Court Cave sires seventh point winner of the season

Court Cave Stands at John and William Flood's Boardsmill Stud in Trim, Co. Meath. Court Cave is an unraced son of Saddler's Wells, out of Wemyss Bight, who was by Dancing Brave.

Interestingly, Court Cave is a full brother to another successful sire, in that of multiple Group 1 winner, and a Grade 1 sire Beat Hollow.

Despite being unraced due to an injury which he sustained as a two-year-old, he has a glowing pedigree, especially with his second dam, Bahamian who produced multiple Grade 1 winners.

Court Cave went to stud in 2008 and wasn’t standing all that long, before he sired his first number of winners. Court Cave has sired some top-class horses under rules, including Champion Court, City Island, Court Minstrel, and Mister Whitaker to name but a few. He has also sired two flat winners in that of Fairy Court and Glan Lady.

Many of his offspring have sold for big money in the sales ring, including Invincible Cave (£210,000), Plan Of Attack (£70,000), My Story (£90,000), Out Of Style (€80,000), Champion Court (£130,000), The Holy One (£78,000).

Willie Mullins, Gigginstown House Stud, Roger Brookhouse, and Highflyer Bloodstock are just some of the big names that have purchased some of his offspring.

The Martin Brassil-trained City Island is just one example of his progeny that has found success under rules. He won his bumper at Punchestown in May 2018, before he subsequently went on to win the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival the following March under Mark Walsh, and now holds an entry in this year's renewal of the Grade 1 Sun Racing Stayers' Hurdle.

On the point-to-point circuit, Co. Wexford handler Michael Goff has proven to be a very strong supporter of the sire.

Ballinsker won his point-to-point impressively at Oldcastle in April 2019 for Mick Goff by eight lengths, and he was subsequently sold to Evan Williams for £90,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham.

This season Mick Goff saddled Clondaw Secret to win impressively when he came home a two-length winner in his four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Boulta in December under Shane Fitzgerald. This son of Court Cave was winning on debut and was subsequently sold at the Tattersalls Cheltenham January Sale for £135,000.

Court Cave has been enjoying further success between the flags, having produced 7 winners and 10 placed runners from 26 runners since the beginning of October.

Cave Queen was the latest of his progeny to find success between the flags when taking her six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden in Tyrella at the end of January. The Peter Flood-trained mare battled it out to the line in a thrilling finish to get up by a short head.

My Story also recorded success for the sire this season, providing him with three out of his seven victories. The Sean Doyle-trained gelding won his four-year-old maiden for Sean’s brother Donnchadh Doyle before being sold to Roger Brookhouse for £90,000. The gelding enjoyed a spell under rules and has since returned to points where he has been enjoying a successful campaign for Sean Doyle.

Court Cave’s 2020 stud fee of €4,000 represents a lot of value for money when one considers his excellent record, and some of the grand figures that his offspring are selling for.

Read more about Court Cave here.