Schiaparelli has had winners of almost all varieties over the past week, with his offspring scoring over fences, hurdles and on the Flat.
Rafferty’s Return claimed his second victory of the year on 26 March over hurdles at Newcastle. Now the winner of five of his 19 starts for Rebecca Menzies, the nine-year-old was bred by PL Barrett and is owned by John Wade.
A Saturday double was initiated by Schiaparelli’s six-year-old son Mr Bramley, who backed up his Bangor-on-Dee victory in February by another success over hurdles at Carlisle. The promising Jedd O’Keeffe-trained gelding was also placed in two bumpers prior to that and was bred by Mrs F Marriott.
Later in the day, Numitor posted the fifth success of his career when winning the valuable Veterans’ Chase Finale at Haydock, which was worth £52,000 to the winner. Bred by his trainer Heather Main with her husband James, the grey 10-year-old has raced 22 times for his five victories and eight placed finishes.
On Easter Monday, Bonza Boy kept the National Hunt winners rolling in with his success at Chepstow in the Handicap Chase for Jeremy Scott. Bred and owned by G T Lever, the seven-year-old gelding has won his last two starts over fences and has also finished runner-up three times over hurdles and fences.
The Easter weekend had started with a rare Flat runner for Schiaparelli when Merrijig won the 1m6f handicap at Chelmsford City on Good Friday to claim a first prize of £18,659. The six-year-old, who was bred by Emma Berry and is trained in Newmarket by her husband John for the Beverley House Stables Partnership, also won on the Flat last year at Redcar and has been placed in three bumpers.
Schiaparelli has had only nine runners on the Flat, three of which are winners. Indefatigable, who is also a Cheltenham Festival winner and Grade 2 winner over hurdles, is his highest-rated runner on the Flat with a mark of 88 following her victory in a Pontefract maiden.
