Racing broadcaster Brian Gleeson might have been aiming to breed a Classic winner when he sent his winning Galileo mare Hikari to champion sprinter Muhaarar but he certainly won’t be too disappointed that the resultant foal has excelled in the National Hunt sphere instead.
Not least because A Dream To Share, as the five-year-old was named, was retained and carried home silks to win his first three starts in bumpers with Brian’s son John in the saddle, before being sold to JP McManus. He is now favourite for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Muhaarar might seem like an unlikely source of a festival fancy but he tends to impart more stamina than he displayed on the track himself, as proven by British Champions Fillies & Mares first and second Eshaada and Albaflora. The sire is also by Oasis Dream, who is from the same strong Juddmonte family as top jumps stallions Beat Hollow and Martaline, out of a mare by Linamix, who has been a strong influence in National Hunt breeding.
A Dream To Share also gets plenty of staying power from his dam. Hikari was a 1m3½f winner by Derby hero Galileo and has also produced Irish St Leger Trial scorer Raise You and Aphrodite Stakes runner-up Lady G.
Fact To File, who ran second to A Dream To Share in the Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown last time, could take on the winner again at Cheltenham. Bred by Michel Pehu, he is by Poliglote, whose Festival roll of honour is headed by Don Poli, Let’s Dance, Politologue, Sire Du Berlais and Spirit River, out of the Trempolino mare Mitemps.
It’s For Me, who is not far behind A Dream To Share at the head of the betting for the Champion Bumper after taking a Loughanmore point-to-point and Navan bumper by wide margins, is by a rising star of the French stallion ranks in Jeu St Eloi.
The son of Saint Des Saints and close relation to leading sire Balko stands at Haras de Cercy and his oldest crop are six-year-olds. He has also been on the mark in Britain and Ireland with other exciting bumper performers D Art D Art and Inthewaterside.
It’s For Me was bred by Laure Giethlen Cadiergues and Didier Giethlen out of the winning Dom Alco mare Ugoline, a half-sister to Gin Coco, who ran second in the Greatwood Hurdle in November and is among the market leaders for the County Hurdle on Friday.
Fun Fun Fun, the impressive winner of the Grade 2 mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival, was bred by her jockey on both her starts, Patrick Mullins.
She is by the mighty Martaline, whose earlier Cheltenham winners include Dynaste, Vanillier and Very Wood, out of Ocean Breeze, an unraced Presenting full-sister to dual festival hero Yorkhill, from one of the best jumping families in the stud book, whose members include Offshore Account, Risk Of Thunder and The Listener.
Breeder Aidan Aherne, who gave the world the wonderful Many Clouds and his multiple Grade 1-winning half-brother The Tullow Tank, could have come up with another star from that family in Chapeau De Soleil, who was an easy winner between the flags at Stowlin before finishing second at Fairyhouse on his rules debut.
The promising five-year-old, around a 9-1 chance for the Champion Bumper, is by Soldier Of Fortune out of On Line Tara, a daughter of Kayf Tara and Listed-placed chaser Back On Line, who is in turn a Bob Back full-sister to Many Clouds and The Tullow Tank’s dam Bobbing Back.
Better Days Ahead, who beat Chapeau De Soleil at Fairyhouse, could take on the runner-up again at Cheltenham. Bred by TJ Nagle, he is by former champion jumps sire Milan, source of Cheltenham Festival winners Jezki, Marie’s Rock and Martello Tower, out of Bonnie And Bright, a Topanoora half-sister to Cork Grand National victor The Bishop Looney, making him a full-brother to useful hurdler Milan Bound.
Encanto Bruno, who has an advantage having already scored over the Champion Bumper course and distance, was bred by Mark O’Keeffe by sending the placed Selkirk mare Stratosphere to value sire Mahler, while easy Naas bumper winner Western Diego was bred by Sean Osborne by sending Ask Me Sister, a Grade 3-placed chaser by Safety Catch, to Westerner, who already has a Champion Bumper winner to his name in Ferny Hollow.
Queens Gamble, who has won two mares’ bumpers at Cheltenham by a street and wasn’t disgraced when second at Market Rasen on her last start, would be a popular winner for Tote CEO Alex Frost and trainer Oliver Sherwood. She is by Getaway out of Gambling Girl, a Grade 3-winning hurdler by Hawk Wing.
A couple of well-bred potential Champion Bumper runners who are available at bigger odds are the unbeaten pair Captain Teague, a Doyen half-brother to Cheltenham Festival scorer Sky Pirate out of Listed-placed hurdler Dancingwithbubbles, and Favour And Fortune, a Soldier Of Fortune half-brother to Grade 2-winning hurdler Dreal Deal from the family of talented jumpers Buachaill Alainn, Haute Estime and Mahler Mission.
Martin Stevens