Irish Racing Yearbook 2024

E E FR

Over 90 race days – Worth €2,500

PAUL TOWNEND Galopin to glory

Also featuring

DAVY RUSSELL RYAN MOORE HONEYSUCKLE FRANKEL and much more

€35.00 (£30.00)

STALLIONS GR.1 WINNING MILER BY NEW BAY

FEE: €15,000

ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING SIRES

FEE: €125,000

CLASSIC WINNER, CLASSIC SIRE

FEE: €10,000

SENSATIONAL YOUNG SIRE BY DUBAWI

NEW BAY.

FEE: €75,000

THE BEST GALILEO SINCE FRANKEL

FEE: €10,000

BAYSIDE BOY.

LOPE DE VEGA.

MAKE BELIEVE.

WALDGEIST.

BALLYLINCH STUD

Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland

2024 • Won the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 123 and Gr.2 Champagne Stakes – • Covered 134 mares & the BEST BOOK of any first season sire in Ireland by % winners & % Blacktype Horses

• Sire of 19 individual Gr.1 winners and over 100 career Stakes winners • Over 50 Stakes horses in 2023 including leading 2yos IBERIAN, BEAUVATIER and ROSE BLOOM

• Sire of Classic winning World Champion MISHRIFF • 14 individual 2yo winners in 2023 include 5-length Listed winner SAJIR and Paddy Twomey’s 4 length debut winner & Classic hope PORTERS PLACE

• 14 Stakes horses in 2023 include Gr.1 2yos ALCANTOR, DEVIL’S POINT & SHUWARI • 2023 yearlings made up to €1,650,000 and averaged €128,500 (6.5X their service fee)

• Winner of 4 Group 1s including a vintage Arc –

132

• His progeny in 2023 sold for €360,000, 125,000gns, 120,000gns, 100,000gns, etc.

Te l : + 3 5 3 ( 0 ) 5 6 7 7 2 4 2 1 7 • i n f o @ b a l l y l i n c h s t u d . i e • w w w. b a l l y l i n c h s t u d . i e

CONTENTS EDITORIAL

4

FEATURE STORY Paul Townend

6

EXTRAS

AIRO Awards Photos And In Other News Go Racing Promotion I Took That Photo Spread The X Files HRI Awards Nominations

15 16 19 31 38 40

MAIN

Davy Russell Ryan Moore Barry Connell & Michael O’Sullivan Donal Spring Oisín Murphy Wesley Joyce Donagh Meyler

NATIONAL HUNT

Derek Fox & Stephen Mulqueen Keith Donoghue Gordon Elliott Paddy Neville John Gleeson Anthony Bromley Warren Ewing Brian Hayes Danny Gilligan Ricky Doyle

FLAT

Rossa Ryan Natalia Lupini Gary Carroll Fozzy Stack Sean Kirrane Adrian Murray Niall McCullagh Leading Irish Juveniles Leading European Juveniles Older Horses To Follow

74 78 82 86 90 92 96 100 104 106 108 112 116 120 122 126 130 132 136 140

GENERAL

Noel Meade Ben Harvey Adam Caffrey Cian Collins

144 148 150 152

POINT-TO-POINT

Pa King Matty Flynn O’Connor Dara & Oran McGill

154 158 162

BLOODSTOCK

Frankel Honeysuckle & NH Mares Roderic Kavanagh Broodmares Bloodstock Sales Yearling Sales Leading Sires First-Season Sires in 2024 New To Stud in 2024 Stallion Fees

166 170 176 178 182 186 190 196 200 204

STATISTICS, RACE RECORDS & FIXTURES

Championship Stats Top Irish NH Race Winners Top Irish Flat Race Winners Fixtures (Ireland & Point-To-Point) 2

42 48 52 58 62 70 72

207 208 212 215

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Exciting young sires, looking to the future… £80,000

Fee: October 1st SLF Standing at Beech House Stud, UK

NEW FOR 2024

£15,000

Fee: January 1st SLF Standing at Beech House Stud, UK

£12,500

Fee: January 1st SLF Standing at Beech House Stud, UK

€15,000

Fee: January 1st SLF Standing at Derrinstown Stud, Ireland

€5,000

Fee: January 1st SLF Standing at Derrinstown Stud, Ireland

To book a nomination or arrange a viewing, contact: Ireland – Stephen Collins, Joe Behan or Kay Skehan: +353 (0) 1 6286228 | nominations@derrinstown.com UK – Will Wright: +44 (0)7787 422901 | nominations@shadwellstud.co.uk

View our stallion roster: www.shadwellstud.com

Give

EDITORIAL

I

t has been another year of tremendous highs and crushing lows in horse racing and Ireland continues to be operational at the highest level in all spheres.

The aim of Irish Racing Yearbook 2024 is to provide a snapshot of some of those. There are plenty of worthy subjects that didn’t make it – no arguments there. But you couldn’t say any of those featured within these pages don’t deserve acknowledgement.

For all the enjoyment we get from it, racing is a tough sport as it is an industry. Only the few prosper. That’s the real world, in any sport and industry I know.

The catastrophic injuries suffered by Graham Lee offer a reminder, if it were needed, of the dangers for our jockeys in particular, though that applies to anyone who works with horses.

Graham did an interview with Edward Prosser for Irish Racing Yearbook 2013 to mark the immediate success of his transition to the flat sphere, having ridden over a thousand winners over jumps, including a Grand National on Amberleigh House in 2004 and a trio of triumphs that led to being leading rider at Cheltenham the following year.

E

FRE

Over 90 race days – Worth €2,500

Publisher: JOHN FLEMING Editor: DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR Marketing: MEGAN ROGERS KERRY RYAN

PAUL TOWNEND Galopin to glory

Design: THOROUGHBRED ADVERTISING Also featuring

DAVY RUSSELL RYAN MOORE HONEYSUCKLE FRANKEL and much more

€35.00 (£30.00)

Printed by: CHARACTER PRINT SOLUTIONS Distributed by: EASONS Contributors: HARRY ALLWOOD JOHN BERRY

JOHN BOYCE GORDON BROWN GARY CARSON ROBERT CATTERSON BRENDAN COFFEY RORY DELARGY GRAHAM DENCH ANNE MARIE DUFF MICHAEL DUGGAN IAN GAUGHRAN RONAN GROOME ALAN HEWISON LAURA JOY DONN MCCLEAN DR SIEGLINDE MCGEE PATRICK MULLINS

a little

He would make a stunning success of life on the level, winning an Ascot Gold Cup and a Nunthorpe Stakes. How many have done the National-Nunthorpe double I wonder? Galway Graham did.

After being unseated from Ben Macdui at Newcastle on November 10 however, Graham suffered serious spinal injuries and remains in hospital after what was said to be a successful surgery on an unstable cervical fracture. His daughter, Amy set up a Just Giving page for the Injured Jockeys Fund that at the time of writing, had already reached £150,000.

Anyone reading this is a fan of the sport. If you have a spare few quid, think about contributing to this fund at https://www.justgiving.com/page/ amy-lee-1699871461293.

In that context, I should also mention Irish Injured Jockeys, who are always in need of donations too. We all know someone that has needed their help. You will find the necessary links on irishinjuredjockeys.com.

After that, thanks for the continuing support. I am indebted to the entire team for ensuring the quality of this year’s edition and I hope you enjoy it.

Beir bua.

Daragh Ó Conchúir – EDITOR DONAL MURPHY DARREN NORRIS DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR JOHN O’RIORDAN FINTAN O’TOOLE LEO POWELL EDWARD PROSSER MARTIN STEVENS JAMES THOMAS MARCUS TOWNEND MICHAEL VERNEY DENIS WALSH EOGHÁIN WARD JOHNNY WARD GUY WILLIAMS SEB VANCE

Photographs HEALY RACING PETER MOONEY CAROLINE NORRIS Front cover: PAUL TOWNEND CELEBRATES WINNING THE CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP ON GALOPIN DES CHAMPS Photo: CAROLINE NORRIS

29 Lower Patrick Street Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny. Tel: 056 7761504. Fax: 056 7761510 www.irishracingyearbook.com • TWITTER@IRYOfficial

4

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BOUTTEMONT

THE FASTEST-EVER SON OF ACCLAMATION TO RETIRE TO STUD

ACCLAMATION

Proven Multiple Group 1 Sire incl. ROMANTIC WARRIOR Winner of Gr.1 Cox Plate, Gr.1 QE11 Cup (twice), Gr.1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, Hong Kong Derby

BOUTTEMONT

A Group 3-winning sprinter, he won the Prix Hampton over 5f at Chantilly in an electric time of 56.18 s.

Bouttemont is Acclamation’s first son to retire to stud in Ireland since Mehmas in 2017

KODI BEAR

Sire of 15 Individual Stakes Performers incl. Stakes Winners GO BEARS GO, THUNDERBEAR, CLOUNMACON, MYSTERY ANGEL, etc. and of ROOM SERVICE Winner of the £300,000 2-Y-O Weatherbys Stakes Race

STATE OF REST

Four time Gr.1 Winner - Top Rated Older Horse in Ireland and France in 2022 (9.5-10.5f.)

Support from renowned breeders with an exceptional book of mares covered in his first season

T: +353 (0)25 36362 • E: info@rathbarrystud.com • www.rathbarrystud.com A4 roster ad 2023 2

13/11/2023 14:00

Leading man PAUL TOWNEND

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: DONN MCCLEAN

Though preternaturally talented and achieving at the top end almost from the time he got a licence to ride over jumps, Paul Townend elevated his game in 2023

D

own the back straight for the final time in the Gold Cup and Galopin Des Champs is still well back in the field. Over the water jump and onto the open ditch, he closes up on Sounds Russian in front of him. Paul Townend takes his horse to the right. He could go to the left of his rival, towards the inside, save ground. There is enough room there, he is travelling well enough, but he goes outside.

Call it instinct, call it playing the percentages, figuring out the probabilities in an instant while travelling at 30 miles an hour. Call it intuition. The rider reasons, in fractions of seconds, that it has been a busy enough race for him up to that point, and he is travelling well. He doesn’t want to complicate things any more than he needs to. Best to keep it as simple as possible from there.

Over the next and Sounds Russian makes a slight mistake towards his inside. Paul Townend sits still though. Church-quiet.

He can see the leaders now but it’s a hundred miles from the top of the hill at Cheltenham to the winning post.

He hears the crash up ahead all right, and he hears the shouts.

He sees the horse on the ground and the red colours of Derek Fox shoot clear. There isn’t much time to do anything, between the landing side of the fence and the point at which you happen upon the horse that has fallen there. There never is. There isn’t much time for evasive action. Lucky, then, that there isn’t much need for evasive action. Ahoy Senor’s fall is flush in Sounds Russian’s path.

Sean Quinlan is helpless, hapless. There is nowhere he can go and Sounds Russian goes to ground. By contrast, Galopin Des Champs hardly breaks stride, moves a tiny bit to his right, but maintains his rhythm and moves up easily into fifth place.

There’s the bounce of the ball right there. He doesn’t need to be lucky, he just needs not to be unlucky. If the ball bounces the other way, if they go inside instead of outside, Galopin Des Champs and Paul Townend would be a footnote to the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Instead, Galopin Des Champ is the hero, the central character, Paul Townend the leading player in the blue riband of national hunt racing.

It is a theme that runs through much of the season.

6

“I think that I can

compartmentalise things better than I used to… I suppose I have more faith in myself now that I am doing the right thing” IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 20224

7

“I went

waving to the crowd on the way to the winning line, and the pony ducked.

Landed me in a bunch of nettles”

8

Paul Townend is relaxed, sitting easily on the couch, talking about his job as first rider for Willie Mullins.

Pressure? Of course. Always pressure. That’s the nature of it. But it’s pressure that you want.

“It’s a job that warrants so much respect,” he says.

“I feel like I have matured into it. I’ve got a little more confidence in it, but I’d never take it for granted. You can’t. I think if you did, you wouldn’t be doing the job justice. And it’s too big of a job for you to be resting on your laurels. There are a lot of owners investing in it, you feel responsible, you have to perform, a maiden hurdle, a Grade 1, it doesn’t matter. They’re giving you their horse for that five or six minutes. You have a job to do.”

He has earned the job though. His roots with Willie Mullins run deep. He showed the promise that attracted the champion trainer’s attention, and he had the talent and the drive and the commitment to grab the opportunities when they presented themselves.

“I was so lucky. When I started there, I rode on the flat, got my foot in the door. (First cousin) Davy Condon went to England, to Nicky Richards’, Richie Kiely got hurt while I was there, David Casey was out. Ruby ruptured his spleen at Cheltenham while I was there, and I just kind of fell in for the ride on Hurricane Fly.” He presents it as if he was the only option, but there was way more to it than that. They would have been breaking down the door to ride Hurricane Fly in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse in 2008, and yet, Willie Mullins had enough faith in his young rider to give him the opportunity.

Paul Townend was 18 at the time, just at the end of the second year of his Transition Year at Willie Mullins’. It was only four months earlier that he had gained his first major victory when riding Indian Pace for John Kiely to win the Galway Hurdle. He had managed just three winners over jumps before that.

When top chasing prospect Cooldine needed a rider on his chasing debut at Thurles the week before the Royal Bond Hurdle, with Ruby Walsh on the sidelines, Mullins had no hesitation in putting the East Cork man up. The teenager had ridden just one winner over fences before that, and he had never won a novices’ chase, but he gave Cooldine the perfect ride, got him into his rhythm early and won by 19 lengths. And it was a similar story on Hurricane Fly in the Royal Bond, cool as you like, his first Grade 1 win on his first Grade 1 ride.

Those deep roots foster an innate understanding between trainer and jockey, a mutual appreciation.

The blips are inevitable, it’s the nature of the sport, of any sport at the top level, but the blips are only blips. The day after Al Boum Photo ran out at Punchestown’s 2018 festival, Townend rode a treble for Mullins. An hour after Lossiemouth got beaten in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown, he won the Irish Gold Cup on Galopin Des Champs. A day after, it was the Irish Champion Hurdle on State Man. A month after, he won the Triumph Hurdle on Lossiemouth.

Willie Mullins phoned Paul Townend after the media hullabaloo that followed the trainer’s post-

race comments on Lossiemouth’s defeat at Leopardstown.

“I only said what I said,” said the trainer.

“I know,” the jockey replied.

There’s that innate understanding right there.

It was some season: 23 Grade 1 wins to sail through the century landmark, as well as a first Irish Grand National, the product of one of the best rides that you will ever see in an Irish National, in any National, in any race.

Cheltenham was good too. He hoped it would be good.

“When you go through the book of rides that I had going to Cheltenham,” he says thoughtfully, “I had strong rides every day. I had a lot of decisions to make. The depth that was there to the runners that we had. There were some tricky decisions. And we were strong in the championship races. It was always going to be difficult for State Man to beat Constitution Hill, we knew that, but he still ran a massive race. Energumene had to leave behind his run in the Clarence House, but we thought that he would. And then there was Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup.” He pauses for a second, considers Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup. “The Gold Cup is the Gold Cup,” he says in a slightly quieter tone. “But I thought that Galopin Des Champs was one of my best rides of the week going over there. Honestly. After riding him at the Dublin Racing Festival, I just thought, ‘If things go right, he has a massive chance.’ And if things had gone wrong during the early part of the week, that he would still be a big bullet to fire in the Gold Cup.” It was in 2019 that Paul Townend won his first Gold Cup on Al Boum Photo. Then he went back in 2020 and won it again on the same horse, just the third horse to win back-to-back Gold Cups since Arkle.

“To win the Gold Cup the first time, that was magic. He wasn’t fully expected. I didn’t think that, if I won it a second time, it could be as good. But it was. Every bit as good. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if I happened to win it again.”

Things didn’t go wrong during the early part of the week. Quite the contrary actually. Things happen early at Cheltenham, a hundred miles an hour and no pause. Race 1, Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Race 2, Arkle Trophy, rat-tat-tat, the match between El Fabiolo and Jonbon that people had been raving about for weeks, for months.

“You want to get a winner on the board at Cheltenham and you want to get a winner on the board early. That’s not being greedy. It’s just the nature of it, the horses we have, the chances we have. The expectation. Facile Vega was beaten by a very good horse (Marine Nationale) in the first race, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, but you put that behind you. You move onto the next race.”

Different horse, different race, different contest.

“When I got to the top of the hill in the Arkle, and the boys were going at it, I thought, ‘Just have confidence, forget the first race.’ I think that I can compartmentalise things better than I used to. Put IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

PAUL TOWNEND

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 20224

9

PAUL TOWNEND

“It’s huge

that there is another race. A lot of people go there with one bullet, and if it misses, that’s it until next year”

10

the first race behind me, the first defeat, and move on. I suppose I have more faith in myself now that I am doing the right thing. And, if El Fabiolo had got beaten, I could have faced that when I came back in too. Move on to the next race. And everyone does. So I was happy enough to take a chance, bide my time.”

Townend moved El Fabiolo up nimbly on the inside of Dysart Dynamo at the second-last fence, and the Spanish Moon gelding picked up impressively from there, stretching away from Jonbon up the run-in.

“It’s huge that there is another race. A lot of people go there with one bullet, and if it misses, that’s it until next year. It probably helps in riding every day, not just at Cheltenham. If you get beaten on a horse who had a good chance, you go to the next race, the next day, with another horse who has a good chance. I’m very fortunate that way. You give every horse the best ride that you can give him or her, but if you get beaten, you can take the stick, and hopefully the next one will win. I’m in a very lucky position.”

The pressure continued. No relenting. Cheltenham Day 1 morphed into Cheltenham Day 2, out on the gallops in the morning, back to the house, try to have a bit of breakfast, have another quick look through the form. All the work is done, but it’s no harm having another look. Refresh everything.

“I have a winner on the board. It’s not pressure off, but I have a winner got. Park it and move on, look at

the next day. Wednesday was going to be a big day.

I’d had decisions to make in the Ballymore Hurdle, the first race. Impaire Et Passe or Gaelic Warrior or Champ Kiely. You pick it and, once you’re happy with your decision, you go with it. It doesn’t matter that you could have ridden something else, you can’t change it then, you just go and ride your horse. It was a close call too. Like, when you’re doing previews or speaking to people, they’re saying to you, ‘Ah you do know what you’re riding?’ But you don’t. One of them usually sticks their head up and says, ‘Pick me,’ and, in this instance, it was Impaire Et Passe.”

Impaire Et Passe wouldn’t impress you hugely at home, he saves a lot for the track, but you know that, and you take that into account when you’re making your decision. In the end, Townend chose right, with Impaire Et Passe leading home a Mullins 1-2-3.

Energumene was back. Nine years old and beaten in the Clarence House Chase on his final run before Cheltenham, but he was the reigning Champion Chaser, returning to try to retain his crown.

“I remember coming in after riding him in the Clarence House Chase. We were disappointed, but I said to Willie and the owners, ‘He’s not done with.’ It wasn’t his true running. I just didn’t think that he operated on the day. He was beaten going to the last, and he shouldn’t have been. I thought that he wasn’t in the form that he was in at Ascot the

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

S A LE S D AT E S 2 0 24 February NH Sale 30 - 31 January Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up Sale 23 - 24 May May Store Sale** 30 May Derby Sale** 26 - 27 June July Store Sale** 23 - 25 July September Yearling Sale* 24 - 25 September Part II 26 September November NH Sale 8 - 14 November Sapphire Sale* 15 - 16 November These dates are subject to change. * featuring the €250,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes **featuring the €100,000 Tattersalls Ireland George Mernagh Memorial Sales Bumper

T: +353 1 8864300 info@tattersalls.ie www.tattersalls.ie

v2Tattersalls Ireland | 2023 | Sale Dates | A4.indd 1

01/11/2023 13:58

PAUL TOWNEND

previous year, but that he still had a bit of fire in his belly. We learned a lot from that day too, because he’s a brilliant jumper, and to ride over the fences with the white aprons, it was something different, something new. I thought that he was humming at home before Cheltenham. Then the rain came.

Everything was in his favour.”

Energumene was brilliant. Coasted around and won easily. Another Cheltenham winner, another Champion Chase. Main market rival, Edwardstone underperformed, but even so, you can only ever beat what they put in front of you on the day and, on Champion Chase day again, for the second year running, Energumene did so with ease. The jockey got to the line though before he allowed himself the realisation that he had won it again.

“I learned my lesson one day pony racing,” he explains with a smile. “I went waving to the crowd on the way to the winning line, and the pony ducked. Landed me in a bunch of nettles. Ever since then, get by the winning post first, get paid first. You can showboat afterwards!”

Friday opened with the Triumph Hurdle, and more decisions.

“That was another tough one, Lossiemouth or Blood Destiny. I loved what Blood Destiny was doing, I was getting a great feel off him, and I’d got beaten on the mare at Leopardstown. It was a difficult call. But that’s the joy of riding for Willie and for Rich Ricci, they understand that things can go wrong too. It was great to win the Triumph Hurdle on her. There was a sense of vindication there all right, finishing unfinished business.”

The Triumph Hurdle is the Triumph Hurdle, brilliant to win it, important to win it, big race to win, but the Gold Cup is the Gold Cup. They don’t make them any bigger.

“I’d had a couple of winners during the week, I’d got a couple of decisions right, so I was feeling fairly good going into the Gold Cup. But even though I had had a few winners, I still believed that he was my best ride of the week.”

The start is messy.

“There were two groups of us, they galloped up to us, next thing we turned. Are we going? Aren’t we going? Next thing we’re gone.”

Townend finds himself in last place, and he doesn’t want to be in last place.

“At least they kept going, so that helped. But there was so little fresh ground, everybody wanted to be on it. It was so tight in there. We saw so little.

He didn’t jump that well for him, probably because we were landing up into the back of horses. It was just lucky that the leaders stayed going because, if they had parked it, I had no way out of where I was. Houdini wouldn’t have managed to find a way out of there!”

As the race progresses and the pace continues, unrelenting, Paul Townend grows more comfortable.

He has the right horses around him, the right riders, and he knows that the leaders can’t keep up that gallop. The figures tell you that he rides the nearperfect race. Maximises efficiency. That’s what the best riders do, in the best races, when the stakes are 12

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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PAUL TOWNEND

“Winning

the Gold Cup... It’s off the scale”

14

sky-high and the world is watching.

There isn’t much talk on the way around. There rarely is much talk in a Gold Cup. “Some people are talkers in races, but I wouldn’t talk too much. I think if you’re talking, if you’re shouting, you’re only letting someone know where you are, how you’re going.”

He makes his ground on the outside, Ahoy Senor comes down at the fence at the top of the hill and brings Sounds Russian down with him, and suddenly, in an instant, Galopin Des Champs has moved into fifth place and is rolling.

Down the hill, and Townend sits still. Galopin Des Champs gets in tight to the third last and nods a little on landing, but recovers his equilibrium quickly and travels well around the home turn. Still only fifth, but travelling.

“When you’re going well, stay going well. Keep your powder dry for now, they can’t go any faster than me in front.”

The rider waits until they round the home turn, until they actually straighten up for home, before taking his horse towards the outside. When he does, without really needing to be asked, Galopin Des Champs picks up and closes on the leaders. By the time he rises at the second-last fence, he has moved with minimal effort into second place, just a half a length behind Bravemansgame.

“Nobody knows if they will stay until they do,” says Townend thoughtfully. “But I thought that I had as good a chance of staying as anybody. I thought that I had plenty of horse and, when I pulled him out, he started to motor.”

The two of them come away from the rest of the field on the run to the final fence, the race everyone wants.

Galopin Des Champs v Bravemansgame.

And here we are, the Gold Cup, down to the final fence. Both horses stride for stride, literally, both riders looking for the perfect stride at the last. They both see the same stride at the same time.

One, two, three, UP!

Both horses see the stride too and both have the energy to make it.

“The relief that you feel when you see that stride on the run to the last. The only stride you’re looking for is the longer one. Early in the race, you have the option of taking back and popping. You don’t have that luxury at the last when you’re in a battle. If you see a long one, and you have to ask for a little bit more, and you feel them extending a little bit to pick up that stride. That’s a great feeling. They see it too.

An intelligent horse will. If he’s going well enough.

You know when they see it, and that’s such a good feeling.”

They jump the final fence as one and land together. Then you ask for everything, maximum effort, up that famous hill, and Galopin Des Champs responds. Ten strides after the final fence, he’s a length in front.

“Cheltenham is extraordinary. You can’t actually hear anything during a race. During any race. Not when you’re involved. I can’t anyway. If you’re coming up the straight and you’re beaten, you can hear the crowd all right. When you’re in a battle though, when you’re in the zone, you can’t hear a thing. Then you go past the line and stand up, and it hits you, all of a sudden. Like you released the mute button. Because, you couldn’t hear it, but it had been there all along.”

The noise is there all right, the crowd. When they round the home turn, when they jump the secondlast, when Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame take the final fence together. The roar. And it reaches a crescendo when Galopin Des Champs comes clear.

“The Gold Cup feeling. Winning is brilliant, unbelievable, winning at Cheltenham, but winning the Gold Cup. I can’t explain it. It just brings it to a different level. When you go past the post in the Gold Cup. It’s off the scale.”

By the time he gets to the winning line, he is seven lengths in front. Paul Townend hears the crowd then.

