'I've never bred anything like this!' - Supreme success for Frank McNulty

If anyone close to Leopardstown racecourse was wondering what that roar was at around 1.24pm on Tuesday, it was breeder and local resident Frank McNulty cheering home his 24-length Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Appreciate It.

The strapping son of Jeremy, who was bred in partnership with Barmakin Limited, is the fourth foal out of Sainte Baronne, with the daughter of Saint Des Saints forming part of McNulty and his partners' three-strong broodmare band.

Although he has enjoyed plenty of success at a lower level, the breeder said Appreciate It rates his magnum opus.

"I've never bred anything like this!" said McNulty. "I think the neighbours will have heard me celebrating from about three miles away! It's exciting to have any connection with a Cheltenham runner, but that was very special.

"I've had some good racehorses before, I bought a mare from Criquette Head who bred a horse called Kate Emily, she won nine races for me then produced a horse called Leah Claire who also won nine too. They were the best I've had before Appreciate It came along."

Sainte Baronne has been a fine servant to McNulty, with the 17-year-old, who was placed in a trio of bumpers, having been sourced from France as a juvenile. Taking up the tale, McNulty said: "We bought her as a two-year-old, myself and my pals, at the Saint-Cloud Sale from Haras du Saubouas.

Appreciate It goes clear in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' HurdleCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"The idea was that we'd race her and breed from her and that's exactly what we've done. Unfortunately we had to retire her from racing earlier than we'd anticipated because she had a bit of a knee problem."

Although her racing career was prematurely cut short, Sainte Baronne has flourished at paddocks having also bred the useful pair of Danny Kirwan and Pilgrim Way. McNulty says the mare also has some exciting young stock in the pipeline.

"We have a lovely three-year-old Soldier Of Fortune filly who'll go to the sales this year," he said. "We also sold a lovely Jukebox Jury colt out of the mare last year, he's probably the best foal she's thrown so far.

"She's just had a Westerner filly last week as well and we'll probably go back to Westerner this year. He's a good commercial stallion, you've got to watch what you're spending and I think he's good value.

"At some stage we'll have to consider keeping a filly out of Sainte Baronne as she's 17 already. She's a lovely big mare with a great temperament and was very unlucky not to have won a bumper in Limerick, but she's been a very good mother."

Reflecting on Appreciate It's early days before he was sold to Apple Tree Farm for €18,500 through Charel Park Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland November Sale, McNulty said: "He was a lovely foal but was a bit weak and we knew he needed a bit of time. He was down in Limerick at one stage and they realised he needed a bit of time too.

Frank McNulty (left) with Pilgrim Way after victory at NavanCredit: Alain Barr

"Pat Doyle then had him and then it ended up with Willie [Mullins] buying him for the Mastersons, they're lovely people and I'm really delighted for them."

The seven-year-old Appreciate It hails from the penultimate crop of Jeremy, who was standing his first season at Garryrichard Stud in 2013. That book yielded 174 foals including Black Tears, who took the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle later on the Cheltenham card.

Tragically the son of Danehill Dancer had to be euthanised in 2014 after breaking bones in his carpal joint while recovering from anaesthetic after an injury picked up during exercise required surgery.

McNulty expressed a view that is sure to be widely held among National Hunt breeders following a Grade 1 double for the much-missed sire.

He said: "It's an awful shame that Jeremy died so young as I think he'd have been a super, super stallion. We sent Sainte Baronne to him thinking that we might get a dual purpose horse given he'd been such a good horse on the Flat himself."

Although Appreciate It may be the best that McNulty has had a hand in breeding, he is far from the only good horse he has been associated with during his career in bloodstock, having spent 30 years working for the BBA Ireland.

McNulty - who was hired by the legendary Tom Cooper, a hugely influential agent and founder of the BBA Ireland - retired from his position as managing director in 2000, but said he still takes an active role in the company.

"I'm still very much involved and give a lot of advice on bloodstock and VAT so I still keep my hand in," he said.

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