An ace for Authorized: how Grand National hero Tiger Roll was bred

This article was first published in April 2018

National Hunt studs will have tried and tried to purchase Authorized from Darley down the years, but the 2007 Derby winner has stayed firmly put on Sheikh Mohammed's stallion roster as he remains a more than useful source of Flat performers.

Tiger Roll demonstrated again yesterday with his smooth victory in the Randox Health Grand National just why the sire has been in such strong demand from jumps breeders.

Authorized has also supplied Stayers' Hurdle hero Nichols Canyon and the useful Beltor, Sternrubin, Woolstone One, Zamdy Man and Zubayr.

But because his Flat representatives number such top-class talents as Ambivalent, Hartnell and Seal Of Approval he has been spared being downgraded to a dual-purpose role at a jumps stud, a fate that has befallen fellow Epsom Classic winners Pour Moi and Workforce.

Authorized, a son of the ever-increasingly important jumps influence Montjeu, stands under the Darley banner at Haras du Logis in Normandy at a fee of €12,000.

Tiger Roll puts his sire Authorized (pictured) firmly in spotlight once moreCredit: Darley

Tiger Roll was bred in Ireland by Gerry O'Brien out of Swiss Roll, a daughter of Entrepreneur who won over 1m4f and 1m6f for trainer Tommy Stack and has produced three other winners including Ahzeemah, a son of Dubawi who took the Lonsdale Cup and was second in the Irish St Leger.

Although this is a Flat pedigree, Tiger Roll is not the first decent jumper in the family, as Swiss Roll is a half-sister to Listed-placed hurdler Khachaturian. The dam is also a sister to National Stakes second Berenson and half-sister to Park Express Stakes winner Pollen.

Swiss Roll is out of the Chief Singer mare On Air, a useful Flat handicapper who went on to win a Haydock novice hurdle by 12 lengths and finish fourth in the Grade 2 Kennel Gate Castle Novices' Hurdle.

On Air was out of the Listed-placed Green Dancer mare Green Light, who in turn was a daughter of Ranimar, winner of the Sun Chariot Stakes and runner-up in the Hardwicke Stakes between 1976 and 1977.

Tiger Roll has some intriguing inbreeding that will amuse pedigree students. Both the aforementioned Montjeu and Entrepreneur were by Sadler's Wells, so he is bred 3x3 to the late Coolmore grandee.

Duplications of Sadler's Wells are becoming increasingly prevalent in pedigrees, with both the brilliant filly Enable and exciting young chaser Footpad also closely inbred to him.

But Tiger Roll is also inbred to another influential horse, as the maternal granddam of Authorized, Vallee Dansante, and Green Light's sire, Green Dancer, were half-siblings. So the Aintree hero is bred 4x5 to that pair's dam Green Valley, an outstanding blue hen whose descendants also include champions Alhaarth, Makfi, Okawango, Quijano, Silasol, Solemia and The Gurkha.

Tiger Roll was originally bought by John Ferguson as a foal at Tattersalls for 70,000gns on behalf of Godolphin, but never started for Sheikh Mohammed's organisation and was bought by Nigel Hawke for just £10,000 at Doncaster three years later.

Hawke saddled the horse to win a juvenile hurdle at Market Rasen months after the purchase, after which he was sold to present trainer Gordon Elliott and owner Gigginstown House Stud for £80,000 at the Cheltenham boutique horses in training sales.

Considering many Gigginstown House Stud horses are bought for huge sums privately, or for sale-topping amounts at auction – such as Samcro for £335,000 – Tiger Roll must count as one of the operation's better value purchases.

The horse, noted for his diminutive stature but enormous heart, has won at three Cheltenham Festivals – in the Triumph Hurdle, National Hunt Chase and Glenfarclas Chase – and now the most famous race in the world.

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