Magic.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Association Of Irish Racehorse Owners 1

Awards 2

3

4

5

6

7

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1. The 16 award category recipients or their representatives. 2. Racing Personality Award winner Valerie Cooper (2nd left) with grandson Seán, daughter Diana and son Alan. 3. The Naas team that collected the Racecourse Award. Back: Eddie Coffey, Robert Walsh, Eamonn McEvoy, David Cox. Front: Margaret Scott, Kate Brophy, Niamh Byrne, Milly Harwood, Sarah Deane. 4. Aurelija Kupryte, Eleanora Kennedy and Arthur Gourounlian. 5. Audrey Turley, owner of Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and winner of the Racing Dream Award, and Robert Power, who collected the Tattersalls Ireland Sales Selection Award for Gerri Colombe on behalf of owner Brian Acheson (Robcour).

6. James Fenton and Niamh O’Connell. 7. Frances Crowley, Angela O’Ryan and Richie Galway. 8. Irish Field editor Mark Costello presents the Service to the Industry Award to Ciara Cooney on behalf of her mother, Mary.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

15

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS

News

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR

And in other Liam Burke riding Teuchters Glory to win a Cork bumper in March just days after turning 66 was one of the stories of the year

BURKE’S GLORY

It is fair to say that when Liam Burke took out his licence to ride again in 2022, as his 65th birthday loomed, there were a few who thought the successful trainer had lost his marbles. It was only for bumpers but he had been training nearly 40 years at this juncture and free travel was around the corner.

But he had only packed it in because his knees were killing him and always felt a sense of unfinished business. Watching his son Jonathan do so well probably reminded him that the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree either.

So when he went under the knife for new knees and felt a new man as a result, he took the plunge and with the knowledge that Charmian Hill had ridden a winner at 63 as motivation, caused a sensation that made him a media darling for a week by booting Teuchter’s Glory, who he trains himself, to victory in a Limerick bumper on March 12.

The Cork man had turned 66 six days before and was recording a first winner in 34 years in the saddle. To put a cap on an incredible few days, Burke Jnr would secure his maiden Cheltenham Festival winner the following week.

There weren’t too many better stories all year.

16

MILESTONES FOR MULLINS AND KENNEDY

It has become tiresomely routine for the achievements of those associated with the powerhouses to be downplayed because of those associations. Multiply that by infinity when there is family involved.

However, Patrick Mullins’ feat in riding an 800th winner, courtesy of Luckinthecity at Listowel in September, is quite remarkable and we’re not just saying that because he’s been such a high-class contributor to this publication in recent years. He always points to the artillery at his disposal, and you can’t dispute that, but you have to be able to do the job at the highest level nonetheless. More to the point is the height and size of the man and I’m not sure he thought he would still be pulling on the boots at 34.

The 15-time champion already holds the most winners for an amateur rider in a calendar year (74).

At present, he has 23 Grade 1 successes to his name, 15 over hurdles and fences, and eight Cheltenham victories. With 1000 career winners a stated target, he’s nowhere near done yet.

Jack Kennedy reached 500 winners on Yeats Star at Downpatrick in October and he is still only 24.

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He, of course, has the pick of the Gordon Elliott string now, though he had to share them for the early part of his career with Davy Russell. He has also had very bad luck with injuries, breaking a leg five times. He’s still the youngest winning jockey of a Gold, who won a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 17 and has ten Cheltenham successes to his name.

He recorded his first four-timer on the opening day of the Down Royal festival at the beginning of November and 24 hours later, gave Gerri Colombe a power-packed ride to land the Ladbrokes Champion Chase, the young Dingle man’s 37th Grade 1 victory.

A clear run with injuries and he is sure to challenge strongly for a first champion jockey’s title.

O’REGAN’S FULL HOUSE

Denis O’Regan made history by becoming the only jockey to ride a winner at every current jumps track in Ireland and Britain last November. Have a think about that. All the greats that didn’t manage it. They might not have had the opportunity, maybe not even the inclination, but plenty rode on both sides of the Irish Sea. Norman Williamson, whose son Josh rode his first winner this year, deserves a mention here, as he was first in a different time, retiring six years before Ffos Las opened in 2009.

O’Regan is a multiple Grade 1 and Cheltenham winner, renowned for his sympathetic hands, for being one of the last to go for the whip, for being a really good judge of pace. He is at the latter end of his career now and hitting 800 winners last year was something to be proud of.

But Hereford was an itch that needed to be scratched. Just for himself. To be that close irritated, especially as the track was closed for his last four years based in England. There were a few failed attempts in the past year or so. Then a back injury put him on the sidelines for a spell. He had been riding out for Cian Collins and the upwardly mobile handler gave him the nod for Fiveonefive on November 6. He was odds-on favourite, expected to win and O’Regan kept it simple, which is his watchword really.

In terms of status, it is nowhere near the Stayers’ Hurdle on Inglis Drever or the Arkle on Tidal Bay, but it will be as dear to O’Regan’s heart as any winner he ever had, and it was a fitting way to bow out, as the Youghal man announced his retirement less than a fortnight later.

VALERIE COOPER RETIRES AS STEWARD

Valerie Cooper brought the curtain down on her involvement in racing – as an official one hastens to add – making her last appearance as a steward at the Listowel Harvest Festival in September, having become a member of the Irish Turf Club and Irish Racing Board in 1991, following the death of her legendary husband Tom. She was a co-founder of BBA Ireland with her pioneering husband, a renowned bloodstock agent who conquered America before any other European talent-spotter. She is also the mother of Niarchos Family racing manager Alan, Patrick, who runs BBA Ireland, and Diana, who oversees Sheikh Mohammed’s equine charities. Diana has also joined IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

in ownership with her mother and Carolyn Waters with Woodland Opera, bred by Valerie from the super racemare Opera Hat, and now giving them great joy on the racehorse to riding circuit. They are involved in a couple of other homebred mares too, now in training with Lorna Fowler. Another son, Jonathan was a respected journalist who died suddenly.

Of course, Valerie was a pioneer in her own right, only the second woman to represent Ireland in showjumping, competing with the Irish army riders.

Henry de Bromhead’s aunt, Iny, was the first.

Thankfully, the 88-year-old remains as visible at the track as that other great matriarch, Maureen Mullins.

A November’s victory on Fiveonefive at Hereford made Denis O’Regan, pictured here with son Thomas, the only jockey to enjoy success at every current jumps track in Ireland and Britain

HELEN MCDONOGH RIP

Another female pioneer sadly passed away in 2023.

History maker, Rachael Blackmore would say herself that she has been standing on the shoulders of giants, and Helen McDonogh – she was Bryce-Smith then - was at the forefront of the movement to allow women to ride under Rules through the 1960s.

It was emblematic of the time that it was a bitter battle with the old boys’ club, that she and colleagues such as Jean O’Connor, the Rooney sisters Rosemary and Ann (Ferris) and Peggy St John Nolan fought. At the time, McDonogh was a leading light on the point-to-point field. Ted Walsh was just one who spoke of her ability and fierce will to win after her death and it was only last year that her record tally of 109 was supplanted by Liz Lalor. Lalor told in these pages of what it meant to receive a congratulatory card from the great woman.

She married Des McDonogh and won an amateur riders’ hurdle on two-time Champion 17

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It was a year to remember for Dick Donohue (2nd left), capped by the family-owned Vischio winning at listed level at Curragh Racecourse on the last day of the flat season

Hurdle winner Monksfield in 1980, just two months after giving birth to future champion flat jockey, Declan. Lalor, who registered her 100th point winner five weeks after having her first child, daughter Alex, was a fitting successor indeed.

DICK’S DOUBLE DOUBLE

Dick Donohoe won’t forget 2023 in a hurry. It is 26 years since the popular Goresbridge conditioner trained his first winner and he recorded his first ever double at Tramore in July courtesy of Magnetic North and Vischio. Then amazingly, he sent out the same pair to repeat the trick 13 days later at Ballinrobe.

That the double double came courtesy of the same two horses is some feat indeed, particularly for a trainer that has always operated on a very small scale. While Magnetic North was bought from the Ballinrobe claiming race and continued to deliver for Ado McGuinness, Vischio has been an enduring star for Donohoe.

Originally owned by his close friend John Kennedy, the Holy Roman Emperor mare was put up for sale after he passed away and now runs for the Goatsbridge Syndicate, headed by his cousins Mag and Michael. Michael is the well-known bloodstock agent at BAA Ireland and he picked Vischio out and sent her back to Dick.

She was rated 72 when she won at Tramore but ends the year on 101, following up her summer triumphs and a couple of other runner-up finishes, with a stunning three-quarter length defeat of a Group 1 victor Helvic Dream to land a listed prize at Curragh Racecourse on the final day of the season.

FLYING THE COOP

Bryan Cooper was a prodigious talent in the saddle, whose precociousness earned him the Gigginstown House Stud job in place of Davy Russell when the Tralee tyro was still only 21. Russell would be back, with Cooper replaced, three years later and it is one of life’s ironies that they would call time on their careers within a few weeks of one another.

Cooper was enjoyed Grade 1 and Cheltenham success already before Michael O’Leary called. He was only 30 when he hung up the boots last 18

March, but he did so having had 36 Grade 1 triumphs, with the 2016 Gold Cup success on Don Cossack for Gigginstown and Gordon Elliott the undoubted highlight.

That victory came two years after breaking his leg in a fall in the Fred Winter. Then former IHRB senior medical officer, Adrian McGoldrick described it as the worst leg break he had ever seen. For Cooper to return from that to scale the highest peak of jumps racing, spoke volumes.

Our Conor, Don Poli, Apple’s Jade and Road To Respect were just some of the other outstanding horses he was associated with and he is now focusing on attempting to source the next champion. And if his father, Tom, himself no stranger to Cheltenham glory, is the man training it, all the better.

DOYLE BOUNCES BACK

Tim Doyle only saddled 26 runners during the 2022 flat season. He had no winners and only two of them were placed, accumulating €3,915 between them. Fast forward 12 months, and the former amateur rider from Tipperary finished up with 14 winners from 113 shots at the target. A further 35 runners were placed and the total prizemoney earned was €154,880. Simply Sideways was the flagbearer, winning five times and improving from an official rating of 48 to 89. The astute use of top apprentices, Wayne Hassett and Seán Bowen was notable.

It was a staggering turnaround for a true familyrun operation, with most of the horses homebred and them all running in the colours of wife Claire, who rode his first winner as a trainer, Mr Magnetic, in 1997. Daughters Niamh, Cora and Emma have all been heavily involved and this year, there was the added dimension of 17-year-old son David riding his first winner under Rules in his mother’s colours in a Cork bumper on Beauforts Storm on July 14 and then steering Delias Pet to a first triumph over hurdles. That was a fourth win in nine days for Doyle Snr over both codes as the Moyne squad hit a run of form that would have had the pet dog towards the top of the betting had they chosen to run it.

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ith or To Yo yo d e r c l a u u r s@ im fr wi n a i yo ee ll ris u r t *T m h G h e h ti en q u is i O ad ra ck r er s t d r ci et R ec ie o p e s es ng s, A iv or rev C s ye ple e ne en a I N yo n d a as ed t d u rb e G u to p d r e l a fo ic ‘2 €2 te o o m a llo at 4 ,5 of k.c il w ion v up o ou 0 0 pu o p l f ti c rc m w ea ck h ha er or s e et th s se ca s. I by ll f y *. o 08 ou ft P os he 5 h 72 av t.

80 e a

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1 May

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RACING & FUN ON THE HILL OF CROCKAFOTHA SINCE 1726

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Thursday 3rd October

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ith or To Yo yo d e r c l a u u r s@ im fr wi n a i yo ee ll t *T m ris u r G he hi qu s i O n r e ad hra tick er s t d r ci et R ec ie o p e s es ng s, A r iv o r ev C s ye ple e ne en a I y N o n d a as ed t d G ur to u p da r b o e e € fo lic ‘ te o m a 24 2 llo at , of k.c il w ion vo 5 0 up o pu o uc 0 p l f ti rc m w ea ck he ha o s e et rs r t se ca s. I h by ll f y *. o 08 ou Po f t h 5 h st e 72 av .

80 e a

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12 Feb

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19 Mar

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30 Mar (E)

NH

17 Apr

NH

NOT VALID IN THIS FORMAT Race Day Hospitality Includes entry, racecard, four course buffet lunch in our Rooftop Restaurant, IN ASSOCIATION tipster, dedicated Tote facility.WITH Race Day Hospitality - €49.00 Thyestes Day €80.00 Enclosure Package - €35.00 Thyestes Day €40.00 Includes admission, racecard, food voucher and bar voucher.

1 May

Victor McCalmont (L)

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AFTER a turbulent week at Horse where seven of Sport Ireland its eight directors ful new board of resigned, a powerfour put in place to bring ministerial appointees has been stability to the organisation.

The four – drawn from the top ranks porate world, academia of the corand the civil remain in place at Horse Sport Ireland service – will 2024 Paris Olympics. until after the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Charlie McConalogue TD (FF) appointed Marine, Dowling, UCD Prof.

Michael Niamh Brennan, head of the National Zoe Kavanagh, Dairy Council, Smyth. and Dr Kevin Former chairman Joe Reynolds day while Michael resigned on ThursDowling now takes man of the Naas-based over as chairheadquarters.

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We want to thank all racecourses who generously nominated these days to the GORACING Promotion for readers of the Irish Racing Yearbook 2024

I Took That Kevin O’Carroll WHERE & WHEN: Naas, March 30

EQUIPMENT: Nikon D6 92mm

CIRCUMSTANCES: The second flight of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle, where Bombay Glory parts company with Charlie O’Dwyer

IT WORKS BECAUSE: Visually it’s spectacular, illustrating the dangers faced by jockeys every time they get legged up. Thankfully, both horse and jockey were fine after this incident, but you see how high Charlie is and how far he has to fall yet he nearly has a matter-of-fact look on his face, as he steels himself for impact. From a photographer’s perspective too, while it is early in the race, it is a reminder that you always need to be on alert. ‘Bombs away’ is the ideal caption for this, especially given the name of the horse!

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

31

Caroline Norris

I TOOK THAT

WHERE & WHEN: Rosewell House, September 1 EQUIPMENT: Canon EOS- 1D 70mm

CIRCUMSTANCES: I was at Dermot Weld’s yard photographing a couple of horses

IT WORKS BECAUSE: Tahiyra has a beautiful, intelligent head and a kind eye. I didn’t really do anything, she just adopted this pose and all I had to do was capture it. I think it is lovely in its simplicity

32

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Jane Hurley WHERE & WHEN: Knockanard Point-to-Point, February 12

EQUIPMENT: Nikon D5 86mm

CIRCUMSTANCES: It is the first day of racing over the new banks course at the Co Cork venue

IT WORKS BECAUSE: This picture is alive with action, you see horses reacting differently to a unique obstacle, some relishing it, some perhaps not so sure and the jockeys having to respond to that. The sand being kicked into the air adds to it and of course, there is the significance of Knockanard adding that traditional form of banks racing to their programme.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

33

I TOOK THAT

Pat Healy WHERE & WHEN: Fairyhouse, April 10 EQUIPMENT: Nikon D6 10.5mm

CIRCUMSTANCES: I Am Maximus has just won the Irish Grand National and winning owner JP McManus is congratulating jockey Paul Townend, who had worked wonders to secure the victory IT WORKS BECAUSE: The use of a fisheye lens accentuates that feeling of proximity to the two main protagonists, while also capturing so much in behind. You see what winning these big races means even to those that have plenty experience of it

34

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Peter Mooney WHERE & WHEN: Punchestown, April 27

EQUIPMENT: Canon 300mm

CIRCUMSTANCES: Vital Island, owned and trained by Richard O’Keeffe, and ridden by Benny Walsh, winning the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup

IT WORKS BECAUSE: The La Touche Cup is one of the most famous banks races in the world, coveted by many trainers and jockeys. It is remarkable there should be such a close and engaging finish after four and a quarter miles, with just a neck separating Vital Island and Stealthy Tom, who had Harry Swan in the saddle for trainer Enda Bolger and owner JP McManus

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

35

I TOOK THAT

Seán Healy WHERE & WHEN: Cheltenham, March 14 EQUIPMENT: Nikon D6 70mm

CIRCUMSTANCES: Henry and Heather de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore celebrate after Honeysuckle won the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham

IT WORKS BECAUSE: I think it captures what was a truly emotional occasion. As it was, Honeysuckle was such a popular horse and having finally lost her unbeaten record earlier in the season, it meant a lot that she could sign off a glorious career with a fourth Cheltenham success, two Mares’ Hurdles book-ending a pair of Champion Hurdles. That the de Bromheads’ talented young son Jack had lost his life tragically just a few months earlier brought it to another level, which is very evident in this shot

36

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THE X-FILES

THE

-F I L E S

Compiled by: ANNE MARIE DUFF

was my 3rd DRF. The overwhelming difference is the nature of the crowd.

Even the youngsters who are there for the occasion rather than the sport had manners and behaved. The festival now can resemble a rowdy stag do.

Padraic Kierans@thepadraick What a day @LeopardstownRC yesterday. It hit the mark on so many levels, quality of racing, presentation of track, entertainment, food & drink options, value - but the customer service was simply outstanding. Take a bow Team Leop! You aced it! A day to remember.

Chris Liddle@TheMackemRacer I’m all for the punishment fitting the crime, but surely banning someone for twice as long for offending in a better class race is nothing to do with welfare?

MARCH Jake Russell@JakeRuss1000 Anyone else still re-watching the Champion Hurdle, and just sitting there in awe of Constitution Hill?

Heather de Bromhead, Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore after Honeysuckle signed off with a fourth Cheltenham Festival triumph in March

DECEMBER

JANUARY

Joe Seward@JoeSeward1 The amount of negativity around Cheltenham housing so many shortpriced favourites can become tiresome.

We are where we are in terms of the modern day Festival and it’s time to embrace it and appreciate it. Quality very often supercedes quantity

Andrew Yates@freddy6T6 Was waiting on Allegorie De Vassy for a few quid… Paul Townend owed a pint

Grant James Thomas@Grant_Some92 Little word for Kemboy by the way…What a cracking little horse, he’s run in 22 Grade 1’s to date and he’s ran his heart out again to be 2nd in the Savills Chase today. Could have easily folded in the straight but he’s battled all the way to the line.

Rob, NH enthusiast@RBDMcr Thought Willie was out of form for about an hour there.

38

Brian Flanagan@BHDFlanagan Hauturiere makes it an incredible 40 winners in a month (since St Stephen’s Day) for Willie Mullins in Ireland. 152 for the season so far. Just shy of €3m in prizemoney. And the DRF to come next week.

FEBRUARY Lydia Hislop@LydiaHislop British racing fans at the Dublin Racing Festival say it cost less to fly & stay there for 2 days than for the equivalent trip to the Cheltenham Festival.

PiB@PiBMcGinty I’m a member at Cheltenham and this

Peter Molony@Pmolony1Peter Unbelievable ride from @JohnnyBurke2 A ride that deserved so much more! just lucky to have the better mare on the day.

The magnificent Honeysuckle!!!

Well done @rachaelblackmor @HenrydeBromhead we’ll never be able to repay you for the amazing days U’ve given us!

Stephen Cass@CassStephen This would warm your heart. Everyone in Dungarvan will tell you what a nice man and a caring man John Kiely is. He’s a hero to us. Just magic.

Ed Quigley@Longshot_Ted When you have backed: Gerri Colombe at 16/1 Camprond at 33/1 Thyme White at 25/1 Chemical Energy 16/1… And the bloke in the car park tells you how he is buzzing after his £10 win-double on Energumene and Delta Work came in.

APRIL IAN GATWARD@gatwardian Rough guess, over 12,000 races take place every year, the news and media IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

THE X-FILES

channels could not really give a monkeys, Grand National and all of a sudden, all out and about questioning about racing.

Tom Stanley@_tomstanley_ In 9 renewals of Grand National since fence modifications, fallers/unseats over first two fences: 023322212 (17 total).

Today: 8. Very hard to believe significant & untimely delay caused by protesters played no part in this Amerigo Bonasera@Michael85780922 Do they realise that if they stop the student race days my Peaky Blinders fashion supply website is gone of business. mrmacranatuaithe@mrmacranatuait1 Getting Joe Biden to park the beast outside Boylesports in Dundalk has to be the best advertising Boylesports have ever done.

Zoe Smalley@ZoeSmalley I have been blessed to travel to France, England & across Ireland on trips that @tonymullins84 team have had Princess Zoe on. The care, attention & love given to this mare has always inspired me. I hope wherever she goes next appreciate the dedication that got this mare so far. john madden@Johnmad45John Best of luck @walsh_ted for the future.

You’re a hero of horse racing. You say it as you see it. You will be missed.

MAY Jake Russell@JakeRuss1000 12 years on, Chaldean emulates what his dad done in 2011 in the #2000Guineas and he wins it in style. Excellent from Chaldean

JUNE John Duggan@JohnDugganSport With the passing of Galileo, the victory of Auguste Rodin was huge for Ballydoyle and Coolmore today. You could see it in the elation afterwards. Aidan O’Brien one of our greatest ever in sport. A record nine victories as a trainer in a race first run in 1780.

even my wildest imaginations couldn't have scripted what was to come. Thirty years of ever increasing love for this special place. It's been one hell of a ride.

Thank you #RoyalAscot!

JULY Frances Crowley@francescrowley This is going to be a game changer for Pancreatic Cancer, we need to make our Pat Smullen Race Day in the Curragh on 26th August bigger and better than ever!

The Racing Man@TheRacingMan8 Some races you watch and think the jockey’s in trouble. I still can’t see it in this race. I saw a great race. Rules are ridiculous but they had no option to issue the punishment as the rules stand.

Boxed themselves into a corner. (On Jim Crowley’s 20-day ban for whip use on Hukum in the King George.)

AUGUST Teresa Mannion@TeresaMannion Security staff at Ballybrit were bemused to find a pair of designer shoes worth 660 euros dumped in a bin! Even a pair of #ManoloBlahniks couldn’t sustain a lady at the #GalwayRaces @rtenews Lewis Tomlinson@LTRacing_ Ash Tree Meadow brutal performance, to win the Plate, keen as owt on the front but never once looked like stopping, couldn’t be any more impressive Gina_ius@Gina_inTipp Hats off to @Galway_Races. Plate Day, not once did we queue for betting, drinks, food, bathrooms. That's how to do crowds. Also backed Minella Mate @ 66/1! What a great day. #GalwayRaces Hannah Smullen@hannah_smullen Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who donated in any way to @cancertrials_ie for the Pat Smullen Race Day yesterday. The support of everyone never fails to blow me away. Such a privilege to be a small part of this industry and to ride yesterday. Thank you all

SEPTEMBER

Rishi Persad@RishiPersad1 He’s something else. Love him or loathe him the game will be poorer when he’s gone #Frankie

Suleiman Altaf@SuleimanAltaf OMG! Boy he bounces back in some style. Auguste Rodin, what a horse! #IrishChampions

Frankie Dettori@FrankieDettori Royal @Ascot dared me to dream - but

Leopardstown RC@LeopardstownRC What a performance Tahiyra!! She

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

records her fourth G1 triumph with a dazzling performance in the @ coolmoreamerica “Justify” Matron Stakes for Dermot Weld.

OCTOBER Seán Dunne@Sean__Dunne1 What an animal, he is all class, he relished the further distance today. #AceImpact #ARC #Winner John Hunt@HuntyCaller Two main points for me from the Grand National. What happens in future when the next fatality occurs? 34 becomes 26?

Repeated until there is nothing left?

Also RSPCA statement that ‘this announcement should pave the way for FURTHER changes.’

John@John1986ire There’s your 2000 Guineas winner, absolute machine rocket. City Of Troy smashes them up!!!

NOVEMBER Jonathan Powell@PowellJfpracing The stunning fairytale end of Frankie Dettori’s European odyssey could not disguise the truth that Ascot’s Champions Day fixture comes too late in the season with most Group 1 horses squelching through the mud like tractors with a puncture. Time for a rethink.

The Racing Man@TheRacingMan8 We want more people racing, this fixture has done its job. Not just yesterday but previous years. An atmosphere has been there. Not sure majority are bothered about the state of the going. We know the season hasn’t ended but the majority think it has. Big prize, big name horses.

Katy Mowat@KatyMowat Think Big Rock is one of only 14 foals in Rock of Gib’s 2020 crop. Auguste Rodin was one of 12 sired by Deep Impact that year too. Quite extraordinary that they’ve both scaled the heights really …

Woodman@DaveWood18 A Derby winner that’s more than worthy of the title. Combined a mouthwatering pedigree and a sublime ride #RyanMoore #AugusteRodin Rajiv Maragh@RajivMaragh· The ride Ryan Moore put on Auguste Rodin should be in a museum for the greatest ride ever. Absolutely breathtaking to watch. I legit got chills 39

Awards

HORSE RACING IRELAND Horse Of The Year AUGUSTE RODIN ENERGUMENE GALOPIN DES CHAMPS PADDINGTON STATE MAN TAHIYRA

40

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

HRI AWARDS NOMINEES

National Hunt BARRY CONNELL • GORDON ELLIOTT WILLIE MULLINS • PAUL TOWNEND

National Hunt Achievement MARTIN BRASSIL LIAM BURKE HENRY DE BROMHEAD JOHN KIELY JOHN MCCONNELL EMMET MULLINS PATRICK MULLINS MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN

Flat Achievement KEN CONDON WESLEY JOYCE NATALIA LUPINI ADRIAN MURRAY DONNACHA O’BRIEN JAMIE POWELL FOZZY STACK

Flat COLIN KEANE • RYAN MOORE AIDAN O’BRIEN • PADDY TWOMEY

Point-To-Point COLIN BOWE PA KING DEREK O’CONNOR BARRY O’NEILL MAXINE O’SULLIVAN

Emerging Talent CIAN COLLINS JOHN GLEESON DANNY GILLIGAN BEN HARVEY CONOR STONE-WALSH

Racecourse of the Year BALLINROBE LEOPARDSTOWN NAAS PUNCHESTOWN IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

41

Regrets NO

42

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DAVY RUSSELL

Words: DENIS WALSH Photos: HEALY RACING

Davy Russell channels his inner Edith Piaf as he recounts some of the highlights of a remarkable career and the drama of his return from near paralysis to retire – twice in four months – on his own terms

W

hen Davy Russell came back for the second-last time, before he retired for the first time, he had spent 11 months recovering from a broken neck. The surgeon told him that 90% of people would be paralysed after the injury he had suffered in October 2020; Russell belonged to the blessed one in ten.

