This weekend Doyen enjoyed a double at Loughanmore, the scene of success for the subsequent Grade 1 winner Battleoverdoyen.
In the opening mares' maiden The Mean Queen was a very impressive scorer and has become the highest rated four-year-old mare of the season so far and looks a very exciting prospect for handler Ellen Doyle.
She easily accounted for Oldastle runner-up Caoimhe Lady and looks to have a very bright future.
Half an hour later the four-year-old geldings' maiden saw Undersupervision score for Cormac Doyle. This fine strapping chasing sort enjoyed this galloping track and looks set for success on the Grade 1 tracks around the UK and Ireland in the future.
At Dromahane Paul O’Connell produced Doyen Queen to take the winners race having won a four year old maiden at The Pigeons in 2018 and she is now back to her best and looks a nice mare to look forward to for connections having been lightly raced so far.
Meanwhile at Cheltenham on Saturday John McConnell produced Streets of Doyen to win his fourth race in succession to win the Novice hurdle by three lengths and this followed victories at Roscommon, Gowran and Cork since 28th September which is an exceptional rise from a mark of 113 to bypass the 130 mark recently and he is still improving.
Michael Hickey’s Sunnyhill Stud have long been associated with leading National Hunt stallions and the emergence of Doyen in recent times is making a notable mark on the NH stock presently.
Doyen is a son of Saddler’s Wells who won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (Gr.1) at Ascot in 2004 when becoming the Champion four-year-old of Europe. His dam was second in the French Oaks and third in the Newmarket 1,000 Guineas.
Doyen stood for some time at Dalham Hall in Newmarket followed by a stint in Germany before being acquired to stand at Sunnyhill Stud back in 2009. He is one of a select few Stallions who has sired top level winners on the flat and over jumps. Turfdonna won the Group1 German Oaks back in 2015 and Battleoverdoyen won a Grade 1 Hurdle at Naas over hurdles to complete the double across codes.
Even from his early crop’s horses such as Valdez, Pine Creek and Golden Doyen showed that he would become a strong force in the NH sphere when the opportunity allowed.
Once arriving at Sunnyhill Doyen was to enjoy the NH supply he deserved and from his very first Irish crop emerged Battleoverdoyen who won a four-year-old maiden at Loughanmore for Jerry Cosgrave under Mark O’Hare for owner Michael Lynch.
He was then sold to Gigginstown House Stud for £235,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale and won a Grade 1 Hurdle at Naas earlier in January of 2019 and by December he had added a Grade 1 success over fences at Leopardstown also.
He was then sold to Gigginstown House Stud for £235,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale and won a Grade 1 Hurdle at Naas earlier in January of 2019 and by December he had added a Grade 1 success over fences at Leopardstown also.
Elliott is also trainer of a hugely exciting son of Doyen in Andy Dufresne who won a Point to Point at Borris before selling for £330,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival sale and going on to win a bumper early in 2019. He then went on to win a bumper and two hurdles from just five starts before making a successful chasing debut at Wexford on Monday and looks a very exciting son of Doyen.
Gordon Elliott was also responsible for the sadly ill-fated but hugely talented Rapid Escape who was another point-to-point graduate.
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