Weekend treble for Harzand

Image © Healy Racing

Harzand is quickly becoming a highly sought after sire in the National Hunt sphere and to date he has produced eight point-to-point winners in Ireland this season, from only his second NH crop.

Three of those winners emerged on Sunday, where his first winner came in the form of smart newcomer Ballycommon Boy who landed the four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Dromahane for owner/trainer Tom Keating.

A second foal out of a flat race winner in Atasha, who is herself a sister to four black-type flat performers in Germany, Ballycommon Boy caught the eye, racing in mid-division until making very smooth progress to lead after three out and despite two fencing errors, he quickened up impressively under Adam Feeney to easily account for the favourite The Irish Avatar.

Winning handler Keating, reported of Ballycommon Boy: “He’s a lovely horse that has always done everything very nicely and I think that he will win a bumper."

Connections also indicated that Ballycommon Boy will now be offered for sale.

Another that will most likely be seen in new ownership next time is Jennyfromtheblock after her victory in the five-and-six-year-old mares’ maiden on the same card.

Making her debut at Ballycahane in early March, the good-looking five-year-old finished a promising second, only beaten three-parts-of-a-length on that occasion.

The Ian McCarthy-trained Jennyfromtheblock was sent off favourite at Dromahane where she duly scored easily with three lengths to spare over runner-up Miss Bumblebee.

“She was a bit unlucky the last day in Ballycahane. She’s a big filly that’s very straightforward and she will probably now be sold," said Grangecoor Farm operator McCarthy of Jennyfromtheblock, owned by his wife Nicki but in whom Adare-based breeder Martin White still holds an involvement.

Harzand’s third winner of the weekend was in the Adjacent Hunts winners’ race at Castletown Geoghegan where the five-year-old Mosstown Mill over-turned the hot favourite What A Flirth in a thrilling finish to win by a neck.

Ciaran Murphy’s €30,000 2023 Goffs Arkle sale acquisition, who showed great improvement since pulling up on his debut points run at Belclare, will now embark on a career between the rails.

Moving from Gilltown Stud to Con O’Keeffe’s Kilbarry Lodge Stud in 2022, Harzand covered a substantial book of mares during 2023 and 2024. He is an impressive Dual Derby winner by Sea The Stars who has the physical attributes, race record and pedigree to make an exceptional National Hunt Sire.

Sire of a constantly growing number of Flat and National Hunt winners, including the Noel Meade trained Caught U Looking, winner of the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh who was subsequently sold for 1,800,000 Guineas at the 2024 Tattersalls December sale. He is also responsible for Gavin Cromwell’s exciting dual graded winner Hello Neighbour.

Harzand produced the highest-priced store by an Irish sire at the 2024 Derby Sale at €185,000 with €69,286 average.

His point-to-point stock have consistently been faring well in the sales ring with Dromahane maiden winner Starzand topping the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale when fetching £230,000, and he has already made a impact for his new trainers, Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, recently landing a Ffos Las bumper on his stable debut.

Harzand has made a smart start at stud, and his produce continue to prove popular between the flags.