He was 41 years of age by then, with nothing left to do in the saddle that was new, or more important than anything he had done before. Bad luck and good luck had come to a resolution and offered him an easy way out.

The general assumption was that he wouldn’t come back. Why would he?

Russell had a lot of time to think. The last thing he considered was stopping. What other people thought only mattered in a tiny constituency close to his ear and his heart. He refused to surrender whatever control he had left. That was the thing: the fall had not taken away his power to decide.

“Retiring was not seriously on my mind,” he says.

“I knew it would be an option. I was of the age where I could retire. I suppose when I broke my neck in Limerick everybody had me retired anyway – bar my wife and Gordon (Elliott). I don’t know what he was thinking but what he was saying was that all the horses were there for me.

“But it got to a stage where I was never retiring because of an injury, if I could prevent it. It was nearly an incentive to get back. I didn’t want to retire through injury. I wanted to retire riding. I mentioned to my surgeon, Dr Joe Butler, about riding again and he said, ‘Your neck is probably stronger now than before you broke it.’ He said, ‘It’ll

“I’m not

pining for it.

I absolutely emptied the tank all the way to Aintree.

Everything my body could possibly give, I gave it”

“You couldn’t tell him what to do. He’d want to be happy doing it… When he’d land at a fence I’d let him feel he was the bossman”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

43

DAVY RUSSELL

Edelle and the children Lily, Tess, Liam, Finn and Jaimee were at Thurles when Russell retired with a winning ride on Liberty Dance, but as a former elite pole vaulter and Irish record holder, his wife understands the psychology of high performance sport, so she supported his decision to return and encouraged him to continue after a disappointing Cheltenham

be rigid and it’ll take an awful lot of work but that’s up to yourself. You’re well entitled to come back and ride. It would be very unfortunate for anything to happen again.’ That flicked a switch in me that retirement wasn’t an option. It was only a case of getting my body back fit enough and mobile enough.”

You wonder about his nerve. Was it frayed? Did he worry that it wouldn’t be there when he needed it? Not every jockey reaches the end of their career with their courage intact. Russell had survived a fall that could have paralysed him. But he had processed all that. You can’t get to a fence hoping it’s there. It never left.

“My nerve was never a problem – even to this day, it’s not a problem. I’ve no fear.”

He pauses.

“Of anything, really. I don’t know what it is, I’m just lucky. I don’t know what way I’d put it but I was never really… Like, (Paul) Carberry was a fucking allout rider, he’d lay everything on the line. Whereas I was a little bit more calculated. I was never wild with my riding as such. I used always ride on feel. If it felt right I’d go with it and if it didn’t feel right I’d manoeuvre it into my favour. I never frightened myself really. I never got a fright.

“I had huge trust in horses. The horse will figure it out anyway (at a fence) to the best of his ability.

The only thing I’d think at the back of a fence after a fall is, ‘Wasn’t that unlucky for that to happen?’

Rather than saying, ‘I should have done this,’ or ‘I should have done that.’”

In the beginning point-to-points were his arena.

Looking back now, it was a different universe. There were more farmers with a recreational horse and more small traders hoping to turn a buck. Every point-to-point had a race dance. Crowds were

44

bigger. The season was shorter, but it was vibrant and it flew from Sunday to Sunday.

“It was some craic now. It was the best craic of all time. All innocent fun. We’d meet on a Monday evening to watch a replay of all the races and you’d be looking forward to the next Sunday.

“When I started it was starting to get a bit more professional. Horses were starting to be schooled properly. I remember, when I was a young lad, before I ever rode a winner, I went to Skibbereen to school a horse. It took me two and a half hours to get down there in a 1979 Toyota Starlet and when I got down there I was jumping over square bales of straw. You’d often see fellas making their own fences stuffed with Christmas trees. That day was soon gone. It was getting very much more professional all the way through.”

When Russell joined the paid ranks his first big job was with Ferdy Murphy in the north of England.

By then he had ridden 150 point-to-point winners and 70 under Rules. He was 23. Still young and full of promise. He lasted 14 months with Murphy. By the end the trainer thought he was spending too much time back in Ireland, building his profile with Sunday rides. They had no falling out but there was a parting.

“I was always happier in Ireland. I loved riding in England, but it was just more comfortable in Ireland.

In England, it was tough, tough going. My weight was a huge issue and I wasn’t really set up properly.

I had no house as such. The only reason I stayed so long was that I was living with Paul Murphy, Ferdy’s son, and he was so good to me, him and his partner.

They looked after me like a child basically. That was probably the only reason why I stayed for so long.

“It was a huge start for me. It was a brilliant start.

I’d always revert back to things Ferdy would have said to me. I think he set the tone for the kind of rider that I was. I kind of progressed from what he had started me as. I found going from riding pointto-points to riding as a professional an incredible jump. Something I wasn’t prepared for. I thought I would gradually slot into a professional jockey but it was tougher than that. Up until Ferdy died we were very close. He was a good man. You’d take an awful lot from him.”

When he came home Russell steadily built his contacts and his numbers, but the relationships that transformed his career were with Gordon Elliott and Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud. Elliott and Russell were friends since their days as amateur jockeys and when Elliott started as a trainer, Russell’s father Jerry sent him a few horses.

When Russell was hired by O’Leary to be his retained jockey in 2007, Elliott’s yard was still in its infancy, but over time all of those relationships overlapped. Elliott became one of Gigginstown’s most trusted and patronised trainers, and Russell was Elliott’s go-to guy, regardless of the silks. When Russell’s retainer with O’Leary ended suddenly on New Year’s Eve 2013, Elliott’s confidence helped to break his fall.

“It was huge. I understood him and he understood me. It was a big, huge team effort up there but it just clicked. We never had a cross word or we never IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DAVY RUSSELL

“We never had a cross word or we never misunderstood each other – ever.”

Greeted by Gordon Elliott after Gerri Colombe’s Aintree triumph

misunderstood each other – ever. There was never a problem. We didn’t have to wait that long until the next winner came along. They came fairly quick.

Once I was on point he had horses on point pretty much 12 months of the year – which is not an easy thing to do.”

Less than three months after losing the Gigginstown gig Russell rode three winners in a day at the Cheltenham Festival, including two in those famous maroon silks. The glittering centrepiece though was Lord Windermere in one of the most chaotic Gold Cups imaginable. The timing couldn’t have been kinder.

In big races, winning rides are often hailed as masterful. Russell makes no such claim. On the first circuit it looked as if Lord Windermere was going to be tailed off and there was nothing Russell could do to have him any closer. What Russell brought to the party was canniness and calm. He delayed losing the race for so long that winning was suddenly a possibility. Five horses jumped the last with a chance and fanned out across the track.

“We were going so fast (on the first circuit) that you wouldn’t have time to think of anything. Like, it’s so fucking fast. Now, you might think it’s three miles and two furlongs but it’s the fastest race at the meeting – that and the two mile handicap chase (Grand Annual). You’re riding a classy horse but I never rode a horse that travelled in a Gold Cup. That day it felt to me like we were going so fast, I mean boot to the board.

“If you’re driving a tractor and you have the boot to the board and smoke’s coming out through the exhaust it’ll only last for so long, so you have to ease off the throttle at some stage. That’s basically it – I just eased off the throttle. Kept enough on that I was staying in touch. There was no science to it, or anything like that. That’s all I was doing, trying to stay close enough for something to happen.

What was going to happen, I had no idea.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Cheltenham was good to Russell. For 13 seasons in a row he came away from the festival with at least one winner. When he rode another three winners in 2020 he took his career tally to 25, putting him joint-fifth among the winning-most jockeys at the meeting since the second World War. The same day that Lord Windermere won the Gold Cup, Russell rode Tiger Roll to win the Triumph Hurdle. Bryan Cooper was injured and Gigginstown turned to the jockey they had jilted.

“The Grand

National is the one race that changes your life.

Completely changes your life. More than the Gold Cup? Definitely” Displaying outstanding canniness and calm, Russell delayed losing the race for so long that winning the 2014 Gold Cup on Lord Windermere was suddenly a possibility, and the rider got to unveil his trademark celebration

45

DAVY RUSSELL

“Michael is Michael...

I didn’t think there was much need for it, but at the same time, there wasn’t much need for me to respond to it either”

“I mentioned

to my surgeon, Dr Joe Butler, about riding again and he said, ‘Your neck is probably stronger now than before you broke it’” 46

In his long career Tiger Roll had a selection of partners and Russell didn’t ride him again at Cheltenham until 2022, the gelding’s valedictory appearance there, eight years after the Triumph. For Russell and Tiger Roll, Aintree was their portal into history. In Russell’s front room are two footrests embroidered with images of Tiger Roll, one for each of the Grand Nationals they won together.

“The Grand National is the one race that changes your life. Completely changes your life. More than the Gold Cup? Definitely. It’s just the amount of countries it hits. You walk down the street and you’re known as a Grand National-winning jockey.

It is virtually impossible to win the Grand National.

I was in that very small percentage that was lucky enough to win it.

“The first year, I didn’t think we’d get around. He had an awful habit of bulldozing through fences, and he’d get away with that with a park fence. I showed him the fence across the Melling Road and he sat back on his hocks. He knew he was jumping something different, he was paying attention to what he was doing.

“It’s all about speed (at the fences). I’ve ridden good leppers in the Grand National and got bad spins off them. Bad jumping spins. Too safe and over-jumping and you had horses winging by you.

“I knew if I kept him on his feet he’d have a squeak.

I genuinely do believe that no one else would have won a Grand National with him only Gordon Elliott.

There’s no doubt in my mind. The way he prepared him for the race through the cross-country races changed his respect for an obstacle. Like, he had none whatsoever. He didn’t care what was in front of him, he would gallop through it, until he went schooling cross-country fences.

“I was very worried about him not getting home.

He could lock on, but there’s a happy medium of him doing too much and not doing enough. He wasn’t a horse that took encouragement very well.

You couldn’t tell him what to do. He’d want to be happy doing it. He wouldn’t do it just because you told him. When he’d land at a fence I’d let him feel he was the bossman.”

The last comeback was unplanned. Jack Kennedy was injured at Naas in mid-January and for the spring festivals Elliott needed a senior jockey who knew the ropes and was intimate with the horses.

Russell spoke to his wife Edelle and with her

blessing he returned.

In the end, nothing was straightforward. In the final race of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, where he’d won a Grade 1 on Mighty Potter, he took a fall and was kicked by a horse coming behind. A couple of wings on one of his vertebrae had been fractured.

“It was the same as if Tyson Fury had hit me bang there into my back. My whole back just locked. I was in woeful pain. I broke a couple of ribs as well and the pain was savage.”

The extent of the injury wasn’t made public and when he got back just in time for Cheltenham he believed he’d get through the week. By day three he was struggling; for day four he stood himself down, just before the Gold Cup. By then, he was involved in a public spat with O’Leary. In an interview on ITV, the Gigginstown supremo questioned the wisdom of Russell’s comeback.

“He has a young family,” O’Leary said, “and at a certain point in time you should put your family first and not your riding career.”

Russell was interviewed on The Opening Show, ITV’s preview programme, the following morning and his response added coal to the fire. In an exchange like that, there are no winners.

“I have about as much respect for Michael O’Leary’s opinion as he has for my opinion,” said a clearly emotional Russell at the time. Now? “I was a bit disappointed I rose to it,” says the Youghal man. “I thought he might have been on the same wavelength that we were on. Everybody else in the yard was on the same wavelength. He obviously wasn’t. But it was disappointing to hear it over there.

“I should have known better. Michael is Michael.

There wasn’t much in it when he said it. I didn’t think there was much need for it, but at the same time, there wasn’t much need for me to respond to it either.”

How did ye finish up? “Ah, grand. Grand. I’ve met Michael a couple of times since. There’s never a problem.”

Did ye thrash it out? “No, not really…We’re big boys now.”

Cheltenham was supposed to be the end but Elliott didn’t want Russell to finish with that sourness, and neither did Edelle. Kennedy still wouldn’t be right for Aintree, so Elliott let the dust settle and talked to his friend about one last spin on the carousel. Russell was of the same mind. It was a triumph. The two winners he rode were in Grade 1s on Gerri Colombe and Irish Point. He was unseated from Galvin at the first in the Grand National, but in a real sense it didn’t matter by then.

He left the stage with a smile. To acclaim.

“That was the crowning glory of the lot, carrying on to Aintree. I fully emptied the tank. I maxed out.

The balloon was just about to pop. I’m not sure I’d have been able to face Punchestown. I’m not happy that I had to stop, but I wasn’t sad stopping.

I think I just hit it right. I’m not pining for it. I absolutely emptied the tank all the way to Aintree.

Everything my body could possibly give, I gave it.”

Fulfilled.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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RYAN MOORE

craftsman

MASTER No jockey matched the global success of Ryan Moore in the past 12 months and with Auguste Rodin returning as well as City Of Troy developing further, there is much for the Ballydoyle No 1 to look forward to

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: DONN MCCLEAN

T

he start of the race didn’t go to plan.

Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, but there was no real rhythm to the race early on, Ryan Moore said immediately afterwards. The start was messy, all he wanted to do was get his horse into a rhythm, and he couldn’t really do that. Even so, you always felt that Auguste Rodin was going to get there.

Fourth-last as they raced past the winning line with a circuit to go, the field concertinaed as they raced to the end of the back straight, racing room at a premium. Auguste Rodin was still fourth-last, locked away on the inside.

Ryan Moore could have panicked, burrowed his way towards the outside, given away ground and momentum in order to ensure clear passage, but he didn’t. Panic is not in the Ryan Moore arsenal.

Tactics need to be adapted mid-race, but that’s why you have a world-class rider on your side. It’s sport at the highest level. It’s uncanny the way that the world-class players seem to be able to

48

find room in a congested midfield, on the world stage, in the most important matches. You play the percentages in judgement calls that have to be made in milliseconds, decision-making and percentage-playing as you hurtle around a hairpin bend at 35 miles an hour.

Auguste Rodin went forward along the inside as they raced around the crown of the home turn, made his ground smoothly until he was just behind the front rank. The leader, Balladeer moved a little off the inside as they started to straighten up, and Moore pounced. He needed to have a horse who was able to pick up instantly and move into the fleeting gap when it presented itself, but he knew that he had. His confidence in Aidan O’Brien’s horse has always been unwavering.

Auguste Rodin hit the front with more than a furlong to run, and that was in loads of time, too early if anything. He just waits there, said his rider afterwards. He didn’t skip clear and win by five IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

RYAN MOORE “His sire Deep Impact was even better at four than he was at three...

His dam Rhododendron was a Group 1 winner at four. We think that there is more to come from him”

and a half lengths, he just did what he needed to do to hold his rivals at bay. When he got to the winning line, he was three-parts of a length in front of Up To The Mark.

“I remember the first time I rode Auguste Rodin,” says Ryan Moore now, in reflective mood.

“He stood out for me. Not many make an impression on you like he did. Maybe I wanted him to be good, given his breeding, but it’s nice when that all comes to fruition.”

His breeding is noteworthy, by Japanese champion Deep Impact, out of the Galileo mare Rhododendron, winner of the Fillies’ Mile, the Prix de l’Opera and the Lockinge Stakes, a Group 1 winner at two, at three and at four.

“You’re thinking, maybe he could be a Derby horse.”

Auguste Rodin was indeed a Derby horse, is a Derby horse. He won the Derby at Epsom, when Ryan Moore gave him the perfect ride, down the outside and delivered with Tag Heuer precision to get up and beat King Of Steel by a half a length.

Then he went to The Curragh and added the Irish Derby.

“There were excuses for his defeats this year,” says Ryan, “and he has come back every time. Irish Champion Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Turf. We have always had belief in this horse, and he has been campaigned bravely.”

The good news is that, all going well, the brave campaign will continue into next year, as Auguste Rodin is set to race on as a four-year-old.

“It’s great that he stays in training next year,” says his rider. “His sire Deep Impact raced as a four-year-old, he was even better at four than he IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

was at three. The Japanese keep a lot of their horses in training. His dam Rhododendron was a Group 1 winner at four. We think that there is more to come from him.”

Auguste Rodin provided four of Ryan Moore’s 19 Group/Grade 1 wins in what was another stellar year for the rider. His partnership with Aidan O’Brien was an irresistible thread that ran through the season, his victories at the highest level a constant through the calendar – at least one Group 1 win every month from March to November inclusive –dotted, as they were, around the globe – Ireland, Britain, France, Dubai, Australia, America – on four different continents.

His talents are universally recognised. Wherever you go in the racing world, Ryan Moore’s services are in demand. On his first weekend in Japan after the Melbourne Cup, he rode for five different trainers.

He rode in every race at Royal Ascot this year.

There were 35 races, seven each day, five days, and Ryan Moore rode in all 35. Remarkable. There was a clamour for his services when his commitments to Aidan O’Brien allowed. He was top rider at Royal Ascot this year too, again, for the tenth time.

If you were looking for a snapshot of Ryan Moore, jockey, if you were looking for a synopsis of a cross-section of the talents that he has in his armoury, you got it during Royal Ascot week.

Three winners on the first day, River Tiber and Paddington and Vauban. Paddington and Vauban won well, but still, no harm in having one of the best jockeys in the world on your side. River Tiber needed riding on the far side in the Coventry

“He ran all the

way through the line and down to the white fence at the end of the track. I’ve never been going that hard at a fence like that, and I was running out of ideas… thankfully... he stood up and I managed to stay on board” 49

RYAN MOORE

City Of Troy left a major impression on Moore when winning his maiden and everything he has done since marks him out as hugely exciting prospect for next season

50

Stakes, he needed to be asked for his effort at the right time and delivered, and he was. Got up to win by a neck.

Warm Heart won the Ribblesdale by two lengths, but even so, the ride that Ryan Moore gave her may have made the difference between victory and defeat. Handy and prominent from early behind a moderate early pace, but not too aggressive, and maximising the advantage of her high draw over a mile and a half.

Okita Soushi in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes was the same but different. Same course, same distance, same result (first), but a different ride, held up from a low-to-middle draw, well off a fast pace, and delivered late.

You can easily figure out the strength of the pace of a race afterwards, you can assess times and sectionals and finishing speeds. Not so easy when you’re in the middle of it, figuring it out literally on the hoof. Ryan Moore did that consistently at Royal Ascot this year, does so consistently on racecourses all over the world every year.

City Of Troy didn’t go to Royal Ascot, he didn’t make his racecourse debut until early July, long after they had closed the Golden Gates. But it was well worth the wait, as he came right away from his rivals through the final furlong of a sevenfurlong maiden on Irish Derby weekend.

“He only got organised in the last 100 yards that day,” says Ryan. “He ran all the way through the line and down to the white fence at the end of the track. I’ve never been going that hard at a fence like that, and I was running out of ideas. But you see horses in the field, running at fences and stopping, and thankfully, he stopped, we didn’t crash through the fence. He stood up and I managed to stay on board.”

City Of Troy moved on from The Curragh, went to Newmarket’s July meeting, where he put up another hugely impressive performance in winning the Superlative Stakes. There is more room to pull up on Newmarket’s July Course than there is at The Curragh but, even so, the rider didn’t take any chances. He asked City Of Troy for his effort fully two furlongs from home, and the horse responded, cleared away from his rivals to win by six and a half lengths. Then he went back to Newmarket in October for the Dewhurst Stakes.

“I wasn’t surprised that he did what he did in the Superlative Stakes,” says Ryan. “We were concerned about the ground in the Dewhurst but, at the same time, I didn’t see how they were going to beat him. That’s a nice way to be approaching a race.”

City Of Troy won the Dewhurst. You always felt that he was going to get there too.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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Rising TIDE Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: FINTAN O’TOOLE

A nascent partnership has proved mutually beneficial, rocketing Barry Connell and Michael O’Sullivan to the top of their sport

52

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BARRY CONNELL & MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN

I

f that Tuesday spring afternoon was about the glory, then the roots of success could be traced back to a long-running routine of Friday nights in winter.

March madness in the Cotswolds for Michael O’Sullivan, a Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner with Marine Nationale. An occasion of sheer joy just six months after moving into the professional jockey ranks.

It was not the end point, there’s too much road left for O’Sullivan in his still nascent career. Yet it was the high-water mark to date and he considered the journey to get there.

When the school bell rang in Patrician Academy in Mallow during his teenage days, his father William would be waiting to collect him every Friday. They would drive along the N72, through the North Cork countryside and into West Waterford.

Ballyrafter Equestrian Centre, just outside Lismore, was the destination. That was where Michael would go showjumping, honing his craft. The two-hour round trip was completed in the dead of the night, back home to Lombardstown and the following week they would do it all over again.

“We mightn't be back home until one o'clock that night,” O’Sullivan details now. “It was a fair commitment.

“Dad runs the show at home on the farm. He works very hard and always has done. So for him to put that extra time and effort and money and everything into me; it was nice to be able to repay him in the way things have gone. He deserves a lot of credit.”

Back in 1991, William O’Sullivan rode Lovely Citizen, trained by his brother Eugene, to win the Foxhunters’ Chase at Cheltenham. Michael spent years listening to tales of that famous day. In 2020, his cousin Maxine and his uncle Eugene, Maxine’s father, were the jockey-trainer combo for another O’Sullivan success in that race with It Came To Pass.

“Myself and Maxine would have joked we were nearly sick of hearing about 1991. We wanted our own success. That was brilliant when Maxine won, I was there. I got a great kick out of that. At the same time I was riding myself and I was jealous of her, so I was dreaming of doing it myself at Cheltenham.”

He realised that dream. O’Sullivan and Marine Nationale formed the partnership, calmly following favourite Facile Vega in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, before pouncing after the final flight, bounding clear with three and a quarter lengths to spare.

On Tuesday at Cheltenham, before the first goes off, the place bristles with hopeful anticipation. The week opens ahead for everyone. All is still possible.

The Supreme ignites the action after months of build-up. How do you properly compute then you are the opening winner?

“I think it is impossible to properly take in but I tried my best. You've to pinch yourself when you look back at the videos, going by the stands. It was just a mixture of relief and elation. You're just kind of in your own thoughts.

“I could see my father. For him to be there that IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

was special. To be able to have my own success there and have my own memories there was something I always wanted.”

Dreamland.

Barry Connell’s nine-to-five once revolved around the financial world. Away from work, racing was always a passion that he nurtured. As a child he would go to meetings around Dublin with his father Patrick.

“My dad was just a punter, he'd no background in racing other than he enjoyed going,” Connell reveals. “I tagged along with him and was bitten by the bug.”

After he started working, Connell owned a couple of horses in training and learned how to ride himself around his 30th birthday. It sparked a new lease of sporting life, an amateur career that yielded 34 winners and a couple at Cheltenham November meetings. In 2003 he steered the Tony Mullins-trained Posh Paddy home in his own colours.

“I retired in 2010 and kind of had it in my head there was a great buzz to look at taking out a licence to train. We bought a farm in Nurney in Kildare and went about putting a team of people together. We have our own gallops and we also can bring them to The Curragh. It's only 15 minutes away, a world-class facility down the road.

“We only got going in 2021. We were setting up our own system, bringing young horses through rather than buying second-hand horses. That takes time. Last year was the first year that we were firing on all cylinders. We ended the season with 19 winners and a 30% strike rate. Three Grade 1 winners. It was very exciting.”

“For Dad

to put that extra time and effort and money and everything into me; it was nice to be able to repay him”

“I could see everything going on around me and I was able to track Facile Vega. I didn't get trapped in the pocket. After that the best horse wins”

In May 2022, O’Sullivan wrapped up his studies in UCD and left with a degree in Agricultural Science.

He never wavered from thoughts of becoming a jockey but third level education was a road he was nudged towards.

“My family would have been big on getting a 53

BARRY CONNELL & MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN

Connell had enjoyed success three times as an owner at the Cheltenham Festival, including with the Mags Mullins-trained Martello Tower in the 2015 Albert Bartlett Hurdle, but training a winner is “the pinnacle”

“We were

setting up our own system, bringing young horses through rather than buying second-hand horses” 54

good education, they strongly encouraged me to go to college,” the rider explains. “I'm glad they did.

I'd a great experience, made great friends and have a degree to fall back on. It'll definitely stand to me and it didn't really affect my racing. I was still point-to-pointing every weekend and riding out two days a week.”

As a youngster O’Sullivan was exposed to different equine environments. Duhallow Pony Club, those showjumping nights in Ballyrafter, winter Sundays at point-to-points. That array of experiences was of immense benefit.

