'Dream come true' for breeder Cyril O'Hara as Monkfish digs deep

County Westmeath breeder Cyril O'Hara was delighted to record his first Cheltenham Festival winner on Friday when Monkfish emerged on top in a thrilling finish to the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

The six-year-old Stowaway gelding was bred by O'Hara out of the Old Vic mare Martovic, herself the daughter of the 1994 Sun Alliance Chase runner-up Martomick.

"It's a dream come true - that's why I breed," said O'Hara, who followed the action from home. "We'd a nice party in the house and cheered him home ourselves!

"You breed for the good horses and it makes up for all the ones who fall by the wayside. It's nice to see Monkfish battle hard and get it. He should be a decent chaser, a big horse like him.

"I bought Martovic out of training at Doncaster and covered her for a few years by Spadoun, who I stood here. She also has a three-year-old Mahler filly, who will hopefully go to the Goffs Land Rover Sale, and is in foal this year to Casamento.

"Stowaway was a fabulous sire and I used him quite a bit. I bred four geldings by him and all of them won. It was fabulous to see Put The Kettle On win for him as well this week."

Stowaway became the fourth sire to double up this week after the six-year-old Put The Kettle On beat the boys in the Racing Post Arkle Chase on Tuesday.

The former Whytemount Stud stallion was the leading sire this week on countback of placings, with Fury Road having chased Monkfish home in third and Us And Them having finished third to Chosen Mate in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual. Kalanisi, Nathaniel and Poliglote were the other sires with two winners this week.

Martovic is also the dam of the four-time winner Looks Like Power, a son of Spadoun in the care of trainer Debra Hamer.

Monkfish was sold by O'Hara's Ennel Bloodstock for €12,500 as a foal at Tattersalls Ireland and was later pinhooked by point-to-point handler Cormac Doyle for €36,000 at the 2017 Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.

He subsequently won a Stowlin four-year-old maiden in April 2018 and was the second top lot when purchased by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins for £235,000 at Cheltenham a month later.

Douvan delight

The success of Monkfish was not the only reason for O'Hara to celebrate recently, as he also welcomed the arrival of a Doctor Dino colt foal who is a half-brother to the top-class Douvan.

The son of Walk In The Park established himself as a festival favourite having landed the 2015 Supreme Novices' Hurdle and 2016 Racing Post Arkle in the colours of Susannah Ricci, the same silks carried by Monkfish to victory on Friday.

"He's a really nice foal and we're delighted with him, absolutely thrilled," said O'Hara. "It's nice to get a colt foal out of the mare after we bought her in foal."

Douvan is out of the Saint Des Saints mare Star Face, who O'Hara purchased for €62,000 at last year's Arqana December Sale.

Haras du Mesnil resident Doctor Dino commands a €16,000 fee - the most expensive fee for any National Hunt sire - having supplied the likes of La Bague Au Roi, Master Dino, Sceau Royal and Sharjah.

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