Strong start to the season for Youmzain with Loughrea double

Image © Healy Racing

Youmzain became just the third stallion this season to sire multiple winners with a double at Loughrea for the Rathbarry and Glenview Stud resident.

The double was all the more notable for his connections, as it was initiated by a horse trained by Paul Cashman, when Youlita lowered the colours of the previously-track placed favourite Well Buoy in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Well produced by James Murphy to come from off the pace, the twice-previously raced Youlita showed a likeable attitude as he battled gamely to his rider’s urgings to come out on top in a three-way finish.

“This is a nice horse who likes decent ground,” former jockey Patrick Mangan, who was representing the winning connections, stated.

“He was too keen on his two runs last season but is learning now. James did a good job settling him and dropping him in and it paid off. He may go for a bumper now.”

Bred by the Cashman’s as the first foal out of the Grade 3-placed racemare Solita who also won a Grade B novice handicap chase at the Fairyhouse Easter festival, she since produced foals by Shirocco, Old Persian, and most recently, she had a filly by Eagles By Day last year.

The very next race on the Galway Blazers card in Loughrea was won by another off-spring of Youmzain, with Mandalay Maggie, backing-up the promising way that she had ended last season by landing the mares’ maiden.

Second at Ballingarry on the final start of last season, the Tim Hegarty-bred five-year-old was running for the first time for Sean Osborne, and she made an immediate impact by justifying her position at the top of the market under Harry Goff to prevail by four and a half lengths.

A dual Group 1 winner throughout a successful racing career which saw him beaten a nose in a further two top-level contests as he was the champion three-year-old in Germany and champion older horse in Europe at the age of six, Youmzain also chased home the great Sea The Stars in the 2009 Arc at Longchamp.

Since being retired to stud sound in wind and limb, Youmzain has sired the likes of Saglawy, a Grade 2 winner over hurdles at Fairyhouse for Willie Mullins, who was also placed in Grade 1 company.

In the pointing fields, Youmazin also had two four-year-old maiden winners last year in just his first national hunt crop of four-year-olds, with El Granjero winning in Moira for Peter Flood before Harbour Highway made a winning start to his career at Bartlemy, after which he was sold for £90,000.