“I’d a great upbringing with it all. Dressage really turns you into a horseman. It does wonders for your hands, in terms of settling the horse. The showjumping and eventing would have taught me how to present a horse, a lot of the jumping aspects.”

Turning professional was not a quick-fire decision. He tossed the question over in his mind, attempting to settle on an answer.

“I gave an awful lot of thought to it. My weight is good, we had our family tradition and things were going well for me as an amateur. There was probably a decent career to be forged there. The worry is that you turn (pro), lose your claim and you've no support behind you and you're just a middle-of-the-road jockey.

“I've been blessed that I ride for a fairly wide range of trainers that have been good to me. Then Barry said he'd support me if I wanted to turn pro.

It just took that extra kick.”

“I told him It was a free shot. You have your degree to fall back on,’ recalls Connell. “And it couldn't have worked out better.”

The relationship between jockey and trainer stretches back to April 2019. Michael rode Timewaitsfornoone in a Dromhane Open, forced to settle for second that day behind cousin Maxine and It Came To Pass.

One evening in late May 2022, Michael was at

home on the farm helping his father with the cows.

Flicking through his phone, he spotted entries for an upcoming Punchestown bumper.

Marine Nationale.

So he took a punt. Rang his trainer.

“I’d nothing to lose really. We got on well that day. And I suppose when you ride the winner for someone, they tend to take a shine to you? You need a break in this game and I got mine thank God.” “It was the luckiest phone call he ever made,” remembers Connell. “The rest is history. I was incredibly impressed with the horse. He absolutely bolted up. Michael was very good on him.”

Circumstances dictated the trajectory of Marine Nationale’s career. Having missed the winter campaign, Connell plotted a route through the summer of 2022. A win at Killarney in August. A maiden hurdle collected at Punchestown in October. All efforts pointed towards the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse in early December.

“We knew we had a nice horse, didn't expect that he would win in the fashion that he did (at Punchestown). But that meant we had a serious horse on our hands.

“He hadn't a summer off, so we decided to leave him from the Royal Bond in November and go straight to Cheltenham. Brought him back in January. We had him nice and fresh.”

That day in Fairyhouse was telling for O’Sullivan, operating in rarefied Grade 1 company, providing the pilot with a maiden success at that level. It was a first too for Connell as a trainer, though he had been successful five times as an owner thanks to Shinrock Paddy, Mount Benbulben, The Tullow Tank (twice) and Martello Tower.

“When he was going for the Royal Bond, he was thrown in at the deep end and you don't know what to expect,” O’Sullivan recounts. “But Barry was very confident and we all fed off that. The horse just kept performing and he doesn't seem to know how to be beaten really.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Cheltenham. Bigger stage. Bigger expectation.

Bigger demands. Connell’s confidence levels rose during the countdown, refusing to dip.

“Sure look, I'd been talking him up all season because I know he's the best horse I've ever had or ever likely to have. He's exceptional, a one off. Just what he was showing us at home, the speed, his ability to jump, his athleticism.

“We were driving over to Cheltenham and it lashed rain the day before. It wouldn't have been ideal but he's a horse that just seems to be able to cope. His performance at Cheltenham was awesome.”

O’Sullivan embraced the nerves generated by the magnitude of the occasion.

“I'd say I was more nervous going out riding him in his maiden hurdle than at Cheltenham. I love the bit of pressure, the big occasion, kind of feed off that. If you weren't nervous, you wouldn't care.

“I got down to the start a little bit early. I lined up on the rail and said, ‘Jesus this is great.’ Then the rest started to come down. I thought maybe I shouldn't stick him down the rail and ask for that bit of trouble, I could run into a lot of traffic. So I took him out and left one or two lads inside me.

Which normally you wouldn't do, but it turned out it was the right thing to do.

“Even though I'd no doubts about his jumping, you'd no room for error. Where I jumped off was actually a lovely position, had that bit of room, you're in a nice rhythm. I could see everything going on around me and I was able to track Facile Vega. I didn't get trapped in the pocket. After that the best horse wins.”

Connell has had varying vantage points when it comes to toasting Cheltenham triumphs. An amateur jockey for November celebrations. A winning owner for the March extravaganza with Pedrobob in 2007, Martello Tower in 2015 and Tully IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

East in 2017. But the role of a successful trainer eclipsed them all.

“Absolutely, that's the pinnacle. When I was riding, other people were training the horses. When you're training, you're involved in the whole picture.

"I've been going to Cheltenham since I was a kid, with my dad and with friends from college. It's been a magic place for me. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd get to ride a couple of winners there, then the first horse with my training licence to go there and having blown him up. I was kind of saying to myself, ‘I hope this horse runs well after telling the whole country he was the real deal,’ but he delivered in spades.

“It's immensely satisfying, particularly for a small operation to be able to go and take on the big battalions and to win a marquee race like that.

There was nothing to compare with the sense of achievement in terms of being able to put the whole package together and right from the start in terms of sourcing the horse.

“An exceptional horse, you'll only ever come across one of them in a lifetime. The bigger yards will probably come across maybe four or five of them. For one of them to come into us, it was extraordinary.”

The staff at home in Boherbaun Stables are the bedrock of the operation, creating the conditions for a star like Marine Nationale to thrive.

“It's massive. We've ten staff. Every yard buzzes

O’Sullivan calling up Connell for the ride on Marine Nationale, who was making his debut in a Punchestown bumper on May 28, 2022, was the catalyst of a stunningly fruitful partnership between trainer and jockey

55

BARRY CONNELL & MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN

“I thought Good Land was going to be a monster this season. That's racing.

It's a game where you can't get too high or too low and it's something I'm getting better at”

“I'd been

talking him up all season because I know he's the best horse I've ever had or ever likely to have” 56

off success. We assembled a world-class team of people. The work riders are exceptional. Roger Loughran and Garrett Cotter were both professional jockeys for years. They have the world of experience. Finny Maguire is working for us now as well. My own son Rory rides out and does all the gallop work. It's a small tight little team.”

The aftermath of Marine Nationale’s win was a blur of activity and acclaim for O’Sullivan. He had a ride later that day in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle for Gordon Elliott. By the time that race started, Prestbury Park was spellbound from the exploits of Constitution Hill and Honeysuckle.

Then Jazzy Matty came home first at 18/1 and the leading rider after day one was a 22-year-old from North Cork.

“I was just floating around all day watching videos on my phone. I was going to go out and enjoy that with Jazzy Matty. Then he won, which was amazing. Gordon Elliott had the instructions, they obviously fancied him and put me up on him, (which) was very generous of them and I’m always forever grateful for it. Leading rider at Cheltenham after the first day… very special.”

Connell was not surprised by the meteoric rise of his jockey.

“Well, I think he's a horseman, first and foremost.

He's come down through the point-to-point route, rather than the pony racing route. Anyone that looks at Michael and his progression, he's a very quiet rider. He rides quite deep, rides a good length of leg, gets a horse into a rhythm, gives confidence in the horse.

“He's very bright. He will find out about his own horse, do his research about the opposition. He thinks a lot about tactics.

“I think he's in the mould of Davy Russell, who had a similar background. That can't be taught, you're born with that and his skill was honed in the point-to-point field. I think he has a chance of going all the way.

“There was probably more pressure on that kid last year. I probably put a bit on him inadvertently myself by blowing my trumpet over how good

Marine was. But it didn't show. He was cool as a cucumber in the race and that's what separates the great sportsmen from the good sportsmen, their ability to deliver on the day.”

They both understand the fluctuating fortunes of the sport. An October Saturday in Fairyhouse brought a winner for O’Sullivan on board a favourite for Noel Meade and soon after a faller from a favourite for Connell.

A few days after that, Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1 winner, Good Land was scrubbed out of the equation for the season with a tendon injury.

If Marine Nationale commanded the Cheltenham spotlight, plenty hope was invested in Good Land for the Ballymore Novices’ on the Wednesday. A fourth place was the outcome but he was all about the future.

Absorb the setbacks. Drive forward.

“These Grade 1 horses unfortunately tend to be more prone to getting (injuries) because you know they're running at a higher level at all the big festival meetings,” says Connell.

“They're on the edge all the time. Last season, everything that could have gone right, went right for us. So we can't complain.”

“I was obviously devastated with Good Land,” says O’Sullivan. “I thought he was going to be a monster this season. That's racing. It's a game where you can't get too high or too low and it's something I'm getting better at.

“I never really got too high but I used to get low a bit too much when things were going the wrong way. But I've got better at that now. You take on board what you've done wrong but you can't dwell on it for too long.

“Last year was amazing. I was very lucky to have some big winners. It's my first year without a claim.

That year can often be very quiet for a jockey. It's a very important one to make sure I'm not forgotten about to keep going, keep the connections I've formed and try and make new ones. It's longevity that’s important.”

Eyes to the future. More opportunities to be seized.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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DONAL SPRING

Spring in the Air Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: BRENDAN COFFEY

How a rugby legend became a Group 1-winning owner/breeder of a horse keeping the spirit of ’78 alive in more ways than one

H

orses have a way of enriching even the fullest life. Donal Spring came of age during the 1970s: first as a sportsman, then as a lawyer. Accomplished in both fields, he made his own name, twice over.

“Your sporting highs are highs at a certain point in your life,” he begins, reaching for context. “From your first U10 medal to in my case, winning my first (rugby international) cap and walking out onto a packed Lansdowne Road. Owning a horse is different, even as a breeder/owner. You feel helpless on race day. The work has been done by the trainer in getting the horse ready and then it’s over to the horse and the jockey.’’

The Springs, like so many Irish families,

58

understood that the horse held a special kind of reverence. On the mantlepiece in the sitting room was a statuette depicting a mare and her foal. This piece quickened the memory of a farmer’s daughter.

“It was a big thing every year on her family farm when the mare would foal.”

Anna Spring’s six children, three boys and three girls, absorbed this symbolism without ever dwelling much upon its significance. Sport, in Donal’s case and that of his late brother Dick, himself a former rugby international who went on to be Tánaiste in an Irish government, was lone pursuits across firmer courses. For his mother, education was all.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DONAL SPRING

“‘I was talking to your career guidance teacher,’ she began one day on the journey home from school in Roscrea. ‘I hear you want to be a professional golfer.’”

Silence flooded the car. “‘I tell you what you’ll do. You’ll be a solicitor or a barrister, a doctor or a dentist, or an accountant.

Then you can be a pro golfer.’”

The message still resonates.

“Was I glad she said that… It would have been a disaster!”

All these years later, Donal Spring has returned to prominence for reasons as unlikely as they are remarkable. This central figure from rugby’s great amateur era has now shared three racing seasons with Moss Tucker, seasons that refract all previous light.

His world yields a late rainbow.

“The best 1 minute 40 seconds of excitement I’ve had in my life,” Spring declares, reliving Moss Tucker’s first win at Tipperary two years ago.

The circumstances could not have been imagined in any other era. Covid meant that owners were still cut off from course meetings but technology allowed the Springs, August of 2021, to watch the race from the relative sanctuary of Northern Italy.

Tuscany has been their summer holiday escape off and on for the last 25 years.

“We were going ballistic around the screen,” Donal recalls. “I was captivated by the thrill of watching our horse win.”

Before the flame, a flicker.

Anticipation grew throughout the day. Charlie Bit Me, the horse that started this unexpected journey, had kept on well to finish second in a three-mile hurdle at Wexford earlier that evening.

His performance was vindication of their decision to keep investing despite the lack of return.

“My first day at the races was Charlie’s first time on the track. He was about 50 lengths behind. That was our introduction to racing. He showed fantastic promise in training but didn’t show it on the track. It happens to a lot of horses, it seems.”

Moss Tucker stood apart from the start.

“There was something about him looking at him in the field. He was cocky. The others were shy. He would come up to you. There was a lovely spark to him.”

John Oxx received the first approach. His assessment was encouraging. “John thought he was a decent enough horse, 80 to 90 (rating potentially). Then John decided to retire. I wondered if that was another time to pull out.”

Nearly every stage of a horse’s development presents a dilemma for the owner. Carry on? Cash in? Cut your losses? Ken Condon stepped into the breach. Donal Spring is unequivocal.

“Ken is from Cork. Kerry men know how to deal with Cork men.”

And yet there was little apparent about what the horse would become.

“Ken thought looking at him he might be better off over hurdles. When he started racing, Moss just kept getting faster. It became a kind of mantra: ‘How much better can this horse get?’ There was IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

nothing to point to him being a sprinter. He started at one mile one furlong. One thing about him, he was always trying. He finished his races very well.

We were beginning to wonder how far would we go.”

His first five starts only hinted that he might go better over shorter distances. But there was no match when it clicked for him on soft ground at Tipperary over seven and a half furlongs.

“All of us crowded around the laptop. He took off from the start and they never got near him. He absolutely flies it. Then we were hooked.”

Two results in one day was almost too much to process. Within a week, another adjustment.

“The following Saturday was the lowest point.

Charlie was favourite for a three-mile hurdle in Sligo. Peter Fahey, who had recently taken over training Charlie and done a wonderful job, told me he had colic. We tried to save him. He sounded good after the operation. He did well for a week and then he went downhill. I spoke to the vets. We had to do the humane thing then. That was a real low. He had given us great fun.”

Losing an animal in that manner reminds an owner just how much is beyond their own control.

Only a horse has the power to give what can be taken from them. Yet Donal Spring, since that painful end for Charlie, has gained more than ever seemed possible.

“Moss Tucker has just been dreamland.”

The story of this horse begins with one person in one place. Leitrim has become a second home for the Springs since they took over 60 acres above Roosky, where his wife Geraldine’s uncle, Charlie farmed. Following these roots took Geraldine closer to the life her parents knew. The move stirred old vibrations.

“I aways loved being out in the fresh air,” Donal explains. “I loved doing physical work.”

That connection with the outdoors began as a boy. Listellick National School took him outside Tralee town, into this distinctly rural atmosphere.

“There was a wall around the yard. Playing rugby was a dawdle after playing football in the yard at our school.”

Spring is emphatic in his gratitude for the team at Ken Condon’s Osborne Lodge yard that have brought about Moss Tucker’s improvement and accentuated the owners’ enjoyment of that, including Rachel Boyd (above), who was the gelding’s exercise rider until departing for Australia last June, whereupon Cheltenham Festivalwinning pilot Maxine O’Sullivan took over

59

DONAL SPRING

“The best

1 minute 40 seconds of excitement I’ve had in my life”

Weekends, he helped on a cousin’s farm; the Brodericks. Summers were spent with the Laides in Crotta.

“I was used to horses around the farms. Like every other young fella, I wasn’t unknown to take out a horse without a halter and go bareback riding around the fields. We saw no danger in those days.

We all thought we were The Lone Ranger.”

The swerve to Leitrim made sense for his family.

“Charlie was a bachelor, and he was retiring at the time. We took over the farm in a fairly rough state 25 years ago. We started off with the idea of having a place to go at weekends away from Dublin, to have a bit of The Good Life.”

Spring’s enthusiasm met with some scepticism.

“I was with a client from the Golden Vale at the Four Courts one time, dealing with a row about land. When he questioned me about my farming knowledge, I told him about the farm in Leitrim. He looked at me and said: ‘You couldn’t grow snipe there.’ Shooting snipe used to be a big sport in Kerry where I come from. If you could shoot a snipe, you were a good shot. The only way you can shoot them is on the turn. They’re too fast otherwise.”

Limited prospects heighten wits.

“Because of the poor land in Leitrim, the farmers had to be great breeders. Even today, they’re noted for their animal husbandry. They had to rely on their skills as breeders and judges of stock. In the past, they would all then sell those cattle to the East of Ireland for finishing. A lot still do but, with the arrival of the slatted shed, others can afford to keep cattle longer.”

As they developed the farm, their stock rose in tandem. What started as a plucky sort of venture has become a pedigree Angus operation called Aughnamona.

“We’ve 50 pedigree cows, which with calves and

yearlings can add up to 150 head. So, it’s very much a real farm. Angus are the ideal cattle. Docile.

They’ll survive in a field of rushes. There’s always a market for them. We sell about 25 pedigree bulls a year for breeding and have exported bulls and heifers abroad, including to Germany, Italy, France and Portugal.

“I love the breeding of it. As a kid, I played all sports and a lot of competitive golf. Rugby more or less put an end to my golf because I damaged my back. In a way, that was a blessing, because if I had been 100% fit when I gave up rugby, I probably would have tried to pick up golf again. Golf would not have been as conducive for a good family life.

The farm brings a sense of being together.”

If the work often proves its own reward, the charge is rarely fixed. A field can be seen out of their farmhouse window. Donal has stocked a couple of cows and their calves, just for the thrill of looking out at them. But the recurring view made Geraldine think of other options. The pull to do something different came from her.

“Geradline suggested getting a horse. Everybody loves a horse. I knew nothing about racing. The only thing I followed was Willie Mullins, who was my classmate at school. I’d send him the odd text.

Willie is the hero of everybody who went to school in (Cistercian College) Roscrea that time. The achievements of this modest, unassuming guy are phenomenal.”

For guidance, they leaned on Paul Magnier, next door neighbour of Geraldine’s parents in Monkstown. They escaped to Leitrim one weekend with Paul and his partner, Ann Ronan for company.

Renowned senior counsel and fellow horse breeder, John Rogers joined them. While Rogers quizzed Magnier for insights, Spring soaked up the information.

“We had a fantastic night listening to Paul telling

Moss Tucker reels in the British-trained pair, Get Ahead and Equality to win the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Flying Five Stakes at Curragh Racecourse in September

60

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DONAL SPRING

stories about horses. We had great fun. We had another meal with Paul back in Dublin. More talk about horses. The stories he told were fascinating.”

Spring was keen to take the conversation further. “‘Are you serious?” Magnier responded.

“Yeah, let’s give it a go.”

The brief was to find a horse that might breed to pay its way. Their search led to Rare Symphony, who had been trained by Magnier to win on the flat and over hurdles. Spring, with novice ambition, took to Google.

“I could see Galileo in her breeding. Even I knew about Galileo. When I saw Galileo, I thought: ‘Here we go’. I learned afterwards how prolific these horses are.”

They put her in foal, caution crossed with keenness. “I didn’t want to spend a lot of money.

We sent her to Famous Name. We called the foal, Charlie, after Geraldine’s uncle.”

One name spawned another when Geraldine got a nip on the arm while feeding the foal.

Automatically, she turned to Donal: ‘Charlie bit me.’

Her affected response, imitating the child in the famous YouTube video, christened their first racehorse. They have kept the name for the syndicate, where they have been joined by Laura Williams, a huge racing enthusiast, whose husband Billy has long been a close friend of Donal. Success in this game is a plural condition.

“We have been very fortunate with the people we have around us,” Spring stresses. “Paul is still very much my guardian angel when it comes to horses. Ken and Issy Carroll at Lewinstown help us with the foaling and breaking. Ken Condon calls it as he sees it, and what a job he has done with Moss. He and (his wife) Pauline have a great team with them: Rachel Boyd (exercise rider before going to Australia in June), Maxine O’Sullivan (the Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey who has taken IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

him on and ridden him every day since), Anna Radchenko (who leads him up at the races) and Michael McLoughlin (the travelling head man better known as Galway) have been brilliant with Moss in the yard. And Dorothy Fleming in the office is most helpful and patient with us. Billy Lee has struck a great partnership with the horse and is having another great year himself. Between a Kerry-born breeder, a Cork-born trainer and a Limerick-born jockey, there’s a very strong Munster connection.”

Moss Tucker has been brilliant for them, with this year best of all. At The Curragh on September 10, the heavens opened and his odds tumbled. The firm outsider had turned bold at the perfect moment to prove Group 1 calibre in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Flying Five Stakes.

“I’d like to think that he’s a backrow forward with good handling skill,” laughs the former No 8 when pressed for an analogy. “He’s just a fantastic character. He turns up all the time. Any time he hasn’t had a good result, there was always a logical reason for it. Naas (Woodlands Stakes, April 24) was probably the day he showed everyone his potential, to let Tenebrism pass him and come back and beat her.”

His name cast him for this part. Donal sketches a scene, with dressing-room colleagues on a historymaking team he was part of, at its core.

“I was in my office working. Ken Condon rang me: ‘We have to name him.’ There’s a photo of the Munster ‘78 team (that beat New Zealand) on the wall. It came to me. Maurice Keane was always known as Moss. Colm Tucker was always known as Tucker. It worked a dream. The two boys were two of the most honest, determined rugby players you could ever meet. He embodies that kind of spirit every time he runs.”

Now the name carries them on.

“Between a Kerry-born breeder, a Cork-born trainer and a Limerickborn jockey, there’s a very strong Munster connection”

“The two

boys were two of the most honest, determined rugby players you could ever meet.

He embodies that kind of spirit every time he runs” 61

Homecoming OISÍN MURPHY

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: GRAHAM DENCH

It was a redemptive campaign for Oisín Murphy after his lengthy suspension with an early Classic success, Grade 1 glory in America and perhaps best of all, a first winner in front of family and friends in his native Kerry at the Harvest Festival in Listowel

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ans totalling 14 months for two failed alcohol tests, for breaching Covid protocols and for misleading the British Horse Racing Authority would have been career-ending for most riders. Not for OisÍn Murphy.

The three-times champion jockey did not contest any of the charges and readied himself for a lengthy absence from the race riding that is his lifeblood, determined to not simply survive it but to come back better for it. To his credit, and to the credit of all of those who stuck by him, he can look back with real pride on a comeback season in which there were six top-level wins and many more highs than lows, notwithstanding two agonisingly close seconds at the Breeders’ Cup in Santa Anita in November.

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It was also a season in which he made the most of every opportunity to reconnect with his Irish roots.

“The worst part of my career to date was probably after I failed that breathalyser at Newmarket on Fillies’ Mile day, and then the week or two after,” Murphy recalls.

“I felt I needed to get my act together and I decided to stop drinking. It was important that I ignored the media and bounced straight back, and winning the Cesarewitch on Buzz the very next day and then going to the Breeders’ Cup and winning the Distaff on Marche Lorraine convinced me that I could get my act together and face my suspension.

“The time passed very quickly. Maybe I should IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

OISÍN MURPHY

have travelled the world a bit more, but I kept myself very busy and I didn’t allow my weight to fluctuate. I was riding out and so on, and I did a lot of showjumping and took a lot of lessons. I also had counselling twice a week and regular testing.

“Andrew Balding, Ed Walker, John Gosden, Sir Michael Stoute and Ralph Beckett all very kindly allowed me to ride work when it suited me, and I also kept riding out for Sheikh Fahad and Qatar Racing. Sheikh Fahad and David Redvers also allowed me to be involved in a bit of horse trading, and my family were brilliant too.”

While Murphy did all he could to ensure that he was in the right place both mentally and physically when his suspension ended on February 16, there were still nagging doubts about how sharp he would be in the saddle and also about how he would be received by his fellow professionals.

He need not have worried. The weighing room welcomed him back and his first ride at Chelmsford - Jupiter Express for Mick Appleby and The Horse Watchers - was a winner.

“The guys and girls in the weighing room were all fantastic and I never felt any negativity,” he says. “I’d had a great relationship with them all before I was suspended, and nobody made me feel unwelcome. On that first day back at Chelmsford I got there early and only had one ride, but there was a lot of joking and piss-taking.

“I’d missed that banter and all of the fun of the weighing room, so it was great to be back. I was delighted when I hit the ground running and I went on from Chelmsford that night to Doha, where I won on Flaming Rib for Hugo Palmer. It was a great start, and I got such a buzz from being in that environment again that it took me a few weeks for it to feel normal again.”

It’s all very well riding winners at Chelmsford, or even Doha for that matter, but it’s the big winners that excite Murphy most. Once again, he did not have long to wait, thanks to Mawj, who became IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

one of the stars of his season by winning the Qipco 1000 Guineas and then returning in the autumn to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Keeneland, before going desperately close in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

“It was great winning the Guineas on Mawj and it really helped with my confidence, because when you’ve been off for a long time it doesn’t matter how much work you do, you still doubt yourself. I’d kept myself very fit, but would I be as instinctive as I was? Those Classics are always hard to win, and although I’d obviously ridden for Saeed (bin Suroor) for a long time they put a lot of faith in me there when asking me to ride her after I’d been out for a year. It was a really special day, because she was my first Group 1 winner since the Breeders’ Cup of 2021, so it had been a long time.”

A second unexpected Group 1 win came in scarcely believable manner on the slow-starting Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup. A chance ride, the colt was a winner he’ll never forget.

“I only had that one winner at Royal Ascot and I had loads of seconds for Qatar, which I found frustrating. Shaquille was James Doyle’s ride, but he was unavailable and I’d ridden a bit for one of his owners, Martin Hughes, so luckily they asked me. Shaquille was phenomenal that day. It’s very rare that a horse can give away a start like that in any race, but particularly in a six-furlong Group 1.

To win in that fashion was extraordinary.”

Aspen Grove’s win in the Belmont Oaks was the highlight of a difficult July, about which more later, and this was a success Murphy enjoyed on multiple levels, not least because it was for Fozzy Stack, with whom he had enjoyed summer holidays riding out as a youngster.

