Identity Thief steals Fighting Fifth and Thistlecrack impresses at Newbury.
28 November 2015
Kayf Tara enjoyed a banner day on Saturday when his sons Identity Thief and Thistlecrack won the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
The winner of four of his seven starts, five-year-old Identity Thief started this season in style with victory in the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal before recording his fist success at the highest level with a battling win over Top Notch in the first Grade 1 contest of the season.
Bred by Cathal Ennis, he is a son of the Flemensfirth mare Miss Arteea and was a €40,000 purchase for Gigginstown House Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale of 2013.
Thistlecrack, who was bred in Britain by Robin and Scarlett Knipe of Cobhall Court Stud, is out of the Ardross mare Ardstown and has already secured Grade 1 success when winning last season’s Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at the Grand National meeting.
Lining up for his seasonal debut at Newbury against Grade 1 World Hurdle winner Cole Harden, the seven-year-old Thistlecrack was given a patient ride by Tom Scudamore and jumped into the lead at the last flight before going on to score by six lengths over Deputy Dan.
Britain’s leading National Hunt sire, Kayf Tara is now in third position on the stallion table for active jump sires in Britain and Ireland behind Presenting and Milan, with 46 winners for the season and £642,450 in progeny earnings.
