Hello Neighbour's winning introduction at Leopardstown a first ...

Hello Neighbour overcame poor visibility and the challenge of Lady Vega Allen to win the Grade 2 Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown, in the process becoming the first graded winner for his sire Harzand.

Unbeaten in two starts on the Flat for Gavin Cromwell, Hello Neighbour was making his hurdling debut on Thursday but belied his inexperience to make the perfect start to his new career and leaped to the head of the betting for the Triumph Hurdle.

Bred by John Yarr, Hello Neighbour is from the fourth crop of the Aga Khan's Derby and Irish Derby hero Harzand, who began his stud career alongside his outstanding sire Sea The Stars at Gilltown Stud but is about to embark upon his third breeding season at the O'Keeffe family's Kilbarry Lodge Stud in County Waterford.

Harzand's previous best National Hunt performer is the Grade 1 Prix Cambaceres Hurdle third Six Figures while on the Flat he is the sire of Group 3 winners Go On Carlras and Caught U Looking, who made 1,800,000gns to Yulong at the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale earlier this month.

That three-year-old filly was sold by Sabina Kelly and Tony O'Callaghan, and the patriarch of Tally Ho Stud was the owner of Hello Neighbour when he made a winning debut in a Navan maiden in late September. He was sold to stay in Cromwell's yard and now runs for Patrick Sheanon for whom he won at Roscommon in October.

Timmy Hillman of Castledillon Stud purchased Hello Neighbour as a foal for €57,000 from Meadowlands Stud at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale. 

He is out of the Montjeu mare Je T'Adore, who is the dam of Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle winner A Wave Of The Sea who is by Sea The Stars' close relation Born To Sea.

Trained by Joseph O'Brien, A Wave Of The Sea was third in the 2019 renewal of the Leopardstown race his younger half-sibling won.

Je T'Adore is also the dam of Grade 2 Lartigue Hurdle runner-up Dark Voyager while her best performer on the Flat is the Starspangledbanner filly Duvet Day who won the Listed Astra Stakes at Santa Anita.

A half-sister to the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault third Martial Law, Je T'Adore is out of Tree Tops who is a Grand Lodge half-sister to the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes winner Tuscan Evening.

Tony O'Callaghan went to €68,000 for the Blue Bresil foal half-brother to Hello Neighbour and A Wave Of The Sea at Tattersalls Ireland last month and Je T'Adore has a yearling son by Poet's Word.

Her two-year-old Saxon Warrior filly was purchased by Tina Rau for Gestuet Fahrhof as a foal at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and the 38,000gns buy has been named J'Adore L'Or while Je T'Adore was covered by Jeu St Eloi in the spring.

Speaking after selling the Blue Bresil colt to Tony O'Callaghan, Yarr modestly remarked: "I don't think I'm very good at selecting stallions but she's still gone and done it for us, she's been a good mare for us." 

Hello Neighbour is the fourth black type performer the 14-year-old daughter of Montjeu has foaled and he is bred on the same cross as Harzand's Group 2 Brisbane Cup and Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes runner-up Mostly Cloudy.

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