“It was fantastic,” reflects Murphy, fondly. “I’d worked for Fozzy and Tommy Stack when I was 13 or 14 and she was my first ride for them. Also my friend Mark Enright, who had just stopped riding, prepared her over there. He’d ridden Aspen Grove in races, winning a Group 3 on her at The Curragh at two, and he assured me she was absolutely

“It was great winning the Guineas on Mawj and it really helped with my confidence”

“I’d missed

that banter and all of the fun of the weighing room, so it was great to be back” 63

OISÍN MURPHY

“I’d worked for Fozzy and Tommy Stack when I was 13 or 14 and Aspen Grove was my first ride for them”

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flying. Aspen Grove was push-button and handled the track beautifully. It wasn’t very busy because the weather was horrible, but Fozzy was there and so was her owner Craig Bernick. It was a great moment, and it was fantastic to get it done.”

Another Group 1 for a family that had been equally supportive when he was growing up came on Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. They would later go close at the Breeders’ Cup. “I was supposed to ride Porta Fortuna in the Albany but Qatar had an intended runner who then had a setback, by which time Frankie (Dettori) had got on her. So I missed a Royal Ascot winner, which was frustrating, but Donnacha said to me that when Frankie was unavailable in the future I could ride her.

“Porta Fortuna likes good ground and that was a special moment because I spent time at Ballydoyle for the next two years after I’d been at Fozzy’s and I’d ridden gallops with Donnacha and Joseph. We’d got on very well, and I was delighted for Donnacha, who has achieved an awful lot in a short space of time. They can pick any jockey, so it was great to have been asked.”

If the lack of big-race success for the Qatar Racing team through the year had been a source of frustration, there was some relief late in the season when the David Menuisier-trained juvenile Sunway, a brother to Sealiway in whose partpurchase Murphy had been instrumental, took

the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. Hopes are high that the colt can go on to even bigger and better things at three.

“The first time I rode him, before he’d ever run, I told Sheikh Fahad he should buy into him, and he did so on my recommendation. He looked a smart horse when he won on debut at Sandown, particularly in the last furlong, so I can’t explain what happened at Ascot next time where he gave me no feel at all. David freshened him up for the seven-furlong Group 2 at Doncaster, where he ran well and kept going right through the line, and he then picked the mile Group 1 at Saint-Cloud, where Sunway travelled like he was always going to win. As a type he’s the perfect model, and as a full brother to a Champion Stakes winner who ran well in an Arc, there’s lots to look forward to.”

While Murphy has ridden no end of winners for Irish trainers around the world he has had surprisingly few in his native country - just five at the last count - so the handicap win he enjoyed on Dragon Of Malta in front of friends and family at Listowel’s Harvest Festival, a meeting he had attended many times as a child but had never before ridden at, meant a lot.

“I’ve known Pat Healy (renowned racing photographer and former racecourse chairman) since I was about four years of age from my mum and my Uncle Jim (Culloty, Best Mate’s rider and Lord Windermere’s trainer) bringing me to the races, and when Frankie couldn’t come he asked me if I’d like to. Listowel was one of our tracks, because while I was born in Cork I’d grown up outside Killarney until I was 11. With help from Mark Enright I had three rides, and they were Dragon Of Malta and two seconds.

“There was a good connection with the trainer Pat O’Donnell too, as myself and his son Patrick were both at Fozzy’s at the same time and we are still very good friends. My grandmother was there, and I think all of my mother’s brothers and sisters were too, and she’s one of eight. My father’s family will all have been watching at home too, so I got immense pleasure from it.”

The wins on Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte in the Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster and the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket also gave Murphy a lot of pleasure.

“Matilda Picotte is owned by friends of my mother. I got on her at Doncaster because Ronan Whelan had to ride in Ireland, and I rode her by feel that day. She felt super and it was a very good performance, but she took it to another level when she won the Challenge. Kieran is a very good trainer who wins maidens in Ireland, which are always hard to win, before often trading them on. Matilda Picotte is quite fast and there’s a race in Saudi they are looking at. They do a very good job with the ground there, and I think it might suit her.”

In a year encompassing some 1000 or so rides, there were bound to be occasions when things didn’t go so well, and Murphy singles out two in particular.

The first is that he accumulated 15 days of IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

OISÍN MURPHY

Winning at Listowel on Dragon Of Malta (near side): “My grandmother was there, and I think all of my mother’s brothers and sisters were too, and she’s one of eight”

suspensions in Royal Ascot week, where he followed a two-day careless riding ban at Lingfield on the Monday with three further breaches. They included three days for careless riding and another eight for his use of the whip on Qatar Racing’s Valiant King, whose head defeat by Royal winner Desert Hero was frustrating enough in itself in a week when there were all too many seconds.

“The championship is obviously very important to me and I led it for a long way, but I missed half of July through suspension and when I came back I was 20 behind. I probably rode for only around nine days in the UK in July, because of foreign trips as well, and I had only seven winners, compared to around 30 most years. The championship had definitely gone by the start of August.”

A second significant setback, and possibly even more painful to a jockey who is his own harshest critic, came when Via Sistina was caught close home by King Of Steel in the Qipco Champion Stakes. Besides dropping his stick, Murphy was publicly criticised by owner Stephen Hillen for IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

getting there too soon.

“I probably do more work on the Equicizer than any other professional and I could go 800 rides or more without dropping my stick, but I dropped it there and I was so disappointed with myself.

Everyone can have their own opinion about whether we got there too early, but I think she’d have won if I’d been able to keep her up to work.

“It was fantastic to be given the opportunity by George Boughey and by Stephen Hillen and his wife to ride Via Sistina, who was obviously going to be very popular at the December Sales.

Winning a Champion Stakes would have been an amazing achievement and I was gutted not to do it for them. I blame myself for that. Absolutely.”

Murphy will have another crack at the championship in 2024 but it will no longer be his number one consideration.

“I’ll try my best again next year, but you won’t ever find me missing Group 1s abroad to stay here and ride maiden and handicap winners. My focus will be on big races and when they come around I won’t be prioritising the jockeys’ championship.”

“My focus

will be on big races and when they come around I won’t be prioritising the jockeys’ championship” 65

Quiet manamaking big noise MARTIN BRASSIL

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: MICHAEL VERNEY

If racing had pound-for-pound rankings similar to what The Ring maintains for boxing, Martin Brassil would be very close to the summit

“If my horse

wasn’t in the race at Punchestown, they would have said that it was an epic race because it was only a nose between Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame at the finish”

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very trainer dreams of having horses that can compete at the highest level and given the arsenal currently at his disposal, Martin Brassil is relishing the season ahead.

With his son David now as assistant, and “a fantastic, hard-working and dedicated team” at his Cedar Lodge base, on the edge of The Curragh, there’s a spring in Brassil’s step.

A dislocated and fractured ankle finished Brassil’s riding career in 1991 and that same injury

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had left him with daily pain until he had the joint replaced two years ago. That operation has given him a new lease of life.

He has been in the training game for three decades but the 67-year-old looks as fresh as the first day he started and will stay plying his equine trade as long as is humanly possible. It’s more than a job, it’s a way of life.

Brassil is the coolest man in most rooms he enters, an unflappable type that goes about his IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

MARTIN BRASSIL

business with the minimum of fuss but even he is excited about having a genuine Gold Cup prospect on his hands this season.

Most people thought he was being overly ambitious when pitching Fastorslow into the Punchestown Gold Cup off the back of a handicap run at the Cheltenham Festival - albeit just touched off by subsequent Aintree Grand National winner Corach Rambler - but Brassil knew best.

You don’t post profit figures of €25.95 for every €1 staked on all of your Irish jumps runners in the past five seasons - - a statistic he wasn’t aware of - without knowing the time of day and he pulled off an audacious feat to take down Cheltenham blue riband winner Galopin Des Champs, plus the runner-up, Bravemansgame.

What made it even more extraordinary was the fact that it was just the fifth chase start for Fastorslow with a victory as a three-year-old in France - when trained by Arnaud Chaille-Chaille making it near impossible to find races for him outside of Grade 1 contests.

He went off at 20/1 but he was far from unfancied as he and JJ Slevin dished out the first chase defeat to Galopin Des Champs when the Willie Mullins-trained star has stayed on his feet.

Punchestown was left stunned. Brassil was not, however.

“I wasn’t totally surprised that he won but I was sure he’d be in the first three, I could see him being very competitive,” Brassil reflects. “If you look back at the Gold Cup, both the winner and the second had hard races. But if my horse wasn’t in the race at Punchestown, they would have said that it was an epic race because it was only a nose between them at the finish. Hopefully he can continue and be able to fight his corner in these races.

“I don’t know what the ceiling is for him. It’s exciting, he’s a very good horse. Imagine to win a Gold Cup on his fifth run over fences?.

“This horse would be very much on a par with Nickname (eight times a winner at graded level for Brassil) and probably better. He’s the best I’ve ever had anyway. Whether that’s good enough to be up there with Galopin Des Champs and those remains to be seen. He did it once, we’ll have to see if he does it again.”

David, who spent ten years in France and worked with renowned trainer Francois Cottin before returning home with his wife Audrey, partners Fastorslow on the gallops each day and remarks that “it’s like driving a Bugatti in the morning”.

Having this type of horsepower on his hands is manna from heaven for the elder Brassil, whose son Conor is also a jockey of note, and he is as hungry as ever. “Ah, you would be hungry when you have the better type of horses, that’s all any trainer is striving for. They get you into the big races.”

Brassil has come a long way since leaving his beloved Clare - he still follows the fortunes of the Banner senior hurlers where possible - and IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

learning his craft on The Curragh under the late, great Mick O’Toole nearly 50 years ago.

“There was only one way of doing it, the right way.”

Training horses was always on the radar of the Newmarket-on-Fergus native and patience has always been his virtue. He has never had any interest in expanding beyond the 30 horses in his care as that means “you get to know them all individually”.

“I’m lucky enough most of the time that I’ve owners that row in with the theory of waiting until the time is right for them to run so it makes the job a lot easier that they trust you know what you’re doing. You’re always doing right then.

“I love my work. You’re never going to be a millionaire but you love what you’re doing. At times it could be costing you money yourself but if you’re going to decide to go down that route, the one thing you have to learn is to do it properly and not to be taking shortcuts.

“I have as many as I’d ever want, I’m not into the numbers. I’ve always been striving towards getting quality horses rather than quantity. You’d have to be employing extra staff then and the staff problem is as bad as I’ve ever seen it in the equine industry.”

There’s a wit to Brassil that the public may not often see as he prefers to keep his own counsel but his results are there for all to see with great success in the training ranks since Nordic Thorn got him off the mark in Killarney back in May of 1994.

The pinnacle of the jumping game could yet be scaled via Fastorslow but there’s no doubting his greatest day in racing to this point - the 2006 Aintree Grand National success of Numbersixvalverde.

Prevailing with his first runner in the Liverpool showpiece points further to Brassil’s nous Double Seven was also third in the 2014 edition and Thyestes Chase winner Longhouse Poet has been “the unlucky horse” as he is being readied for a third tilt at the world’s most famous steeplechase next April.

Kerry National winner, Desertmore House (steered home by Ricky Doyle in the same colours as ‘Numbersix’ for owner Bernard Carroll) is another possible National contender but it will be a much different prospect than previous editions after a host of modifications.

“They’re doing everything to keep the race, whereas it’s never going to be that type of

JJ Slevin delivers Fastorslow (near side) with perfect timing to score in the Punchestown Gold Cup

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MARTIN BRASSIL

Longhouse Poet has been “the unlucky horse” in two Grand National outings but the former Thyestes Chase winner remains a firm prospect of emulating another Brassil charge that completed the Gowran Park/ Aintree double, Numbersixvalverde

jumping test that it was in the past. Some people are not going to be happy either way and no matter what happens next year, the safety of horse and rider must be paramount to keep the race being the spectacle that it is.”

Martin is not long back from a trip to France having made the sojourn to watch the Richard Hughes-trained Bracken’s Laugh in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and those famous colours have been good to him.

Sean and Bernardine Mulryan have been huge supporters of his with the sole Cheltenham Festival success coming when City Island landed the race they sponsor - the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle - in 2019.

His last three visits to the Cotswolds since then have been remarkable, although ultimately heartbreaking with Fastorslow going down by a short head in the 2022 Coral Cup, and a neck in the 2023 Ultima, while An Epic Song was beaten by a head in the Coral Cup last March.

“You’d nearly be happier if they were third or fourth. When you get that close it’s a bit harder to take,” Brassil reflects.

There’s absolutely no doubting his ability to have one primed for the biggest days when he has the ammunition and other inmates like Glenquin Castle, who landed seven races in succession two seasons back in the colours of JP McManus, Irish Grand National fifth Panda Boy and novice chaser Walk With Paul will more than keep him ticking over.

Described by Doyle as a “genius who doesn’t waste his breath on too much but if he’s giving out advice you’d a fool not to listen,” it seems wise to close by asking him what changes he would make to Irish racing.

“The smaller owner is really being squeezed out of it,” Brassil responds. “And it’s no fault of the bigger owners, who are giving bigger prices for horses. The economy is obviously good and there’s lots of well-off people in the game but there’s nothing like seeing the excitement after a syndicate win.

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“There’s even less syndicates in racing and I think something should be done to encourage syndicates and get the small owners back into races. Possibly have a series of qualifiers and have a final at the Punchestown Festival, possibly syndicate-owned horses or horses that went through the ring below a certain value.

“And maybe have it over fences. There are a couple of those Red Mills Auction Hurdles run all season and the final is in Punchestown but ideally, it would be better off if it was a handicap because you have a couple of standouts every year. The final can be a bit of an anti-climax whereas if it was a handicap, it would give everyone a chance.

“We need more younger people to come back racing. The reason a lot of them aren’t owning horses or in syndicates is that they can’t afford it because it’s too expensive to live now. There isn’t that much money surplus to requirement anymore.”

He also has a word of advice to racecourses. ”There’s an awful lot of other sports that are maybe more attractive for people to go to and they’re getting more exposure maybe and since online betting came in, why would you want to pay 30 quid into the races? Then, spend another 50 on your family getting them a burger and a mineral and then you haven’t even had a bet yet.

You could sit at home on the couch and do it all.

It’s too expensive.

“The tracks years ago were getting the crowds and I don’t know how much it was to go in, but now they are getting plenty of money from Racing TV to show each race. Why don’t they let the people in and let them spend money when they go in? They’ll spend the usual entrance fee when they go inside on a bet or a drink or food or whatever.”

Whether any of that happens is another story but given the trainer’s winning formula and his ability to maximise resources, racing authorities would be foolish to ignore him. Brassil is 30 years in the training game but the best could still be yet to come.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DRAMA Join us at our

2024 festival

Miracle MAN

WESLEY JOYCE

There were plenty of heartwarming stories in racing in the past year but the return of Wesley Joyce to the saddle tops the lot

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR

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ometimes, the doom and gloom merchants would have you forget yourself and think that nothing good ever happens in horse racing. That it’s boring, devoid of excitement, open to only the same few and with not an interesting character or story to be found within it.

And then, it being racing, along comes some pulsating finish, some deed of derring-do by steed or human, some narrative to warm the heart and bring a smile to the face of all bar the professional online bah humbugs.

While there are obvious issues as capitalism does what capitalism does, the past season has had quite a few uplifting stories, if anyone bothers to delve a little into the nuts and bolts of the

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activity. A perusal of this publication very clearly illustrates that. You would have to go some though, to beat the miraculous, and then hugely successful return to the saddle of young Limerick jockey, Wesley Joyce.

Joyce knows what it is to battle. He is a happygo-lucky kid but coming from Moyross, there are challenges. Someone like Keith Earls, the recently retired Munster, Ireland and Lions rugby legend, is a living, breathing role model for kids in that community that success can be there for them too.

But Limerick is in thrall to rugby and at a time when it was an upper crust game in most of the rest of the country, it was the working class that embraced it in the Treaty City. And at that, Earls is an outlier.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Racing? You didn’t find many growing up in the city, and definitely not in Moyross, dreaming of mixing it with some of the best that ever lived in a sphere that used to glory in being known as the sport of kings. Even if you mucked around with ponies.

Joyce is doing that now though, thanks in large part to the Moyross Youth Academy and the likes of Karen Keehan and Andrew O’Byrne who run it, giving kids the chance to use what they might pick up in those early childhood pursuits and turn it into a career, not just as a jockey, but in some facet of racing. When Wesley broke through and had his first ride, a group travelled up to see him. They were in thrall. This was one of them, out there with Ryan Moore, Colin Keane, Shane Foley, Billy Lee, Seamie Heffernan. They watched him ride winners at Curragh Racecourse, at Galway and followed him like groupies. He was 19, being guided by Johnny Murtagh and Mick Mulvany, but he was the beacon for another generation already.

It was a lot but he embraced it. He had ten winners in his first year and was clipping along with nine already from more rides when rocking up at Galway, 12 months after delivering a premier handicap on Crowns Major for Emmet Mullins at the festival. He was motoring.

But it all came crashing down, in a most sickening manner, as he led a big field on Mulvany’s Red Heel in the Corrib Stakes before being unseated. There was no escaping the flailing hooves. The upshot was a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a fractured larynx. The Order Of Malta personnel and IHRB medical staff stabilised him as he lay on the track before he was moved to intensive care at University Hospital Galway.

That first week was very worrying but like we said, Joyce is a fighter. While everyone around him wanted him only to be able to get up and walk around again, the first thing he told Mulvany when he regained consciousness was that he wanted to get back riding. And that ambition never wavered.

Thanks to so many, including the hospital staff, IHRB senior medical officer Jennifer Pugh, the services provided by RACE and HRI’s Jockey Pathway, Johnny Murtagh and his wife Orla, Mulvany and others, but most of all, by dint of a quite remarkable iron will, Wesley was back in the saddle a year later.

He happily did interviews, the damaged larynx meaning he spoke in a whisper and took gulps of air to get each sentence tumbling out. An operation is being planned that will hopefully fix that but it was down the list of priorities.

It maybe took him a little while to get up to speed and he was beginning to get impatient about getting back in the winner’s enclosure. You knew trainers were doing their best for him too and there were a few near-misses. On August 30, about three weeks after the comeback, the fairytale was complete as he steered Trueba, who he’d won on before at his local Limerick track in 2021, to victory in the first division of a 47-65 IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Trueba was a first winner for Joyce after his comeback and it was fitting that IHRB senior medical officer, Jennifer Pugh was there to share the occasion

handicap at Cork. It was only €5,900 to the winner but right then, Wesley Joyce felt a million dollars.

Once he got that landmark out of the way, the confidence flowed and the 20-year-old could do no wrong. Quite remarkably, he has gone on to set a new PB of winners for a calendar year, getting to 11 with a week of November still to run.

The smile shines brighter than ever now. It really would light up a room.

Whatever happens, Wesley Joyce is a marvel but one suspects there are other chapters to be written because apart from passion and bravery, this proud Moyross man is clearly very talented indeed.

Ruby Walsh memorably said that the measure of a young jockey was not how they were doing in the first flushes of success, when it was all gravy, the cameras were flashing and they were the fashion. Talent alone wasn’t enough. It was how they reacted to a really bad injury that would tell.

“Your leg is wrapped around your ear. And then you realise how hard this is… it’s how they come back.”

Now we know Wesley Joyce is the goods. Man of the Year, for sure.

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DonDEAL

DONAGH MEYLER

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR

Donagh Meyler reflects on a maiden Grade 1 triumph and his link with trainer Emmet Mullins

H

e may not have the profile of many of his weigh-room colleagues, but Donagh Meyler possesses a CV that would be the envy of most of them. What’s more, the calibre of trainers and owners that have used him over the years speaks volumes for his talent and character.

The Kilmacow native, who played underage hurling for Kilkenny before opting to focus exclusively on racing, was 19 by the time he rode his first winner, in a March 2015 Navan bumper on Anibale Fly for Tony Martin wearing the JP McManus silks. He would go on to use his claim and skills to propel the admirable son of Assessor to victory in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown at the end of 2017, three months before the first of that horse’s two Gold Cup placings.

He was acknowledged among the top young riders around by then, having teamed up with Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown to land the Galway Plate on Lord Scoundrel and the Munster National on Tiger Roll in the space of four months the

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previous year. Then at Cheltenham in 2018, the same team combined to score on Blow By Blow in the Martin Pipe.

He finished third to Jack Kennedy and David Mullins in the conditional jockeys’ table one season and second to Rachael Blackmore the next and if losing the claim made things a little more testing, he has largely clipped along at a steady rate, booting home significant winners for the likes of Joseph O’Brien, Peter Fahey, Ray Cody, Barry Connell and Shane Crawley along the way, having been helped in those earlier years by Karl Thornton and Arthur Moore too.

Linking up with the ambitious and upwardly mobile Emmet Mullins has put him on a different plane however, as a Grade 1 winner at last, thanks to a positive and confident ride on Feronily in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase last April.

“I would be good friends with David Mullins and I was talking to him one day,” explains Meyler. “He IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

more or less said, ‘Get your ass into Emmet Mullins’ because there could be an opportunity there.’ It has worked wonders. I am very lucky to be in such a prestigious yard with great owners and a good man to work with as well. He knows his stuff inside-out and he is very good to me.”

The 28-year-old (on December 2) has certainly benefited but so too has the man he is riding for.

They make a good team.

“He doesn’t really remind me of anyone but himself. You couldn’t really compare him to many people. He probably thinks outside the box and it’s going well for him.”

It’s going well for them both. We know Mullins’ propensity for defying convention and pitching Feronily into a Grade 1 in just his second race over fences, 16 days after his first – which in itself was a Grade 3 and a very good effort to be second – and six weeks after his first run over obstacles under Rules – a fourth-place finish in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Kelso - was right out of his playbook.

They wouldn’t have gone for it if they weren’t expecting a bold bid, however. Mullins doesn’t tilt at windmills. Bold manoeuvres are only countenanced if the odds of success are deemed to be good.

“You have to be hopeful the whole time. I know it’s a cliché about being positive and all that but he had a lovely run around Cork the first day behind Bachasson. Off that run we knew he had improved.

He jumps very well and obviously he done it well.

“Emmet talked me through the race beforehand and if things weren’t going in such a way that you wanted, you can think outside the box. He gives you confidence like that. It was straightforward though. He went down to the first and got into a lovely rhythm the whole way round.”

It was his best day in racing.

“The Grade 1 was a monkey on my back for a while. I rode in plenty of them but it was great going in with a live chance. To win then, it was a fantastic day.

“Ireland is so competitive. I would be great pals with Keith Donoghue. Keith has always been very, very good but he has got on the right horses the last two years and his career has certainly taken off. That’s what you need.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

“I am very grateful for the position I am in.

Without Emmet, I wouldn’t have a Grade 1 and I wouldn’t be riding some of the very nice horses I have got to ride. The owners are a big part of that too, that support you and are willing to have you ride their horses. Paul Byrne is a big part of the team obviously. He and Emmet are a shrewd combination and I am very thankful to them. So I’ll just keep the shoulder to the wheel and keep moving on.”

Meyler’s girlfriend, Niamh Rockett had a big year herself, as captain of the Waterford camogie team that reached the All-Ireland senior final for the first time since 1945. It didn’t go well against Cork, but that Rockett was on the verge of a rare, and possibly unique achievement, of adding a senior medal to intermediate and premier junior mementoes garnered as she contributed mightily to the Déise ascension up the ladder, is a testament to her skill and durability.

While the disciplines they are involved in are very different, having someone that close that understands the psychology of elite sport as well as the lifestyle decisions that need to be made to participate in that sphere, is helpful.

“Niamh has been with me now a while. She is a good woman to talk to. She knows the ins and outs of it… it would be about being mentally prepared for little potholes in the way. She is a good, supportive person to talk to.”

There are plenty of young horses to look forward to through Christmas and into the spring, while Mullins is always eyeing opportunities in other jurisdictions, particularly across the water, such as the three facile victories registered at odds-on by Slate Lane in Cartmel, Bangor and Newton Abbot.

Meyler was on board for the first two and Slate Lane looks like he might take high rank in a staying hurdle division that is in need of fresh blood.

“He has to be one that I would be looking forward to for sure,” Meyler agrees. “He is progressing nicely. There is a few youngsters in the yard that are yet to be named that are going all right. We will just see what Emmet does with them.”

And on the evidence of recent years, Meyler will look after the rest.

Meyler is grateful to Paul Byrne and Emmet Mullins for the opportunities they have given him

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Scots GAELS

DEREK FOX & STEPHEN MULQUEEN

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: GORDON BROWN

DEREK FOX

STEPHEN MULQUEEN

There is a distinctly Irish hue to the Lucinda Russell success story

L

ucinda Russell may be a proud, dyed-in-the-wool Scot but the Edinburgh-born trainer would be the first to admit that a lot of her big-race success in particular is due to a helping hand or two from Ireland.

Both her Grand National heroes, One For Arthur in 2017 and Corach Rambler earlier this year, were partnered by the redoubtable Derek Fox, while Stephen Mulqueen provided a Grade 1 triumph – his first the day before Corach Rambler’s National victory and is also a major cog in the wheel at her everexpanding Kinross operation, which now has a satellite yard in Herefordshire.

As well as being a very much hands-on senior jockey, Fox also helps train the yard’s increasing string of flat horses, with Mulqueen, who crossed the Irish Sea as a raw teenager, enjoying bringing on some of the younger equine talent.

With 150 horses on the scene and 130 of them being ridden out every day, it is has developed into a huge enterprise since Russell teamed up with Michael Scudamore, the son of her long-time partner and assistant, the eight-time former champion jump jockey Peter Scudamore.

So it looks like Fox and Mulqueen will be helping to write plenty more headlines in the weeks and months ahead.

