STALLION WATCH: Florrie Webb impresses at Borris House

Prince Flori is a stallion that has made an immediate impact with just his very first crop of Irish four-year-old’s, as was evident by the debut performance of Florrie Webb at Borris House on Sunday.

Owned by Linda Halley, the bay was just the second off-spring of Prince Flori to run in a point-to-point, when he was sent out by local handler Aidan Fitzgerald for his introduction to racing in division two of the Tattersalls Ireland four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Always up with the pace in the three-mile contest, Florrie Webb, who is out of a Shantou mare that won twice under rules at both Uttoxeter and Perth, was fairing best of the newcomers and really putting it up to some far more experienced rivals in the hands of local rider Richie Deegan.

Holding a six-length advantage approaching the final fence and appearing to be booked for a debut success, Florrie Webb made a mistake and came down – cruelly missing out on his chance to get off the mark at the first time of asking.

Thankfully horse and rider were none the worse for their unfortunate spill and he was quickly added as a wild card addition to the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham December sale catalogue.

Standing at Sean and Janet Kinsella’s Knockhouse Stud in Co. Kilkenny, Prince Flori, who is from the same German bloodlines as Monsun, was a top-class middle distance horse in Germany, winning seven races between the ages of three and five, including Group 1 success in the Grosser Volkswagen Preis von Baden at Baden-Baden.