Jamie Lynch: The Monster Monsuns

An English trainer, an Irish trainer and an Australian trainer were in a bar, drinking German beer (and waiting for the British jockeys to come back from the toilet).

The English trainer said: 'Our racing is best because we had Sprinter Sacre.'

The Irish trainer said: 'Our racing is best because we've got Annie Power.'

The Australian trainer said: 'Our racing is best because we've got the Melbourne Cup.'

And the German bartender smiled and asked: 'More German rocket fuel?' Each trainer held out their glass. 'Oh,' replied the German, 'I meant the racing, not the drink.'

Of all the tremors in the National Hunt world last week, perhaps the most seismic, for a future shockwave, was generated by Getabird, whose demolition job at Fairyhouse was one of the highest-rated bumper debuts in Timeform history. Faugheen ran to 121 when he beat Josses Hill by 22 lengths in his first race. Getabird’s initial assessment is 119. What’s unlikely is that anything will better than between now and the Champion Bumper, and what’s likely is that Getabird will go off 11/4 at Cheltenham.

Best of the bloodied rest at Fairyhouse was Imperial Way, who may be no Josses Hill, but he’s another exciting one for Joseph O’Brien, and there was a common link between the first two, linking to the bigger common denominator: both Getabird and Imperial Way are by Getaway, part of the Monsun legacy.

The highest rating Annie Power got to through her three-race unbeaten run in bumpers was 110, though that was merely the appetiser in her spectacular menu, culminating in the spring with a Champion Hurdle and a 170 performance in the Aintree Hurdle, cementing her position as one of the all-time great mares of jumping. Annie Power is by Shirocco, part of the Monsun legacy.

Perhaps the only horse that shone brighter than Annie Power at the last Cheltenham Festival was Sprinter Sacre, for the star he was and the story he wrote and rewrote. There was genius in those genes, provided in some measure by Network, part of the Monsun legacy.

Different continent, different discipline, different sun and air, but the same sons and heirs from the same superstallion, as in Australia there’s talk to rename the Melbourne Cup the Monsun Cup, having sired Fiorente, Protectionist and Almandin, three of the last four winners.

He died in 2012, but Monsun’s DNA is, literally and figuratively, all over world racing. He’s making his own history, but the heritage is all about German breeding, whose focus on staying power has given it staying power, fortune favouring the faithful, rather than the fashionable.

Monsun was a premium German product, by Konigsstuhl, the only horse to ever win the German Triple Crown, and out of a mare by Surumu, six-time champion sire over there. As a racehorse, Monsun was good when it was good and very good when it was very soft, showcasing the stamina that would permeate his progeny and his reputation. At one stage, he was the highest-priced stallion outside of Ireland, thanks to several of his sons who are carrying on his impressive stud work, so much so that everyone now wants ein bisschen of the Monsun blood.

In Australia, Fiorente is getting a big push as a stallion, high on numbers and demand, by far the busiest of their first-season sires in 2014, a change of course to ringfence their race after the one-time need to breed for speed. But that did result in Black Caviar.

If there’s a cultural curve in European breeding then Coolmore is usually ahead of it, and it’s significant that they’ve added not one but two Monsuns to their jumps band, with Ocovango joining Getaway.

The message is getting louder. To get a machine, like Getabird, by Getaway, you gotta get some Monsun.