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IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Gordon: What kind of background did you guys come from?

Stephen: I’m originally from Limerick. I went to the apprentice school in Ireland (RACE) and came across to Britain when I was just 16, before I’d even ridden in a race. I first went to Nicky Richards, then had a spell with Maurice Barnes, then onto Nick Alexander before moving down the road to join Lucinda. All great experiences really when you look back on it. My first ride in Ireland actually came at Punchestown in April when I got called up for Douglas Talking as Derek was about to have his shoulder fixed. He gave me a great spin and we were second to Willie Mullins’ Dinoblue.

Derek: I come from Sligo. I had ridden a fair wee bit in Ireland and I was down to my five-pound claim.

It was almost exactly ten years ago this autumn that I came over as a 21-year-old and went straight to Lucinda. I have a cousin called Steven Fox, who was there at the time, so I obviously knew him a bit.

Prior to that, I had also ridden one of two winners in Britain on Irish horses that were sent over so I knew all about riding round the likes of Carlisle, Hexham, Kelso and Perth.

Gordon: Tell us about that brilliant recovery from Spark Of Madness Stephen, in a chase at Perth in May 2022. Surely you never thought you could still win.

Stephen: Definitely not. I was debating about where I was going to land to be honest! It’s actually funny what you can conjure up when you think you are going to hit the ground. To be fair, once I got my balance back I knew I’d be okay although I kind of gave up any chance of running well as I was concentrating on getting him jumping.

It happened at the ditch, the second fence, as we had a slight coming together on landing and I actually jumped the next plain fence with both feet out the irons. My right iron got stuck behind the saddle so I just kicked the other one out until I got sorted - I found myself going back to my Pony Club roots! Quite eventful considering there were only three runners.

Gordon: You have been back and forth to America a bit this year.

Stephen: It all happened through one of my pals who was already over there and he mentioned it a few years ago if I fancied going. I initially said ‘no,’ but they were looking for someone again this summer so I thought that as things were pretty quiet I might as well give it a shot. I went out for three weekends and I rode three winners in that first stint so it was a good start. I must have created a decent overall impression because then I was asked to go back for longer and I ended up staying for nearly two and a half months. It’s been going well as I’ve started to get more outside rides and people asking me to keep coming back.

The prizemoney is ridiculously good, as you are talking about a maiden hurdle being worth fifty IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

grand. And, as a jockey, the main thing you would see is that all your expenses such as travelling, whether you be in the country or not, all get paid plus you get 10% of all the prizemoney. That aspect alone means it is different quality altogether. Far Hills put on a cracking card for their Grand National and Champion Hurdle meeting earlier this autumn and it was great to be involved even though I didn’t manage a winner. Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy stole the show with a treble!

Having given Fox his first Cheltenham triumph and followed up again last March, Corach Rambler went on to provide the Sligo native with a second Grand National

Gordon: You’ve been to the States as well Derek?

Derek: Yes I have. Graham Watters, who I know from when he was with Lucinda, is over there. I rode out there last year but, to be honest, I didn’t get on very good so we’ll leave it at that! I was back over in America this summer to see Graham and have a look around places like Nashville but I was still recovering from surgery so I didn’t do any riding.

Gordon: You got the shoulder sorted out.

Derek: It’s absolutely fine and healed up nicely. I had an operation earlier this year and so far, so good. It was the second year that I had a bit of a race against time to ride in the National but we made it both times. It was a broken wrist and a collarbone before One For Arthur and the shoulder leading up to Corach Rambler winning. Fingers crossed we have a clear run into the race this season.

Gordon: Do you enjoy bringing on what will hopefully be future stars Stephen?

Stephen: Very much so. For the last couple of years now I’ve been breaking in most of the youngsters that come into the yard. When the racing side is quiet it’s something else to focus on and keep you on the go.

Gordon: Derek, I hear you are quite involved with the flat side of things at Lucinda’s.

Derek: A friend of mine called Steven Kelly, who now lives with me, came over and he brought in

“The

prizemoney (in America) is ridiculously good… all your expenses are paid plus you get 10% of all the prizemoney” 75

DEREK FOX & STEPHEN MULQUEEN

Stephen Mulqueen has long been a key cog in the Lucinda Russell machine but was propelled to the limelight when piloting his first Grade 1 winner, on board Apple Away in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle – the race that also provided Fox with his maiden top-flight success

“I’d say it’s

the busiest and the best standard of horses I’ve certainly seen in my decade in the yard” 76

the first flat horses. Over the past few years I have started helping him out in the summer and it is a good interest to have. It’s mainly in the summer when we are a little quieter and it something that keeps us busy. It’s going pretty well as we had our first flat double earlier this autumn at Redcar and Newcastle and I enjoy it when time allows.

Gordon: Apple Away must have been some thrill to give you your first Grade 1.

Stephen: It was all a bit surreal to be honest. You were going to Aintree thinking that if she finished fifth of sixth she would probably have run a blinder. But, as it happens, everything kinda went to plan plus we had a bit of luck on our side. She could make some novice chaser this season.

Derek: We all school the horses in the mornings at Lucinda’s and we always discuss them and how they are for this, that and another so I made sure he knew what was ahead of him at Aintree.

Gordon: Some top jockeys have never got a sniff of Grand National success and you have won the great race twice! What are your memories of those two iconic Aintree wins?

Derek: One For Arthur was a brilliant horse. I remember riding him for that first time when he won at Kelso in October 2016 and I thought he’d go on to be very good. He also ran very well to finish a close fifth in the Becher Chase later that year and he was a horse that took a little bit of time to warm up into his races. Then he went on to win the Classic Chase in great style at Warwick early in the New Year so his National preparations were going like clockwork. Knowing his style of running, I had no problems dropping him out so far in the National. With a circuit to go I couldn’t believe how well he was going and he was jumping brilliantly and gaining a length or two at every fence. Coming to two out I knew we were going to get there with time to spare. It was a fantastic day - he was a IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DEREK FOX & STEPHEN MULQUEEN

The opportunities are sure to increase for Fox and Mulqueen as the Russell operation grows following the merger with Michael Scudamore

marvellous racehorse and I was very lucky to ride him. We were all very sorry to hear he had died from colic back in March of this year.

Corach Rambler was a different horse altogether.

He actually gave me my first Cheltenham Festival win in the 2022 Ultima Handicap Chase, and we went on to win it even easier this year! Cheltenham is very special as it is always a dream to ride a winner at the Festival. Thanks to Corach I have managed to do it.

He’s a completely different horse to Arthur and is very smart and clever in everything he does. This year at Aintree he travelled very well on the day so we could be up closer to the pace than had been the case in some of his previous runs. As well as travelling so strongly, he was also jumping tremendously well so I was confident on him. All the way round he was filling me with more and more confidence and did it very easily in the end. I felt as if I was just doing the steering as I just let him bowl along.

Gordon: Now Lucinda has teamed up with Michael, it’s a massive operation.

Stephen: It’s a big team, as it has to be with so many horses. The whole place is run very well. The days can be busy and people work hard as you respect Lucinda, Scu and Michael, as they are there grafting alongside you as well. When you see someone putting in as much effort as you it makes you want to work for them.

Training-wise it works well for that last Perth meeting, in late September, to fall so close to us and the owners being local so we maybe have the horses ready for the autumn a little bit sooner than IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

others. The training is pretty simple as everyone knows what they are doing and I’d say the schooling facilities are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Every aspect of the job is there, and covered, and they will all do plenty of schooling before they run but, providing all goes well, you probably wouldn’t concentrate on it too much after that unless a horse needed a little bit of a refresher.

Derek: They’ve done a great job buying young horses to come through. I’d say it’s the busiest and the best standard of horses I’ve certainly seen in my decade in the yard. It’s very exciting and there is a great atmosphere around the place. There is a whole lot to look forward to.

Gordon: Any other hopes and dreams for the campaign ahead?

Stephen: You want to be riding those good horses and winning these big races. For now if you stay fit and healthy and do the best by every horse you ride, trying to get as many winners as possible, I’d be pretty happy.

Derek: You always try and swap around and get a feel for different horses but Ahoy Senor is the horse I would ride consistently every day. Hank is great to look after and he’s given me some great days - he’s been an absolute superstar. He supplied me with my first Grade 1 win (at 66/1 in the 2021 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, the same race that gave Mulqueen his maiden top-flight success on Apple Away) so hopefully there will be plenty more to come. At the start of the backend he was our top-rated horse in training and he ran some race to finish a close second to Shishkin in the Aintree Bowl last season.

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Phoenix

KEITH DONOGHUE

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: MICHAEL VERNEY

The

Dark times brought by battle with the scales are a distant memory for high-flying Keith Donoghue

K

eith Donoghue had been a right-hand man to Gordon Elliott for half of his life having started there as a 14-year-old but the time came for a change, and he hasn’t even glanced in the rear-view mirror since then.

Donoghue had been a vital cog in the Cullentra wheel as Elliott built his racing empire but the Meath jockey felt the need to “try something different” and veer his riding career in another direction by going freelance.

“I’d been there 14 years and you can just get stuck in a rut, I probably was and I just wanted to try do what I’m doing now,” Donoghue says before outlining how he still visits Elliott’s to ride work one morning a week.

78

When he got the sniff that the ride aboard Delta Work might be up for grabs at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, he made sure to keep his foot firmly in the door before bagging his fourth winner at the Cotswolds, all in the same race.

“I had a little inclination that I might ride him in the Cross Country so I got myself back into Gordon’s a couple of mornings,” he chuckles. “But even when I left Gordon’s, I’d still be riding work for him in Skryne. I never completely stopped doing anything for him. I knew (Delta Work would) be coming spare when Jack (Kennedy) got hurt so it was a brilliant ride to get. I absolutely love the Cross Country race and Tiger Roll helped to put me on the map in it.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

KEITH DONOGHUE

Victory for Delta Work was the icing on the cake of a career-best season in the saddle where he notched 48 winners to bag fifth in the Irish jumps jockeys’ championship with a string of high-profile successes. That Cross Country triumph put him alongside Nina Carberry as the two most successful riders of that unique contest, having won it three times before on Tiger Roll.

Elsewhere, The Big Dog - sadly no longer with us - plundered the Munster National as well as the Troytown Chase before Final Orders scored at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival and doubled up at the Dublin Racing Festival.

“They are up there with five of the biggest winners I’ve rode and I had them all in one season so when you get them, you want more. I’ve had enough of the bad years that I want to strike while the iron is hot.”

His association with Gavin Cromwell, who he knew well from his hunting days in the Ward Union, has been a fruitful one for all involved and he continues to put his race planning nous into practice.

“I’m not officially first jockey but I definitely ride the majority of them. With my weight, I can’t be first jockey but obviously Gavin understands and he’s very good to me. We got on very well together. I’m in Gavin’s three days a week and I’ve a good relationship with him. I’m in a lot of WhatsApp groups for race planning and stuff like that so I’d still be doing the same type of thing as in Gordon’s, just not as much.

“In Gordon’s, I was nearly stuck just doing that and was more recognised for that. I still like that side of things, I like riding horses’ work, I love schooling horses and doing all that side of it and trying to find the good ones. When you find a good one and know they’re running in a few weeks, that’s a good buzz that you know this one is coming up so I’ve a good interest in that side of it still with Gavin. It kind of comes very easy to me.”

The Skryne native, a decent footballer in his younger days who lined out at junior level for the famous Royal club, was only nine off last year’s tally by mid-November and he never doubted his talent.

“To be honest, I probably can believe it. You don’t want to come across sounding cocky but I’ve never doubted my ability and it’s just about getting the chances and getting on the right horses. I’m tight with the rides I can get but I’ve had over 200 rides already this season and I definitely put in the work to get the winners. It’s been a brilliant year and I suppose when you get going like this, you want to keep it up.”

The bad days make the good times that much sweeter and Donoghue has had his fair share of the former. Standing six feet tall with a strong frame, he is not your typical jumps jockey. That caused him plenty of heartache, most famously missing out on a Cheltenham Festival winner in 2017 as his weight ran out of control and threatened to derail his career while still in its infancy.

While victory on the quirky Labaik in the 2017 IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle propelled Kennedy into the big time, Donoghue watched that race at home in what he regards as one of the worst days of his life. He always had faith in the enigmatic grey to deliver but he had lost his battle with the scales and the resulting sabbatical from racing was viewed by many, including the then 23-year-old, as the end of his career.

“I could have put on a stone in a day, I could sweat down to do 11-4 and I could be 12-4 the next morning. I was all over the place. You’re riding bad horses and you’re in bad form,” he says of that bleak period. “I probably wasn’t happy and you’re pigging out and doing everything wrong. Then, it’s all a vicious cycle and you’re in worse form than you were at the start. You’re down in yourself.”

Thankfully, everything in his life now smacks of balance and consistency and the weeks running over 60km to shed weight are a distant memory.

“I’d walk around at 11-7 or 11-8. I’ve enough experience at it now and I seem to have a good hold of it. Some weeks you’ll have good weeks and other weeks it’ll be shite, for no reason. Sleep is a lot to do with it and then mood that you’re in.

I do think since I’ve got going now and I’m happier that I’m doing well, my weight has definitely got better. It’s a lot easier to lose four or five pounds when you have good rides compared to doing it for a 200/1 shot.

“If I could do 11 stone, it would give me a lot more opportunities, there’s a big gap in that four pounds to 11-4. But I have to be realistic too. I tried doing 11 stone a few years ago and won a few three-year-old hurdles and it just killed me. My body just crashed so you have to maintain it. It’s like training a horse, you can’t gallop every day.

“I know there’s days there where I wouldn’t be able to do 11-4 and I’ll just say no and my body will come back right again. It’s all just about maintaining it. You have to eat and drink. Before, when you were starting off, you’d starve and sweat and do it the complete wrong way whereas now I can actually eat more because it’s balanced.”

Winning on Delta Work gave Donoghue a fourth triumph in the Cross County Chase after his treble on Tiger Roll, putting him alongside Nina Carberry, sister of his hero Paul, as the two most successful jockeys in the history of the race

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KEITH DONOGHUE Donoghue steered The Big Dog to victory in both the Munster National and the Troytown Chase, giving brothers Damian and Colin Kelly the thrill of a lifetime before the progressive chaser sadly lost his life to colic

“They are up

there with five of the biggest winners I’ve rode and I had them all in one season so when you get them, you want more. I’ve had enough of the bad years that I want to strike while the iron is hot” 80

The absence of saunas from racecourses is problematic for many, but Donoghue has a tailormade set-up at his base in Dunshaughlin that works a treat for getting him race-ready.

“I have a sauna at home and a hot tub, I have a treadmill under a heater in the shed too. I use the hot tub mainly, I have it outside and my dad put a roof on it so we’re well set up.

“I lose four or five pounds every day. I like going racing 11-4 or 11-5, even if I have a heavy weight, I like to go that weight. I feel fit and sharp at that weight, sweating makes me feel better.”

Nutritionist Paula Geraghty, wife of legendary jockey Barry, has been an “immense help” as he soars high in an occupation that he has always chased from childhood.

“I never done anything else. I left school when I was 15, I don’t know anything else. I failed the Junior Cert, I went to Scotland pony racing during my Junior Cert so I missed Irish and Geography.

From the earliest I can remember, I just wanted to be Paul Carberry. I looked up to him, he was like God to me and still is. I’ve no regrets about leaving school but if I could go back in time, I’d definitely have watched my weight a lot better from a younger age.

“All the information is there now for people whereas back when I was starting, I didn’t know any different. A few people would help you but you’re young and you know it all.”

Donoghue, who is a tasty runner and has the ambition of completing 5km in under 17 minutes, is one of the most popular jockeys in the weigh room and it’s easy to see why.

When we speak, he’s had a good day at Punchestown, bagging a winner - it could have been even better with two close seconds – but we get another insight into the unique life of a jockey.

Jockeys compete tooth and nail for every inch

on the track with winners the only currency that they know but there is a unique bond among everyone that saddles up as they know the dangers involved. Right now, Donoghue is far more worried about the well-being of fellow rider Kieren Buckley than anything else , so he makes sure his belongings are looked after with a trip to the hospital on the horizon after a nasty fall.

“Kieren was in my house sweating there this morning and I actually kicked him, his horse fell in front of me. It’s a mad game. Everyone else goes home so someone has to look after them, it’s mad all right,” he says.

Keith is not the only one in his family to have enjoyed a breakthrough period with his older brother Ian, a well-regarded pre-trainer based in Clonalvy, also notching his first winners since taking out his trainer’s licence. At 30, it feels like Donoghue has been around forever but what’s next for him?

“I just want to keep riding winners,” he replies instantly. “Obviously, I know that I’m never going to be champion jockey with my weight but just keep riding as many winners as I can and try to ride more big winners. I’d love more Grade 1 winners and more big winners.”

The Storyteller (Down Royal) and Hardline (Limerick) are his sole triumphs at the highest level to date and with horses like Antrim Coast and Redstone to look forward to this season and beyond, he could yet add to that tally.

“It’s all about finding the right horses and you never know on any day when you might come across the right one. You need to get in with different trainers and you never know what might come from that.”

The dark times are a distant memory for Donoghue. Now it’s all about making hay while the sun shines.

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New mindset, same goal GORDON ELLIOTT

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: RONAN GROOME

While the gap between him and Willie Mullins is considerable, Gordon Elliott is entitled to be very happy with how the rebuild of his operation has gone since his return from suspension

“Two or three

years ago, I was trying to make it happen, and I just maybe look at life a little bit differently now”

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IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

GORDON ELLIOTT

W

hen the final race was run in the 2022/23 jumps season, you’d be forgiven for thinking Gordon Elliott’s return for the campaign was underwhelming.

Perhaps there is a bit of recency bias at play because when the Willie Mullins bandwagon gets rolling at Punchestown these days, the Closutton handler has sole ownership of the spotlight as the curtain closes.

However, when you sit back and put it all together, the numbers Elliott put up last term tell a different story from his perspective. A total of 188 winners was his third highest ever seasonal tally in Ireland, while his 36 winners in Britain was his joint second highest. He had ten Grade 1 winners, three Cheltenham Festival winners and three Grade 1 winners at Aintree alone.

They are big numbers, a fabulous season by anyone’s metrics. So why does that underwhelming feeling still linger?

Perhaps because the standards at Cullentra House have gone so high due to past success.

Perhaps because Cheltenham has become the defining four days of every top trainer’s season and three winners there for Elliott is seen as below par. Or perhaps because we measure his success in line with that of his great rival.

It may well be a mix of all three but the latter suggestion holds the most weight for this writer.

After 17 straight champion trainer titles, the yearning for Mullins to have a bona fide challenger is always there. The mind casts back to the 2017 Punchestown Festival, captivated tenfold by a thrilling title race crescendo, the two trainers trading blows until Mullins pulled away on the final day.

The pursuit of Mullins needs to be perfect and so the six-month suspension Elliott served the season before last was a sizeable speed bump to his momentum.

Still, that episode could have ended his quest completely. Instead, he’s still fighting, reinvigorated by the experience, by the loyal group of owners who stuck by him, and by a team of staff who have rowed in when the going was at its toughest.

With that said, it’s not overreaching to suggest it was a life-changing turn of events, and the Meath man has a new perspective as a result.

Sitting in his owners’ room in Cullentra House, he reflects on his first full season since his comeback and where he is now in his own insatiable quest to be champion.

“I’m happy where I am,” he says, sitting back into his chair. “If you asked me before I got suspended, what’s the one thing I’d like to do in the world, it’s to be champion trainer, and I still want to be. I dream about it every night and I hope it happens someday but before I was trying to make it happen, now I’m going to try and let it happen.

“I’m just trying to train winners and keep doing the best for all my horses and all my owners, whereas before I was panicking every day, thinking ‘winner, winner, winner’. You might be IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

doing a bit more with horses than you should be, maybe running them more than you should.

“We’re still rebuilding. Obviously I lost a lot of horses and owners, through no one’s fault only my own, but I’ve kept my head down, I worked very hard through the whole thing. I think if I can keep going the way I am, if it doesn’t happen someday, I’ll be disappointed. I hope I still have a lot of years left in me training racehorses.”

It goes without saying, Elliott’s task of chasing down Mullins is a daunting one. The Closutton behemoth needed no second invitation to take full advantage of any give from his main rival. He surpassed €7m in prizemoney for the first time in Ireland last season, and a gap of €3.49m between him and his nearest challenger is the largest it has ever been in the last 11 years, ever since their sequence of finishing first and second in the championship began.

When you combine the prizemoney for both, they had enough to cover the next 31 trainers in the table, but the two-horse race was basically over at the halfway stage.

Elliott’s rebuild was never an overnight project, so it’s reasonable to expect further gains this season and next, notwithstanding that he is already producing serious numbers, with clear daylight again emerging between him and the chasing pack.

“To be honest, it looks like the bigger yards are getting bigger and the smaller yards are struggling a bit,” he picks up off the point. “I don’t know whether that is good or bad for the game, everyone has got their own opinion. I worked very hard for everything I have. I started with nothing.

Ten or twelve years ago, I had a very small number of horses but I’ve worked hard to get the whole thing going and of course I want to stay at the top.

“I’m probably just unlucky to be in the same era as Willie Mullins. It’s a bit like Richard Johnson and Tony McCoy, but Richard Johnson got there eventually. I’ve been second now to Willie for 11 years in a row. I think I am a bit unlucky to be born

Sire Du Berlais (Mark Walsh) secured the first leg of a famous CheltenhamAintree double in the Stayers’ Hurdle, with stablemate Teahupoo (Davy Russell) in third

“I’m probably

just unlucky to be in the same era as Willie Mullins. It’s a bit like Richard Johnson and Tony McCoy, but Richard Johnson got there eventually” 83

GORDON ELLIOTT “Gerri Colombe could be a big player in the Gold Cup”

“Davy couldn’t have gone out in a better way, he rode two Grade 1 winners (including Irish Point) and it was perfect”

84

in the same era as probably one of the greatest trainers of all time. All I can do is keep improving and trying to train winners. I’ll keep chasing him. If he keeps improving we all have to improve with him. I keep doing my best, that’s all I can do.

“But as I said, two or three years ago, I was trying to make it happen, and I just maybe look at life a little bit differently now. Still, all I care about is training horses, I don’t care about anything else, maybe Meath GAA and Summerhill, but nothing much after that.

“The pressure is always there. The phone is always ringing and sometimes you might forget to ring someone back but it’s not because you don’t want to ring them back it’s just there can be so many people pulling out of you at the same time.

“Listen, I’m so lucky to be in the position I’m in, I’d never give out about it, I love it. You learn a lot about life when you sit back and look at it. I definitely look at life a bit differently now. I love training horses. It’s my life. I definitely appreciate it more now.”

It says much about Elliott’s year that arguably the biggest story emerging out of Cullentra was

not that of the horses, but the jockeys. Jack Kennedy, riding as well as ever with a scarcely believable 77 winners to his name, would cruelly have his last ride of the ‘22/23 season on the first weekend of the year, when a fall from Top Bandit at Naas rendered him a fifth broken leg. Davy Russell had retired to massive fanfare just three weeks previously, meaning there was no senior jockey available to Elliott. Big decisions needed to be made but it was a simple call.

“I didn’t need to think about asking Davy to come back at all,” Elliott recalls. “I just felt it was the right thing to do. Obviously Jack was flying at the time. He was well clear in the championship and it looked like he couldn’t do anything wrong.

“Davy and Jack always bounced off each other but it was getting to the stage where Jack was getting that senior that if I didn’t make him first jockey, he might have been getting offers somewhere else. Davy was coming to the end of his career and Jack was right at the start of it. We discussed it and it was the right thing for Davy to retire but thankfully, he was only gone for a couple of weeks - when I rang him, there wasn’t much to think about.

“Look if Jordan (Gainford) and Sam (Ewing) had two or three more months under their belts, I wouldn’t even have thought twice about it but at that stage I didn’t think it was the right thing to do for them. They are two top-class jockeys but I didn’t want to throw them in at the deep end.

“I sat both of them down and spoke to them in the kitchen, there was no going behind their backs, and I still think it was the best thing they did because the two of them are far better jockeys for it.”

Suffice to say, while Russell provided Grade 1 success at Dublin Racing Festival, the return to Cheltenham didn’t go exactly as it would in a story book. Michael O’Leary very publicly questioned his decision to return which led to an awkward tension.

“Ah look it, Davy rode a few winners for us.

Cheltenham didn’t go ideal but that’s Cheltenham.

The ball didn’t bounce for Davy more than IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

GORDON ELLIOTT

anything, just getting beaten on Galvin by Delta (Work), Pied Piper was only beaten a head, Teahupoo was very unlucky for him. It was just one of those weeks really.

“Three winners at Cheltenham is not to be sniffed at. We were third in a Gold Cup, we had a heap of seconds. You could argue Gerri Colombe and Pied Piper would have won on another day. If we had five winners, it would have been an amazing week. But look, any day you come out of Cheltenham with a winner it’s brilliant because it’s so hard to win there.”

Russell slowly fading out of the game after Cheltenham didn’t feel right and Elliott wasn’t going to let it happen.

“Everyone thought it was over for him and I didn’t want it to finish like that. He has been part of my team for a long, long time. I asked him to come back for Aintree. I didn’t think someone like him who’s put so much into the game deserved to go out like that. He couldn’t have gone out in a better way, he rode two Grade 1 winners and it was perfect.

