From Leicester to Toomebridge for son of Frankel

Racegoers at Toomebridge on Saturday could witness the first son of Frankel to feature at a point-to-point, as White Guard features among the 21 entries for the Dennison Commercials four-year-old geldings’ maiden, on the opening day of the new season.

Whilst his rivals may feature a more traditional national hunt pedigree from the likes of stallions Getaway, Presenting and Jeremy, White Guard would be a first for Frankel, the ten-time Group 1 winner, who stands at a fee of £175,000.

With the number of his progeny that have ventured into the national hunt sphere numbering less than half-a-dozen, it is no surprise that this would be his first to try three miles in a point-to-point.

White Guard’s path to a possible run at Toomebridge, is no less obscure, having started life with Sir Mark Prescott, finishing third in the Kegworth Novice Stakes at Leicester over 7 furlongs in the hands of Oisin Murphy in September 2017.

That was his sole outing in the colours of Qatar Racing, as the half-brother to two black type-placed flat performers, was then offered at this year’s Tattersalls February Sale in Newmarket, where his new trainer, Shark Hanlon, secured him for 5,000 GNS.

The Co. Carlow operator has since stepped him up in trip, as he has contested two further maidens on Irish shores, finishing 11th at Gowran Park over 1m 1 1/2f in early June, before finishing sixth of seven runners at Sligo a fortnight later when upped in trip by a further furlong.

Should he run on Saturday, he would not be the first top flat stallion to have one of his off-spring appear between the flags. In more recent times, Wild At Sea became the first son of the six-time Group 1 winner Sea The Stars to feature in the point-to-point fields when he ran in an Adjacent maiden at the Laois Foxhounds point-to-point at Stradbally last year.

James Fahey’s charge had previously changed hands for no less than 160,000GNS as a foal before going through the ring for a more modest €5,000 as a three-year-old, and despite going off as one of the market principals for his competitive debut four years later, he failed to make much of an impact and pulled up inside the final half-mile.