High Chaparral on the mark at Dromahane The increasing influence of horses by supposed flat orientated sires continued at Dromahane yesterday when High Chaparral's son Hadrian's Approach landed division one of the four-year-old geldings' maiden in the famous Richard Kelvin Hughes ownership. Out of a bumper winning dam by Roselier, Hadrian's Approach was purchased from the Connors family, who of course are synonymous with the 'approach' family, by former trainer and bloodstock agent John Edwards and he is now bound for Nicky Henderson. He was trained for yesterday's success by Tom Lombard and ridden by Paul O'Brien. It is worth recalling exactly what High Chaparral achieved in his career - success coming his way in the Racing Post Trophy, the Vodafone Epsom Derby, the Budweiser Irish Derby, the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf, the Ireland The Food Island Champion Stakes and he repeated his Breeders Cup heroics in 2003. He also finished third in the Prix de l'Arc twice and he won ten of his thirteen starts, finishing runner-up on his debut in a Punchestown maiden in September 2001. Meanwhile Kelvin Hughes has had horses such as Chomba Womba and Cheltenham Festival winner Andytown race in his colours in recent times. Other scorers with a similar background 'between the flags' in the weeks gone by include Montjeu's daughter Noosa (twice), Oratorio's son High Handel (bought by Willie Mullins during the week) and Rock Of Allen (by Chevalier and bought by Henrietta Knight for 185K during the week). Elsewhere on the card at Dromahane, Henry De Bromhead saddled a good winner in the shape of the now bumper targeted Talkonthestreet and Derek O'Connor had four winners Final Gift (impressive for the Costellos), Embracing Change (bringing up a double for Tom Lombard), Less Honours (for Robert Tyner) and Tushana (for his brother Paurick). O'Connor now leads Jamie Codd by two (74-72) in the race to be champion rider. Codd had two winners at Kilmallock, one for Edmond Kent on the mare Royal Robin and one on in-form handler Denis Murphy's Listen Boy. Murphy saddled winners - Knock A Hand and Manogue Supreme at Largy on Friday, both partnered by Codd who had two other winners that day too - for David Christie on Bell On Bike and for Mark Fagan on Hily Distinguished. In the easyfix handlers' table - the score now reads Colin Bowe 22 (a four-year-old winner in Largy, Red Devil Boys and one in Kilmallock in the shape of Bill The Lad) and Robert Tyner 20 (a winner at Dromahane on Sunday).