“We had a good Aintree again but I wouldn’t say it was a big pre-planned thing, or a change of the way we do things. We kept Irish Point back all right. Gerri was very good there but if he won at Cheltenham, we probably wouldn’t have gone to Aintree, so it’s funny the way things work. Sire Du Berlais is one of a kind (to do the Stayers’ Hurdle/ Liverpool Hurdle double).

“We’ve had a great season, ten Grade 1 winners again. We’re in a very lucky position. You’re walking around the yard and maybe we’re lacking a bit of firepower at the top end but we’ll get there, we’ll keep reinvesting and keep buying and trying to build the team back up.”

Undoubtedly the lowlight of the season was tragically losing the seriously talented Mighty Potter at Fairyhouse. The four-time Grade 1 winner had the jumping world at his hooves and was a devastating loss to the yard but perhaps provided a good case study into Elliott’s newfound perspective on life.

After reacting to Mighty Potter’s passing on Racing TV, Elliott received criticism on social media, largely concerning the attitude he had been perceived to show.

“I was more upset about losing the horse than anyone and I don’t know how it came across that I wasn’t. I didn’t feel like I’d said much too wrong but look, that’s social media, I didn’t lose much sleep over it. Anytime you lose a horse it’s devastating but at the same time, you see things happening around the world now, things happening to kids, and you just have to keep things in perspective.

“Look, it was a blow to Andrew and Gemma (Brown). It’s the first big horse they’ve had but unfortunately that is the game. They’re very good owners and have had plenty of luck so far.”

Elliott’s impact continues to go far and wide. In March, he trained his first Dubai Carnival winner Coachello. In October he sent out three winners on the American Grand National card at Far Hills, IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Saddling the likes of Coachello (Pat Dobbs) to win on the flat in Meydan and Calico among a treble with Jack Kennedy over jumps at Far Hills were considerable achievements in an outstanding year

New Jersey. In August he won his fourth Galway Plate in eight years through Ash Tree Meadow.

But while all those wins are big, it’s what happens inside of the jumps season ‘proper’ that carries the most weight for him. Gold Cup hope Gerri Colombe will lead a relatively young team of horses as he looks to gain back more ground.

“I love training winners,” he asserts. “We’re lucky enough, I’ve a good team behind me, good owners. The last five or six years we’ve trained over 150 winners every year. In Ireland that’s fair going. We’re trying to rebuild and regenerate all the time but we’ve got nice horses.

“Gerri Colombe could be a big player in the Gold Cup. Everything has to go right for him but he has done very little wrong so far in his career. I thought he showed a lot of the attributes you’d like to see in Aintree. A lot of people think he’s a mud lover but jeez, I thought he was very good in Aintree, the way he travelled and jumped on better ground. Hopefully he can continue improving this season, continue to get better.”

And on a macro scale, that’s the order of the day for Elliott.

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Bravery rewarded PADDY NEVILLE

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: EDWARD PROSSER

Paddy Neville and The Real Whacker left Ireland and in less than a year and a half, they were being feted in raucous Cheltenham celebrations

“I’ve done my own thing all my life”

I

t is an improbable turn of events worthy of a movie script. Horse bought at sale, owner doesn’t pay. Frustrated trainer. Plan to win point-to-point scuppered by Covid. Despairing trainer moves to England for fresh start. Horse comes good, wins at Cheltenham Festival. Now Gold Cup contender.

Welcome to the heartwarming story of Paddy Neville and The Real Whacker, whose ballsy frontrunning victory in last season’s Brown Advisory Chase showed that racing’s minnows can still occasionally outmanoeuvre the mega stables.

It was a success that resonated loudly in Limerick, where Neville spent the first 50 years of his life and Whacker’s colourful part-owner Davey Mann oversees a hospitality empire centred around Rathkeale.

Home for trainer and horse since late 2021 has been North Yorkshire’s spectacular moorland close

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to the Middleham training centre and, while an intrepid move at the time, it has brought no regrets. Whacker won on two other occasions at Cheltenham last season and the 20-strong stable fired in the winners, including a treble one afternoon at Catterick.

For Neville, who had taken a hit during the 2008 downturn, the onset of Covid and potentially similar financial consequences prompted him to make a change.

“It had become a struggle to get lowly-rated horses into races back home so I’d already started coming over more to the UK, particularly Scotland,” recalls the trainer, who operated from Askeaton in Limerick.

“The journey from my door to Perth Racecourse was 19 hours so doing it fairly regularly began to take a massive amount out of me. You’d be getting IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

PADDY NEVILLE

fairly wrecked from it. Then we had a couple of winners and I don’t know what I was thinking but I decided to move over.”

Neville, who hails from Ballysteen near his old stable, travelled on his own to Middleham to complete a deal on a yard but it fell through. His horses were already on the way so he found a number for Ann Duffield, who owned a nearby farm.

“I never knew Ann at all but called her and five minutes later I was at her place and she was showing me the gallops. She told me to bring the horses here and from that day to now we get on great. Things happen for a reason and it’s good I didn’t take the other yard as it’s fantastic for man and beast where we are.”

Despite having trained for 17 years in Ireland, he was frustrated by the many months it took the British Horseracing Authority to licence him in Britain, so he served as assistant to Duffield in the interim. That brought a victory for N’Golo, bought out of Willie Mullins’ yard, in Haydock’s valuable Swinton Handicap Hurdle while Whacker was set up for his brilliant novice chasing campaign.

The Mahler gelding, who turns eight in January, had been bought for €21,000 at the 2019 Goffs Land Rover Sale.

“I bought him for someone who’d asked me to get them a horse but your man didn’t pay. We got him ready to win a point-to-point, we’d done plenty with him and taken him off schooling.

Pointers at the time were making loads of money and he was just the athletic type that would have sold very well. Then Covid struck.”

Pointing was called off and Whacker had one educational run in Listowel before joining Neville’s team on a ferry across the Irish Sea as he sought his fresh start.

A Carlisle long-distance maiden hurdle was spotted in December 2021 and that’s when his home talents first transferred to the track. There were some hot shots from powerful stables in there but Whacker powered to a seven-length success.

He was sent off at 22/1.

“I’m not a gambler but he was 100/1 earlier in the day and I think I ended up having £100 each-way.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

He sprinted up the hill and it’s a tough track - for a young, green horse that was a massive step up.”

He was blown across the course by a headwind when still a good second in Doncaster’s Grade 2 River Don Novices’ Hurdle before a tilt at Cheltenham’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle was curtailed on the race day after the horse took a knock outside his stable.

His first chasing win came at Cheltenham in November 2022 before making all under new rider Sam Twiston-Davies to win the Grade 2 Dipper Novices’ Chase back at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day. After minimal sleep while his customers saw in 2023, Mann - sporting shades and decked out in Whacker’s red and white livery - was at Cheltenham to cheer in the winner and his involvement is an additionally poignant layer to the horse’s story.

“We were neighbours growing up. We played football, hurling and soccer so this is great,” recalls Neville, who himself was a Limerick hurler in his youth. Mann, a few years his senior and crucially owner of a car, was also the first person to take his future trainer racing at the old Limerick racecourse in Greenpark.

The Gold Cup closed a couple of days after the Dipper and Whacker was not only entered but under serious consideration for the race before connections decided to stick to novice company.

It’s rare for a smaller stable to make a dent in a Cheltenham Grade 1, but also for a winner to make all the running. Whacker did both when inflicting the only defeat in the career of hot favourite Gerri Colombe, one of Gordon Elliott’s biggest hopes at the 2023 Festival.

“I think the Brown Advisory ended up as nearly as good a race as the Gold Cup last season but I’ve no regrets about going for the novice race. The small Gold Cup first and then the big one!” jokes Neville.

“They were very disappointed with Gerri Colombe, some people said he got a bad ride but that was bull. He wasn’t able to go with The Whacker, your man on board did nothing wrong.

Our lad had been in front for so long that he was just starting to idle a bit. It’s a very hard thing to do

The celebrations continued long after Neville’s co-owners Bex Dennis and Davey Mann, with another co-owner Alan Duffus just behind them, led The Real Whacker into the winner’s enclosure

87

PADDY NEVILLE

Jumping for fun from the front puts The Real Whacker’s opposition under pressure over three miles and while a slight injury contributed to a below par effort in his seasonal return in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, a return to Cheltenham for the big one remains the primary target

what we did and we’d be better on decent ground.”

With family and friends in town, the traditional Cheltenham celebrations followed but the victory was also rewarding.

“It was a relief as well, the pressure really comes as the race approaches. Especially when you see the number Willie Mullins has in every race. I’ve done my own thing all my life, I’m small fry - Willie has champion jockeys riding out for him every day, his horses are expensive and we went there with a fellow that we were flat out to buy for 21 grand.”

There was no racing background in Neville’s own story. As a child, he fancied himself as showjumping legend, Eddie Macken when climbing aboard a neighbour’s working horse and progressed to riding out for local trainer Seamus Braddish. His point-to-point career brought just a few placings in the saddle but his attempts at training proved more successful.

Alongside he was running an electrical business with ten employees when the downturn of 2008 came and - like many - it was an era in which he took a huge financial toll.

“The building crash came and it was a disaster, we got done for a lot of money,. Builders disappeared and I spent 12 months working off for wholesalers I owed money to. So I decided to stick to the training.”

Some good performers followed including decent handicap chaser Nine O, classy mare Macville, from

The REAL Whacker Paddy Neville’s stable star is named after one of the most recognisable characters on Ireland’s racetracks, Eddie Daly, always known as The Whacker. On course early, Daly continues a family business started by his grandfather of setting up the stands for bookmakers ahead of their arrival.

“He’d be a good friend and I’d always have the craic with him,” says Neville. “I’d get to a meeting early enough when I have runners so you’d meet him and have a coffee. One day I said I’d call a horse after him and he said he’d be honoured.

“Then I told him I’d got one and I’m going to name it The Whacker.

That evening he called and asked if I could change the name to The Real Whacker. So that’s where it came from.”

The human Whacker is enjoying the attention. “He’s signing people’s race books at home and has become a celeb out of it! He’s in his 80s now but hopefully he might get to Cheltenham this time.”

88

whom her trainer has been breeding, and Rightville Boy, who was just touched off in the 2016 Kerry National - a race still on Neville’s bucket list to win.

But as he looks across the stunning Yorkshire countryside he has no regrets about crossing the water. Duffield and her husband George, the famed jockey, prove great landlords and Philip Makin trains in another barn on site. Neville rides Whacker himself each day and - in an era where the lack of work riders has become critical - he is delighted with a good, mainly Indian workforce, who also cook their boss a good curry.

A summer in a field locally saw Whacker strengthen up and has emboldened his connections’ confidence in a tilt at the Gold Cup in March. He finished lame on his seasonal debut in the Paddy Power Gold Cup as a result of an overreach but it wasn’t too serious. The King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day is under serious consideration before the big one.

“We might do the King George and I wouldn’t be afraid of running in that. It’s a good pot of money and there’s often a smallish field. It doesn’t matter which way round he goes - he’s won in Carlisle going right-handed and Cheltenham left-handed.

“If he runs at Christmas then that’s it, he won’t go again before the Gold Cup. But if it works out at Cheltenham this year we might give him a run after that, perhaps at Punchestown.

“I didn’t think last season’s Gold Cup was very strong and you could pick holes in a lot of them so we’ll see what comes along this time. The thing Whacker has going for him is that he’s been to Cheltenham and performed three times which not all of them do. I remember Beef Or Salmon, who’d beat all those good horses at Leopardstown but couldn’t repeat it at Cheltenham.”

Meanwhile, the horse’s cult following continues to grow. Thanks to Mann, Limerick’s hurlers were sporting ‘The Real Whacker’ red baseball caps after their latest All-Ireland triumph, while trips back to see family and friends are different now for the trainer.

“I was walking in the city of Limerick and there’s fellows roaring and shouting at you about The Whacker! It’s a great buzz for home.”

You sense there are more chapters to come in The Whacker’s enchanting story. It’s only a matter of time before those scriptwriters come calling.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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06/11/2023 17:48

JOHN GLEESON Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR

sorcerer’s

The

apprentice

John Gleeson hails the man who helped him deliver on the grandest stage

J

ohn Gleeson doesn’t speak like a young man that only finished second level education a few months ago but then then he has had more practice than the majority of lads his age of speaking to the media. Maybe his father being a staple of RTÉ’s racing coverage is a help too.

The success his talent has garnered certainly hasn’t gone to his head, however. There isn’t the slightest hint of him having notions. That’s a credit to him first and foremost but obviously to his parents, Claire and Brian too.

There would be other contributors also. Even though the 19-year-old never had an inclination towards self-importance, being grounded would have been a key element of the life education that blends with the riding lessons he has received since he was knee-high to a pony from the master trainer, and master gentleman, John Kiely.

It was almost incongruous to see the pair of them together after the Grade 2 triumph at Dublin Racing Festival that signposted the potential of A Dream To Share, bred by Brian and running in Claire’s colours, and then in securing the Champion Bumper double at Cheltenham and Punchestown, by which time JP McManus had bought the fiveyear-old Muhaarar gelding.

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Jockey and trainer, at wildly opposite ends of the career spectrum, separated by 67 years but bound together by mutual respect, modesty and a gift with horses.

Kiely, who now shares the training licence with his nephew Tommy, spoke glowingly of the teen.

Gleeson, in turn, reveres the man still known by his family as ‘The Kid’.

“Just an incredible man to be honest,” says Gleeson. “Completely in awe of him really. I grew up going into John’s with Dad on a Saturday and he is just so good to me. Starting off leading a horse up, to see him milking the cows and harrowing the gallop. He’s just an incredible man.

“The things I learned off him, it’s unbelievable and to start off with small things like that, getting up and travelling around and having my first canter inside there. To get the whole way to Cheltenham with John, to get that far with him was just incredible. It was dream stuff really and I can’t thank that man enough for what he has done for me and what he is still doing for me.

“When I go in there I still pick up something new from him… a complete gentleman really. I really do appreciate every day I have with him. He’s just a great man.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

JOHN GLEESON

“He is an incredibly versatile horse… his class came out and got him through it”

If you want to break it down, not complicating matters is at the core of the Kiely way. Old school values.

“He always fills me with confidence. He always said that to me, ‘Keep it simple.’ And then it’s just manners, doing the basics right and work as hard as you can.”

They always liked A Dream To Share, named presciently by Claire, and he was aimed at the bumper route rather than the flat to give her son a decent conveyance.

“John Kiely has done a marvellous job with him really. He didn’t rush him at all and gave him all the time he needed. He brought him along slowly. He always seems to have done things easily at home.

John doesn’t really like to ask them at home. He looks to keep them on the bridle. Going to Tipperary (in May 2022), we were hoping for a nice run and he went there with all the allowances. We thought whatever he did that day he was going to come on a pile for it. What he did was very impressive and to do it all on the bridle.”

Visually at least, Roscommon was not as eyecatching the following month.

“Roscommon was a learning curve for both the horse and the rider,” Gleeson explains, with a rueful smile. “I hadn’t ridden Roscommon too many times.

I dropped him a good bit back and asked him to do a lot of work up the straight so I think he got me out of a bit of a hole that day. I think the horse learned a lot from it as well even though he still got there nice and cosy in the end.”

Then came Leopardstown when he sped past Fact To File in a “very special” performance that copper-fastened Cheltenham as a destination. The rain that came at Prestbury Park was a concern though. Also, Gleeson would be donning the most famous livery in jumps racing for the first time, on the biggest stage, getting legged up on the favourite.

“Mr McManus told me to go out and ride it like he was my own. As a competitor, it was more selfpressure to achieve the best. There was no pressure IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

from anyone else.

“The rain was more of an unknown than a worry.

His half-brother, Raise You always liked a bit of juice in the ground. I walked the track the morning of the race and I was a bit worried because it was quite gluey and sticky. We got a couple of showers and I ran the track about an hour and a half before the bumper and I thought it was after loosening out a small bit. That gave me a bit more confidence that he would go through it.

“I just think he is an incredibly versatile horse. I think his class came out and got him through it.

“Me and John had a good discussion on what we were going to do and Patrick (Mullins, riding second favourite Fact To File) knows his way around there very well. It was only my second spin around there and I was still new to it all. We were just happy to ride him three-quarters of the way back and try and pick out the nicest ground (out wide) with Patrick in sight. It just worked out lovely and I got a nice tow off Patrick the whole way around. When you find someone like Patrick you are usually not too far wrong.”

The feeling on passing the post?

“Indescribable really. You can only imagine winning a race at Cheltenham. Hard to believe it happened, still even. I get great joy watching it back still. Everyone watches Cheltenham. It is the Olympics of the sport. To have a winner there was just incredible really. Still hard to believe to be honest.

“I got great support from everyone at home. The horse racing game is well steeped in County Waterford. I got a great kick out of everyone at home getting a great kick out of it. It was brilliant.”

The campaign ended with a gutsy victory in Punchestown, going eyeball-to-eyeball with Tullyhill before pulling away in the final 100 yards.

“It was a different race in Punchestown to ride. A lot more tactical than Cheltenham. A much smaller field. We ran a really strong gallop that day and the pace didn’t drop at all. He held up the whole way.

He had to dig deep and show his class that day. I still think he was so impressive the way he put his head down and galloped the whole way down to the line.”

A Dream To Share is favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle even though his debut over obstacles has been delayed by a slight setback but Gleeson reports that with a clear run, he should be back in action early in January.

As for himself, Gleeson has started a two-year course in auctioneering. It doesn’t preclude him turning professional at some point either but the weigh room is not renowned for its security, so having something else in the back pocket makes sense.

“I am very lucky. I am getting a lot of support from various trainers and owners. I said I would definitely kick on straight into doing a course like this instead of doing a gap year. I would rather have it under my belt. What I will do, I am not sure because I am quite happy at the minute and I am getting nice rides so I will keep going and working hard. Whatever will be will be.”

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Double Green Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS & HEALY RACING • Words: HARRY ALLWOOD

THE BOYS IN

Given their colours, it seems only appropriate that Simon Munir and Isaac Souede have now based most of their horses in Ireland

All smiles for Sein Souede, Anthony Bromley, Simon Munir and Isaac Souede after Zarak The Brave and Paul Townend’s success in the Galway Hurdle (CN)

92

T

he double green colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede have become a formidable force in Ireland over the past couple of seasons and the high-profile owners are eager to continue their growing presence.

El Fabiolo, Impaire Et Passe and Blue Lord provided them with Grade 1 glory on four occasions in Ireland last season, with the first two of the Willie Mullins-trained trio also scoring at Cheltenham, and the enthusiastic pair have developed an immense passion for Irish racing

following some memorable moments at the biggest festivals.

Munir and Souede deservedly won the ITM Overseas Award at this year’s Irish Racehorse Owners’ Awards, and while they still have a powerful team of horses elsewhere, perhaps appropriately given their livery, the squad on these shores has become noticeably stronger.

Souede is based in Manhattan and Munir lives in Monaco, but the shrewd businessmen both enjoy travelling over to Ireland. Their operation is IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

ANTHONY BROMLEY

managed successfully by long-term racing manager and successful bloodstock agent, Anthony Bromley. Bromley is responsible for purchasing the majority of the horses and he continues to ensure their team goes from strength to strength.

“Their operation is still a three-pronged attack in England, France and Ireland, but the focus has been on Ireland more over the past couple of years due to the success they’ve had with their Irish trainers,” explains Bromley.

“Simon and Isaac have embraced going racing in Ireland, as well as having their horses based there, so it goes hand in hand. They really enjoy it.

They’ve been made to feel very welcome by the knowledgeable racing public over there, and they have attended the Dublin Racing Festival for the past couple of years, as well as Galway and Punchestown for a number of years.

“Policies can always alter but, at the moment, they’re very happy with Irish racing, which provides a good service, solid prizemoney and good festivals.

“Simon and Isaac also attended the Irish Racehorse Owners’ Awards this year to collect their award, which was well received, and they both thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.”

Apart from the aforementioned Grade 1 triumphs, Zarak The Brave also provided Munir and Souede with Galway Hurdle glory in August.

The team have around 20 horses in training with Mullins now, with last season’s smart bumper performers Fun Fun Fun and It’s For Me also included.

Mullins has regularly produced graded winners for the pair but last season was their most successful together. All 15 of the horses that ran under the champion trainer’s guidance won.

Readin Tommy Wrong made it 16 at the very beginning of the current term.

“Simon and Isaac go back years with Willie, and they’ve had two or three in training with him for over ten years now. Gitane Du Berlais was sent to Willie’s as a three-year-old in 2013, and she was one of the standout horses they had with him in the early days, so it has grown from there, really.

It has been a very successful liaison with Willie, but it has not happened overnight, and it has built up over the years.

“They have got some lovely horses with Willie now, including the three Grade 1 winners – Blue Lord, Impaire Et Passe and El Fabiolo - who all have some big targets this season. They have also got a lot of nice novices to go to war with, as well as some unraced youngsters who could be anything.”

Numerically, Munir and Souede have most of their horses with Stuart Crawford, who is assisted by his brothers, Ben and Steven. Munir and Souede will have around 30 horses in training with the Antrim trainer this season. The Crawfords run a successful operation and regularly produce and educate top performers for Munir and Souede who send an abundance of youngsters to their yard each season before moving a lot of IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

them onto the likes of Mullins, Joseph O’Brien, Nicky Henderson or Alan King.

It’s For me is a good example, the smart bumper performer of last season winning a point-to-point under Crawford’s watch before then being relocated to Closutton.

“The reason for sending the youngsters to Stuart is to go a step back in the process, rather than buying horses with form all the time, which are very expensive. We like to buy a bunch of youngsters, try them out with Stuart, and move the cream to Willie Mullins, or Joseph O’Brien.

And possibly to England, too. That’s the reasoning behind that. Go a step back, buy them at a cheaper level, and try a few out.

“Myself, Simon and Isaac thoroughly enjoy the family-run outfit at the Crawfords’, who are particularly good with young horses, and they are embracing it all plus they work really hard. Some of the horses do stay with them, though, and the Crawfords have done well with some of their chasers. They have also got a few nice prospects that haven’t been moved. They can easily bring horses over to run in Scotland or the north of England, too, so that works out quite well.”

The number of horses Munir and Souede have in training with O’Brien has increased this season too, and they now have an abundance of potentially smart prospects with the leading Irish handler.

“We have found Joseph to be very professional, and he can do both jobs (training flat and jumps horses). Simon and Isaac now have a good-size number of flat horses with Joseph, as well as a few dual-purpose ones, and he’s also been sent a few from the Crawford yard. Joseph has a few three-year-olds, who had been running on the flat for him, that are going to go juvenile hurdling this winter too, and we also sent him nine flat yearlings who could be anything.”

Another important member of the team is retained rider Daryl Jacob, who has a close relationship with Munir and Souede. The Grand National-winning jockey had 38 rides for the team in Ireland alone last season, which included five winners for Mullins – high-profile Grade 1s on Blue Lord and El Fabiolo among them - two for Crawford and one for O’Brien.

The Wexford native also spends a lot of his time riding Munir and Souede’s horses in their work at home to provide vital feedback to the team, and it will be the same scenario again this season.

“With more horses being trained in Ireland, Daryl is spending extra time over there and riding out more frequently, especially at the Crawford yard, which is a big help. We have a WhatsApp group chat and Daryl regularly posts updates on horses he rides work on to keep us informed.

“Daryl is a very important cog in the whole team and is very committed. This is his tenth season riding for Simon and Isaac, and it has certainly added to their enjoyment and pleasure of owning a string of horses because they’ve got a jockey who knows the horses very, very well.”

“Their

operation is still a threepronged attack in England, France and Ireland, but the focus has been on Ireland more over the past couple of years due to the success they’ve had with their Irish trainers”

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ANTHONY BROMLEY

Daryl Jacob has been spending more time back on his native sod as the operation focuses increasingly on Ireland and the greeting he received from Souede (above) as well as Munir, Bromley and Willie Mullins after El Fabiolo had provided him with Grade 1 glory at the Dublin Racing Festival spoke volumes (CN)

“We’re

trying to get 100-rated performers on the flat, and festival contenders over jumps” 94

Although Jacob is their retained rider, Paul Townend has first choice on the horses trained by Mullins. As evidenced by the victories at Leopardstown’s Christmas festival and the Dublin Racing Festival however, the strength in depth at Closutton is such that there is always a good chance Jacob will have the opportunity to ride some of their leading players on the big days.

“Daryl will try and ride as many as he can in Ireland, and he’ll ride all of the Crawford horses, but Paul Townend has first dibs on Willie Mullins’ horses. That’s always been a thing with Willie. It was the same when Ruby Walsh was there. Paul is

at the yard all of the time, and that’s just the way it is with Willie’s team. However, if Paul doesn’t ride them, Daryl will.”

Grade 1 winners El Fabiolo and Impaire Et Passe, the leading lights among Munir and Souede’s battalion, have lofty targets again this season.

The latter is set to stay over hurdles and is likely to take on the mighty Constitution Hill at some stage, but that is an assignment the team are not running scared of. Bromley warns that targets could change of course, depending on how they fare en route to the Cheltenham Festival.

“At this moment in time, the main aim for El IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

ANTHONY BROMLEY

Fabiolo this season is the Champion Chase, with Impaire Et Passe going down the Champion Hurdle route, but if one of the trials ahead of Cheltenham suggest they need to go up in trip, then they will. If they keep winning at the minimum trip, then they stay at the minimum trip.

