Owner : W M Aitchison
Pedigree
CaerleonGenerous
Doff The Derby
Banks O' Houxty
2010 bay gelding
Mull of Kintyre
Border Mist
Caroline Lady
The family
Border Mist, dam of Banks O' Houxty, ran a couple of times for
Scottish Border trainer Willie Amos in season 2007-08. Although she
failed to make an impression on the track, she is a half-sister to 3
winners in Forest Heath (10f scored on the flat), Sandholes (10f, 2m
hurdler) and Starry Lady (fair maiden 2yr old and 2m hurdler).
It is Starry Lady who has made the most recent impact for the family
as a broodmare. She has bred the multiple winning jumpers Canaly (8
wins), Eightybarackstreet (5 wins) and Third Act (3 wins).
On the level, another half-sister to Border Mist - Carollan - has
bred the Listed 5f winner Marine Commando.
The grand-dam Caroline Lady, a winner over 12f, bred the triple flat winner Penge, who was successful at distances between 8-11 furlongs and also Listed placed.
Banks O'Houxty is the first progeny of Border Mist, whose 2nd foal Fair Houxty is in training with Tim Reed.
About the sire
Generous (chestnut horse, b 1988), an angular type in looks trained
by Paul Cole, won over 5f as a juvenile on his first appearance but
finished off that season by scaling the heights with a Dewhurst
Stakes win (at 50-1). He was an even better 3 year old, described by
Timeform (rated 139) as a 'sporting wonder' after winning 3 Group 1s in 53 days.
Epsom Derby, Irish Derby topped off by Ascot's all-ages King George
VI by 7 lengths.
He is a male line descendent of the great Northern Dancer. His dam,
Doff The Derby, was unraced but is a half-sister to the tough,
talented racemare Trillion (subsequently dam of Triptych). Doff the
Derby has bred 3 other stakes-winners,
co-incidentally all by Northern Dancer line stallions.
Generous was recognised as a source of stamina but has sired his
fair share of top class winners on the level, such as Germano and
Blueprint.
Equally successful in the National Hunt sphere, his best progeny
have been Copeland, Grade 2 winning chaser Henryville and the
multiple winning Master Tern.
Generous died in 2013.
Trained by Karen McLintock, the 5 year old Banks O' Houxty bolted up
on debut in a 12 runner bumper at Kelso in May 2015. There must have
been fair confidence for connections in his work at home as Sam
Twiston-Davies was booked for the ride. He won by 7 lengths, being
produced to lead a furlong from home and obtaining the Timeform 'p'
in his rating for the performance.
Sadly though, his career ever since has been plagued by injury and
that victory has been his sole racecourse appearance.
Bred by the Aitchison family, the tall, rangy Banks O' Houxty has
been well looked after in recent years and had been in pre-training
for several weeks prior to joining Dodlands Steading at the
beginning of his summer. Mainly to see if this gelding, with bags of
talent, would be able to stand the rigours of a National Hunt
training regime.
Well, so far so good, and he has been showing up well on the gallops
with no ill-effects - touch wood!!!
At the start of September, after a short break, Banks O' Houxty has started a couple of weeks of trotting in nearby lanes with the rest of his stable-mates, as is the norm here for horses after a summer break.
He'll be back on the gallops soon enough, and all being well we'd expect this grand sort to be running in a novice hurdle before the end of the year.
| Season | win | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | other | |
| 2015-16 | NH Flat | 1 | ||||
| 2019-20 | Hurdles | 1 | 2 | |||
