf Angel Everything Nice QUEEN PLACE ch 96 HIRLISH b 95 Gr1 victory when he landed the odds very useful performers. The Prix Herbager Green Dancer French Friend Chamberlin Take A Stand On The Wing in the Punchestown Chase. Vermeille winner Sweet Stream was Valenda Tara Kane II Hardicanute Alfaro Hard To Fight Laida A son of Pistolet Bleu, Arvico was a the best of them. Shantou was Valensole Dariga four-time winner from six furlongs switched to Ireland as a jumps stallion Although Poliglote was in the spotlight Take Risks isn’t the best known to a mile and a quarter at two, before at the age of 12 in 2005, no doubt in as the sire of the 2012 Arc winner French stallion but his name cropped proving that he stayed a mile and the hope that he would prove as Solemia, the Haras d’Etreham veteran up twice in the final months of 2013. three-quarters by winning the Grand effective as some of Alleged’s other has arguably made a bigger impact in Firstly we saw Tac de Boistron, one of Prix d’Angers. Arvico also scored sons, such as Montelimar and recent years as a sire of jumpers. He his five Group winners on the Flat, three times over hurdles. Pistolet Bleu Flemensfirth. became France’s champion sire of become his first Gr1 winner when he also sired jumpers of the calibre of Shantou’s first Irish crop has jumpers in 2010 and then repeated landed the Prix Royal-Oak at Sizing Europe, Geos, Katarino and produced the very useful chasers the feat in 2012, thanks largely to the Longchamp. Then My Risk, another of Vodka Bleu. Ballynagour, Super Duty and Our Gr1-winning hurdlers Saint du Chenet these five Group winners, was Arvika Ligeonnaire’s dam Daraka Father, and he has followed up with and Nikita du Berlais. The son of responsible for Sire de Grugy, the showed little ability on the Flat in the smart hurdler/chaser Morning Sadler’s Wells then made it three titles progressive gelding who enjoyed a France. However, she had a Assembly in his second and Briar Hill in the space of four years in 2013. highly profitable December thanks to respectable Flat pedigree, with the in his third. His successes earned him Now Poliglote has a couple of very a graded double with victories in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner a book of 105 thoroughbred mares in promising young chasers in the care Gr1 Tingle Creek Chase and Gr2 Akarad as her sire and the dual 2012 and a similar book in 2013. of Paul Nicholls. One, Wonderful Desert Orchid Chase. Sire de Grugy Gr2 winner Margouillat as her Briar Hill’s brother sold for €45,000 Charm, has won a pair of Gr2 novice has now won half of his 22 starts, broodmare sire. as a foal in 2013 and there are chases and the other, Hinterland, took having also been a Gr2 winner over Her best winner prior to Arvika several other siblings. Their dam the Gr1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase. hurdles. Ligeonnaire was Darastan, a winner of Backaway is an unraced sister to Hinterland has looked potentially Take Risks and My Risk were both a Gr3 hurdle at Auteuil and a Gr2 Boston Bob, a Gr1 winner over both smart from the moment he won a prolific Gr3 winners over a mile, so it is chase at Enghien. The Enghien chase hurdles and fences, while Briar Hill’s Listed race at Auteuil on his debut hardly surprising that Sire de Grugy is was over three miles and a furlong, second dam Bavaway was an unraced over hurdles in May 2011 and he excelling over the minimum distance but the free-running Arvika half-sister to the smart hurdler and quickly became a Gr2 winner after his of two miles. He stays a bit further, Ligeonnaire seemed not to stay when chaser Danny Harrold. transfer to England. He ought to be though, as he has won both his starts tried over three miles and now divides The next dam, Chillaway, was a tough, as Poliglote raced 17 times and over two and a quarter miles. his time between two miles and two half-sister to the very useful chaser his dam Queen Place raced a total of Hirlish, the dam of Sire de Grugy, is and a half. Golden Freeze. 37 times in France. an unraced selle français. However, Queen Place won over 12.5 her sire Passing Sale had been a high- 63 NAVAN NOVICE HURDLE G1 64 LONG WALK HURDLE G1 furlongs on the Flat, before being tried class middle-distance performer, over hurdles, but her disappointing winner on the Flat and was victorious NAVAN. December 15. 20f. Yielding to Soft. ASCOT. December 21. 25f. Soft. efforts saw her returned to the Flat in the Gr1 Gran Premio del Jockey 1. BRIAR HILL (IRE) 5 b g 1. REVE DE SIVOLA (FR) 8 b g Club in Italy. Hirlish has previously Shantou - Backaway (Bob Back) Assessor - Eva de Chalamont (Iron Duke) and she won three more times in O- Mrs Andrea Wylie B- V Connolly O- Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership handicaps. Her sire Diamond Prospect produced the winning hurdler/chaser TR- WP Mullins B- G Trapenard, T Trapenard TR- Nick Williams was a high-class and versatile son of Magot de Grugy to Tzar Rodney and 2. Azorian (IRE) 5 b g 2. Salubrious (IRE) 6 b g Mr Prospector who kept finding one the Listed-placed chaser Nassor de Westerner - Eliane di Rupette (Cosmonaut) Beneficial - Who Tells Jan (Royal Fountain) too good for him at Group level. Grugy to Assessor. 3. Tweedledrum (GB) 6 b m Only two ran Beat Hollow - Tweed Mill (Selkirk) Initially retired to stud in Florida, The next dam, Tara Kane II, won Diamond Prospect eventually returned three cross-country races during a 30- Age Starts Wins Places Earned Age Starts Wins Places Earned to France, where he was moderately race career. 4-5 650£79,296 3-8 29 8 15 £474,869 successful, siring a handful of Listed BRIAR HILL b g 2008 REVE DE SIVOLA b g 2005 62 JOHN DURKAN MEMORIAL winners on the Flat. Tom Rolfe Northern Dancer Hoist The Flag Nijinsky PUNCHESTOWN CHASE G1 Wavy Navy Flaming Page Hinterland only just held on when Alleged Niniski Prince John Tom Rolfe PUNCHESTOWN. Dec 8. 20f. Good to Yielding. Princess Pout Virginia Hills he gained his first Gr1 success and Determined Lady Ridin’ Easy SHANTOU b 93 ASSESSOR b 89 some of his other performances have 1. ARVIKA LIGEONNIERE (FR) 8 b g Northern Dancer Petition Shareef Dancer Petingo Arvico - Daraka (Akarad) Sweet Alliance Alcazar raised doubts as to the extent of his Shaima Dingle Bay O- Mrs S Ricci B- Y Lepage Kris Bounteous Oh So Sharp Border Bounty stamina.