Valentines’ Day
The Valentine family are still celebrating Edwulf’s shock victory in the Irish Gold Cup, reports
spotted Edwulf ’s grand dam Jessica One while working as a farrier for the late British trainer Mary Reveley. She had won six races by the time he bought her as a broodmare. “We got a lot of nice horses from Mary over the years and we are forever indebted to her for that,” said David.
By Supreme Leader, Jessica One is from the same family as the Group 1 winning sire Royal Applause and Group 3 winning sire Mr Fluorocarbon.
In 2000 she was covered by the former Northern Ireland-based sire Zaffaran and the following spring produced Valentine’s Lady who was later sent into training with Mary Reveley.
A winner of a bumper on her first time out in Wetherby in November 2006, she was well placed a further half dozen times during her career, which included another two wins at Wetherby and Kelso, before being retired to stud in 2008.
“Ivor kept her in the UK and covered her with Kayf Tara and that resulted in Edwulf in 2009,” David said.
“Sadly we’ve found it difficult to keep her in foal over the years and she only has two progeny on the ground. The only other one that survived was foaled in 2012.”
That produce is Grand Morning, a six-year-old gelding by Midnight Legend who also runs in the colours of JP McManus for British trainer Lucinda Russell.
On only his second outing last month, he won a Maiden Hurdle at Ayr. Edwulf was sent to Doncaster as a weanling and was sold to the Jamestown Consignment for €27,000.
He went through the ring again as a two-year-old at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale and was snapped up by Monbeg Stables for €30,000 before going into training with Vincent Halley. Placed second in his second run between the flags, from there he was sent to trainer Ben Pauling, with whom he finished seventh in a bumper under Derek O’Connor.
Under the ownership of McManus, he was sent to Ballydoyle Stables and from there to Aidan O’Brien’s son Joseph in November 2016.
“Edwulf made a remarkable recovery, but the mare should also not be here herself really,” David said. “We nearly lost her foaling once and she had to have a caesarean, but thanks to great help and advice from Troytown Veterinary Clinic, she is holding in-foal this year to Soldier of Fortune and will hopefully foal in late March without any complications.”