That’s how Willie likes to play it.

“We don’t expect Impaire Et Passe to beat Constitution Hill, but we’d only have to meet him once, and Constitution Hill has got to turn up in March as well. A lot of things can happen between now and then.”

Interestingly, despite accruing a powerful team in both codes, Munir and Souede avoid purchasing horses for huge sums of money compared to other high-profile owners. Impaire Et Passe was bought for €155,000 from France, and that would be a typical purchase for the team.

They also occasionally breed their own horses, and Munir and Souede are keen to continue playing the “numbers game” in the hope that they can unearth a potential star from a bunch of horses.

“They certainly aren’t playing at those top end prices. I buy most of Simon and Isaac’s horses, and the horses purchased come from various different routes. We’re always examining other angles, and trainers can suggest horses as well. We’re very open-minded about the policy.

“They do understand that it is a numbers game, especially as you need a bit of luck. The risks attached to any jumpers are high and putting all your eggs in one basket with a very expensive horse doesn’t really appeal to them.

“The breeding side of things has sort of happened and it hasn’t been a big plan. It was just that Simon and Isaac had some very good mares and had a lot of pleasure racing Une Artiste, who won the Fred Winter a few years ago. Thankfully, she’s bred quite a few winners. If they’ve got Raffles in their name, then they’re a homebred from France. A few of them have done well, including Fusil Raffles, who won a Grade 1 at Punchestown for us.

“We will always want to replenish the team at the end of each season too, so we’re always keeping an eye out for new horses.”

Although Munir and Souede enjoy their horses running at the biggest festivals, especially when they are in attendance, they are open-minded about which races their horses participate in.

“I do get involved a lot in the race programming, but we work in conjunction with the trainers,” explains Bromley. “Simon and Isaac enjoy discussing targets for horses, but they do allow the professionals to lead. They are firm believers that the horses run in races that suit them best. There’s no pressure on that side of things, which is very refreshing, and that’s an important factor.

“We’re trying to get 100-rated performers on the flat, and festival contenders over jumps. That is what my remit is. The jumps is success-related, and the flat side of things will be done more commercially because there’s a good secondIRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

hand market for stock, and selling one good flat horse could pay for all the yearlings purchased in a year.”

And while glory at the big festivals in Ireland, and success at the Cheltenham Festival, are key aims for the Munir and Souede team over jumps, there is one race they are dreaming of winning one day.

“I think having a Cheltenham Festival winner is the number one goal for any owner, but the Grand National at Aintree is another carrot that looms large for them. That’s one of the big targets we haven’t hit yet, and Bronn is their potential Grand National contender for this season.”

Finally, Bromley lists a trio of names for which there are high hopes in the year ahead. All three are trained by Mullins.

“Two good bumper horses from last season that we’ve got big hopes for are Blizzard Of Oz, who finished second in a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree, and Readin Tommy Wrong, who won two bumpers in May. They are two pretty exciting youngsters. We’re also looking forward to seeing Hunters Yarn over fences this season.”

Allied with the considerable firepower already at their disposal, it could be a year like no other for the Double Green.

Stuart Crawford has become an integral part of the team, providing the early education for many of the horses before some, though not all, decamp to the yards of Willie Mullins, Joseph O’Brien, Nicky Henderson and Alan King among others (HR)

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WARREN EWING

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: IAN GAUGHRAN

Renewing acquaintances with his brightest star at Cheltenham, along with Barry Geraghty (right)

Constitution STRONG

Warren Ewing on producing a superstar racehorse and a son with the talent to reach the same level

W

hat will it take for Constitution Hill to cement his position among the greats?

Following his Champion Hurdle demolition job and Aintree romp it almost seemed as though there was nothing left to do as a hurdler – to be classed among the immortals, the son of Blue Bresil must prove just as unbeatable over fences.

“Istabraq won three Champion Hurdles, and most people have him down as the best ever,” says

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Warren Ewing. “I don’t think there’s any real need for him to go chasing at all. But if he does, I’ve no doubt he’ll be just as good over fences.”

Ewing knows Constitution Hill as much as anyone. £16,500 was the price when he and former champion jockey Barry Geraghty bought him as a foal. Money incredibly well spent.

The Ewing name in Belfast is synonymous with fish – for over 100 years the family business has traded in Belfast, with a reputation as the best

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

WARREN EWING

fishmongers around. The Ewing Family Fishmongers website home page reads that “they are real craftsmen with a commitment to quality that guides everything they do”.

Warren, with a stable of about 25 young horses at home, still runs that business alongside his father Walter and brother Crawford. The same principals apply and he places great stock in reputation when buying, producing and selling horses.

That commitment to quality is there for all to see with Constitution Hill. Since his debut success, by 14 lengths from Might I, himself a Grade 1-placed operator, he has run six times, all at the highest level, all impressive wins.

Ewing always knew it could be this way, even if he probably couldn’t have foretold it that he had his hands on one of the so-called greats.

“We bought him as a foal obviously, and I was fond of his pedigree at the time. He was out of a King’s Theatre mare and we had been lucky with them, and a friend of mine – actually a mentor really – Wilson Dennison had a Blue Bresil horse in his yard who I liked,” says Ewing.

“Barry said to me that we’re going to look at this one and I was excited, but in our job you kind of need to stay in fashion. You know, if you’ve a sire out of fashion it’s a hard sell so either you start a new fashion or you pay good money.

“You look at Walk In The Park and Blue Bresil now because of Constitution Hill. Even that winner of Gordon Elliott’s today out of Walk In The Park (Down Memory Lane at Down Royal on Champion Chase Day) looked a machine – they become fashionable off the back of good progeny so for me I need to try staying ahead of the curve.”

When buying a superstar in the making, clearly the Ballyclare man knows a thing or two. So many graduates of Bernice Stables are advertising his eye and his ability to bring youngsters along. Better Days Ahead was sold for £350,000 at Cheltenham in March 2022 after winning his maiden point-topoint at Lisronagh and is just one example of an exciting prospect, for Bective Stud and Gordon Elliott. More recently, Saint Kristobal realised £155,000 at Cheltenham in November and is bound for Paul Nicholls, having impressed when scoring at Tattersalls the previous month. So what makes one stand out over another – what does Ewing look for in a Constitution Hill?

“I would look for a good, athletic horse, one that uses its whole body when moving – they need to have a good squiggle to them. A nice, kind head, a good eye and a good ear – there are lots of different things all put together. Attitude is also very important, for obvious reasons.

“You can really tell – some foals at the sales could be good going buck mad so that’s not a good start, others would be going mad in the box.

Maybe at times it’s what you’re not looking for, in a sense!

“With Constitution Hill, he was always very laidback and relaxed – you can actually see that in how he races – but Barry had him in his place until he was three years old and then broke him.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

“There was a bit of a worry, though. I remember Barry ringing me up one day and saying, ‘Jaysus, I don’t know about this one – he’s lifeless,’ when he was cantering him by himself. And I know he still is very laidback.

“But then the first day we rode him with another horse, it was another story altogether. You couldn’t feel him in the deep sand, he just floated over it. It was pretty instant speed and it was instant in our minds. That, ‘Whoa, we’ve got a right one here,’ kind of feeling.”

Fast forward a touch and, with everything having gone to plan, it was time for Constitution Hill to race. The conversation turns to his run for Ewing in a point at Tipperary.

“I knew this was coming,” he laughs. “I’m the one who got him beat!”

In Ewing’s defence, Constitution Hill ran a cracker, extending towards the last under Ben Harvey. Unfortunately, he missed the stride and dived at it, with Harvey almost going out the side door, back door and even the boot. In his defence, it was a super sit to even stay on. Constitution Hill, despite rallying, was beaten a head.

“I blame the jockey,” Ewing says, tongue firmly lodged in cheek. “To be fair to Ben, I don’t know how he stayed on board. The other one got a couple of lengths on him but he ended up only beaten a head.

“In hindsight there was something wrong with him, he came in almost drunk. He fell apart badly after it – his weight fell off and he was way off, obviously that wouldn’t be normal. And when he got to the sales he looked terrible, otherwise he would have fetched a lot more.

“We had sold Brain Power to Michael Buckley, a Grade 1 horse, and Barry had told Michael how much he felt about the horse too.

“A lot of it is down to trust too and you take a lot of pride in building your reputation – you can’t sell duds. But you never know what they could do and clearly this lad was different class to pretty much everything else – on our three-and-a-halffurlong woodchip gallop we never got him off the bridle – literally nothing could touch him.”

The rest is history – Sandown novice, Tolworth, Supreme by 22 lengths, Fighting Fifth easily, Christmas Hurdle easier, Champion Hurdle as he liked followed by the Aintree win.

Instantly into the conversation about being a

“What makes me most proud (about Sam, left) is the fact that he works so hard, which makes him so deserving of his success”

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WARREN EWING

Better Days Ahead is another graduate of Bernice Stables that was sold for £350,000 after winning his point-to-point maiden at Lisronagh and he looks to have a promising future for Bective Stud and Gordon Elliott

“If you’ve

a sire out of fashion it’s a hard sell so either you start a new fashion or you pay good money” 98

generational talent and the best ever, but also instantly into the conversation turned to jumping fences. The dream scenario surely would be to emulate Dawn Run and become a Champion Hurdler as well as a Gold Cup hero?

“Look, Nicky Henderson knows a thing or two about top-class horses and he says he’s his best ever,” continues Ewing. “Hopefully it’s a long time before he is ever beaten – if he is ever beaten.

Listen, he could have gone jumping a fence, he’s a super jumper bar that mistake at the last in Tipperary. He was always brilliant to jump. Scopey, fast, economical – he has it all. But Nicky’s probably right, why not go down the Champion Hurdle route again seeing as though he’s still only six years old?

“The world is his oyster, he can do whatever he wants. You could drop him in last and try him for a trip – they’ve never really done that. And it takes a bit of a stayer to stay two miles at the speed he goes anyway but long may it last. He’s phenomenal to watch and I’m very proud to watch him. It’s great to be a part of it.

“Regardless of all this talk of him having to win chases or Gold Cups to be the best of all time – to win a Champion Hurdle three times will put him there with Istabraq, who is many people’s best ever.

So maybe he can go and win four to put it beyond any question.”

The next crop are already making their way to the sales and Ewing is hoping for some positive

transactions but there is a dream scenario – produce one that ends up with son Sam on board in a championship race at the Festival in March.

“Yes, obviously it would be the perfect situation – a Champion Hurdle contender or a Gold Cup fancy that we produced at home that has Sam on board.

“I wouldn’t mind – I never used to watch him ride and be nervous but since he’s had those couple of injuries I do get nervous. Everyone has him down as the new kid on the block and he’s obviously in Gordon’s just behind Jack in the pecking order alongside Jordan Gainford.

“But what makes me most proud is the fact that he works so hard, which makes him so deserving of his success. He puts the work in every day in different yards and he is now reaping the rewards.

He’s riding a lot for Noel Meade and Peter Fahey too, as well as Gordon, so long may it continue.

“He’s been schooling my pointers since he was about ten years old so I suppose national hunt was always going to be his bag and being surrounded by the likes of Derek O’Connor and Jamie Codd on the point-to-point circuit wasn’t a bad thing either.

“Paul Carberry is a good friend of mine too and has always given Sam advice and tips – which is great – but there’s only so much of that which will get you there – he really is a fantastic worker and always wants to learn. That’s what will hopefully get him where he wants to be. It would be fantastic.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

February Sale

February 1 - 2 Horses/Fillies in Training, Broodmares & Yearlings

March Sale

March 27 Horses/Fillies in Training, Point-to-Pointers, Broodmares, etc.

Craven Breeze Up Sale April 15 - 17

Guineas Breeze Up & Horses in Training Sale May 1 - 2 Two Year Olds & Horses in Training

2024 SALES DATES

June Sale

June 4 Horses/Fillies in Training, Point-to-Pointers, Broodmares, etc.

July Sale

July 9 - 12 Horses/Fillies in Training, Broodmares, etc.

Summer Sale

July 26 Horses/Fillies in Training, Point-to-Pointers, Broodmares, etc.

Somerville Yearling Sale

September 2 - 3 Featuring the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes & £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes

September Sale

September 10 Horses/Fillies in Training, Broodmares, etc.

October Yearling Sale

Book 1 October 8 - 10 Europe’s Premier Yearling Sale Featuring the £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus Book 2 October 14 - 16 Book 3* October 17 - 18 Book 4* October 19 *Featuring the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes

Autumn Horses in Training Sale

October 28 - November 1 The World’s Largest Horses in Training Sale

November Sale

November 7 Horses/Fillies in Training, Point-to-Pointers, Broodmares, etc.

December Sale

Yearlings November 25 Foals November 26 - 30 Breeding Stock December 2 - 6 Broodmares, Fillies/Horses in Training, etc.

T: +44 1638 665931 sales@tattersalls.com www.tattersalls.com

Brianstorm BRIAN HAYES

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: PATRICK MULLINS

Unlike the hero of the Arctic Monkeys classic, little has come easily for Brian Hayes but his name is now on the Cheltenham weigh-room wall

“ It was a meeting to remember for 17yo Brian Hayes who produced a most outstanding riding performance on

Insan Lady, impressively winning by 25 lengths. Hayes… is a secondary student at Mary Immaculate College and has spent the last two years with trainer Thomas O’Leary at Clonakilty.” - Irish Examiner, June 3, 2006

B

rian Hayes is from West Cork. He is 34 now, of medium height. The hair is speckled grey.

He’s been a jockey for 17 years. Doesn’t smoke, doesn’t drink, not even tea or coffee. He drinks pints of milk, which he’ll order even in

100

fancy restaurants. And he’ll usually get it. He likes his chocolate from the fridge, a Yorkie preferably.

He drives a 142 dark grey Audi. And since March this year, he is a Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BRIAN HAYES

Patrick: You’re from Rosscarberry. It’s GAA country.

Neither your father nor mother are into horses. How did you get going?

Brian: I liked showjumping from watching the RDS. It wasn’t racing that interested me. I got some lessons and there’s a fair every year down home and I asked Dad could I get a pony. Firstly he said no, but eventually he said yes. I was about nine or ten. We bought it for £140, with a bridle. We’d a half-acre behind the house so we left it out there.

We didn’t have a clue. We couldn’t even put the head collar on her!

Patrick: How did you get into racing?

Brian: I was in transition year. My friend Mennis told me he had a cousin, Thomas O’Leary, and he told him I’d be down for work experience. And I didn’t want to go! But I went down anyways, and he was training Scarthy Lad and Newmill at the time. I did a week’s work experience and kept going back.

Patrick: How did you end up moving up the country?

Brian: Thomas said anyone who’s ever done anything in racing has gone to Jim Bolger’s, so I did a summer there. Martin Harley was there at the time and he told me I should try get into Shark (Hanlon)’s as he might have rides. So, the following summer I rang Shark, but he told me, “Don’t come up, I’ve staff coming out my ears.” So, I left it two weeks and I rang him again and he said, “I’ve no room for you, and nowhere to put you either!” So, then I rang him again a few weeks later and said I’d work for free and he said “Sure, come on up so.”

But he paid me the first week. I rang Willie (Mullins) too, but he’d told me to ring the secretary and I never did. But it probably worked out for the best.

Thomas also told me to go to Michael Bowe too, it was the time of Limestone Lad and Solerina. So, I looked up his address and tipped over there one afternoon into the yard. And he was walking down IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

on a horse and I asked him could I ride out for him some days. And he said, “No bother. Can you ride?”

(Laughs) And when I said I could, he asked did I want to ride one now? And I’ve been riding out for him ten years now. I rode my first winner for him on Sweet Kiln. He’d told me to have my feet out of the irons at the start but the starter let us go before I had my feet back in. So, I was mid div instead of making the running! Luckily, we won a neck so it was all okay. Michael actually gave her to me a few years back, and I’ve three foals out of her now.

“She got in real deep to the last, landed awkwardly and lost a bit of momentum and Paul passed us and I thought, ‘Oh no I’m going to get beat’”

Patrick: When did you turn professional?

Brian: I was in college Monday to Thursday that winter, construction management, and I’d work in Shark’s Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And Shark had plenty of runners going into that summer and he asked me to turn and I did. From very early on, I was very much of the opinion that it doesn’t matter how good you are, contacts are so important. You need to be riding for the right people.

Patrick: Who did you try to learn from?

Brian: When I was an amateur I was obsessed with Derek O’Connor. I used to love the way he used sit on a horse. I used think he was the best rider on heavy ground, the way he’d hold them together, sit against them, support them. You’d be down in Dromahane, season after season, and he’d be out the back, pop around and then the commentator would say, “And Derek O’Connor puts on his indicator,” and he’d go past everyone. I used to get all the videos and watch Derek.

And then (when I turned pro) it changed to being obsessed with Ruby Walsh and the way he used sit.

I thought there was similarities there. How he’d hold a horse. Was very into Ruby. Then it was Ruby and Davy Russell. Thought Russell was unbelievable on a horse, but he was different. He’d have a looser rein, horses relaxed for him. Davy would ride more on top of the horse, less contact.

Loved reading (Richard) Dunwoody’s book too.

Couldn’t get over his drive. His work ethic.

“From very

early on, I was very much of the opinion that it doesn’t matter how good you are, contacts are so important”

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BRIAN HAYES

“ Impervious bolted up on chasing debut at Wexford for Brian Hayes. This mare ran up a hat-trick over flights last season including a Grade 3… She went off 13/8 favourite… and her backers had few moments of worry.

She was cut to 10/1 for the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham.” - Irishracing.com October 31, 2022

P

eople talk about pressure a lot at Cheltenham. The pressure the likes of Paul Townend and Jack Kennedy must be under.

But they need two hands to count their good rides. Plenty to think about. And they’ve won there before. Plenty of good memories to pull on.

What if you haven’t won there before? And you’ve only one good ride? And if you make a mistake, that ride won’t be yours next time? That’s pressure without a valve.

Patrick: The season started off well down in Wexford, Impervious won well and then you went to Cork for a graded novice, winging the last.

“I remember

my two sisters down the bottom of the walkway with my best friend Mennis. That was great”

102

Brian: Yeah, that was a big day for her. She was very good that day, over two miles. I was always kind of flat out but just maybe getting there, maybe getting there. I didn’t think I was going to win anywhere though until the back of the last.

And she was sold off the back of that.

Patrick: She was sold to JP. What were your feelings on that?

Brian: (Grimaces) That was the end of me anyways. But a few people said, “You might stay on her.” As it turned out, Mark Walsh was injured for her next run in Punchestown, so I rode her.

And winning on her there, in JP’s colours, was... I knew going there that day, that was important with regards maybe keeping the ride. I thought if I did win on her, I’d have a chance.

Patrick: And then to Cheltenham. Did you know you were going to keep the ride?

Brian: No. (Pauses) I didn’t. Coming up to Cheltenham, I didn’t know if I was going to ride her. Then about ten days before, Frank Berry popped up on my phone. I was in Michael Bowe’s riding out. Phone rang. Frank Berry. And in my head, I was thinking, “He wouldn’t ring unless … he’s ringing me to say I’m not riding the mare.” So, I was actually disappointed answering the phone.

(Frowns) But what he said was, “How’s your mare?” And when he said that I was like… (smiles broadly) … and then he just said quietly, “You’ll be riding her in Cheltenham.”

Patrick: Did you feel that this was as good a chance as you were going to get at Cheltenham?

Brian: Yeah. I did, yeah, I did. But in fairness to JP, Frank and Colm it didn’t feel like great pressure. I suppose pressure is what you make of it yourself.

But even regards instructions… I got no instructions. Just keep it simple was the instruction.

Patrick: What do you remember of the day?

Brian: Rode one for Willie in the first. I made a conscious decision not to be around the weigh room for the whole day waiting for the race. So, I did my usual and ran around the chase track after the first, and then watched a few races out on the track actually, which isn’t something I’d normally do. Corbett’s Cross went through the wing, I was down there at that. I didn’t want to be just waiting around, there was a lot of time between.

Patrick: And the race itself?

Brian: Nine runners. I know Colm doesn’t like being wide around Cheltenham so I had that in the back of my head. Expected Magic Daze to make the running, she was the pace angle. Which was ideal because I wanted a good gallop. But then she stood at the start.

Patrick: How do you react to that?

Brian: After we jump the first, I can see Charlie Deutsch is in front (on eventual third, Pink Legend), and when I was doing a bit of homework on the race I’d said to myself that if he’s in front then we’re going very slow. And now she was in front, hacking. So, I had that in my head going around. My mare was in my hands a little all the way. Down the back I got onto the rail when Danny Mullins (Dolcita) made a little mistake, and I got into his position on the inner. Coming down the hill I just made a decision to come out to get a clear view of the last three fences. And as well I knew Paul (Townend on Allegorie De Vassy) was on my outside so there was a possibility that he could box me in. I was going so well, I was able to just push my way out. I was cantering coming down to the second last.

Patrick: It’s one of the last races of the week. A lot of waiting around. How was the week before it?

Patrick: What’s going through your head there?

Brian: It was grand. I’d a ride every day bar the first day. All outsiders, but I was going to the races. I asked Colm (Murphy, trainer) did he want a hand riding her out in the mornings, but he said no. He rode her out every morning himself.

Brian: Just not to go too soon. I had everything under control. I let her stretch from the back of the second last. I felt like she was going to win her race but then she got in real deep to the last, landed awkwardly and lost a bit of momentum IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BRIAN HAYES

Hayes won three times on Sweet Sting, having recorded his first of many triumphs in the famous Bowe colours on her dam, Sweet Kiln. The Gathabawn family gave Sweet Kiln to Hayes and he has bred three foals from her, while riding four of her offspring to victory

and Paul passed us and I thought, ‘Oh no I’m going to get beat.’ But she won well at the line.

Patrick: I was fascinated that in her previous two races, you’d sent her long and low at the last but you chose to sit here? Going down to the last in Cheltenham, in front and needing a jump. The temptation must have been to commit forward?

Brian: Yeah, but that was just the stride that was there. And the other times I was coming from behind so I was attacking. That was the stride.

(Shrugs) Patrick: And crossing the line?

Brian: Just relieved really. Finally rode a Cheltenham winner. And it was on her. And I loved the way there was so much talk about it, at all the IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

previews. Were you Impervious or Allegorie? It was such a showdown. I love the way there was loads of build-up to it, instead of winning a handicap on an outsider say.

Patrick: And do you regret kissing Paul Townend on the cheek after?

Brian: (Embarrassed) Ah…it was an emotional time!

(Laughs) I remember my two sisters down the bottom of the walkway with my best friend Mennis. That was great. I got to sign my name on the weigh-room wall, which was a big thing.

Because I’ve been riding there for 11 years. It’s a long time going there, looking at other names written on the wall. I had to change my flights from that night to the next morning and we got the bus from the races into the town and had a great night.

It was… it was… I wouldn’t swap it.

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Danny BOY DANNY GILLIGAN

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: JOHN O’RIORDAN

There have been injuries along the way but winning the Galway Plate among a slew of top prizes in a matter of months as a 17-year-old suggest that with a bit of luck, this is a jockey destined for the top

P

rior to the 2022 Galway Festival, Danny Gilligan saw his apprentice claim on the flat reduced to 7lb, having just ridden his third career winner a fortnight earlier. Still in the early stages of his chosen profession, the Athenry teenager could scarcely have envisaged that 12 months on, he would partner the winner of the most high-profile race of the week, the Tote Galway Plate. Such has been the meteoric rise of the young man since switching codes that, aside from guiding Ash Tree Meadow to Ballybrit glory, he now finds himself sixth in the jump jockeys’ championship and thanks to Coko Beach, has just added the Bar One Racing Troytown Chase to a list of top prizes won in the last few months that also includes the McHale Mayo National on Tullybeg and the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel on Samui, with all the aforementioned horses trained by Gordon Elliott.

National hunt racing is in Gilligan’s blood, with his father, Paul famously training a Cheltenham Festival winner in 2010. Although only in primary school at the time, it was a success that resonated with young Danny.

“I can remember Berties Dream coming home after the race,” he recalls. “A good few people called to the yard to see him.”

Despite all the euphoria, aspirations of one day gracing the hallowed turf of Prestbury Park in his own right, didn’t figure.

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“At that time, I just wanted to be a jockey.

Thoughts of riding in Gold Cups or Grand Nationals never came into my head.”

At the time, Paul had a strong team of quality horses that also included One Cool Tornado and Grade 1 Power Gold Cup winner Jadanli. Given their upbringing, it was perhaps only natural that his sons Liam, Jack and Danny, would decide to forge their own careers within racing. Following the tried and trusted route taken by his elder brothers, Danny received his initial education on the pony racing circuit.

“I spent five or six seasons pony racing. Plenty of different people supported me and I rode a nice few winners. It was a great experience.”

A season riding as an apprentice on the flat followed, something that Danny considered to be more of a bonus than anything else. It wasn’t that he had real difficulty with his weight, more a preference for the winter game.

“Dad had national hunt horses at home, so I grew up riding those. It was great to get the time on the flat but jumping was always the plan.”

A first winner under Rules came at Leopardstown in June 2022, aboard Plunkett for trainer Paul Flynn.

Gilligan is keen to acknowledge the support of the latter, a man who has continued to use him on his national hunt horses. However, while only marking time on the level, Danny made the switch at the earliest opportunity.

“As soon as I turned 17, I got the jumps licence, as my weight was starting to creep up. Plenty of people had said to me that if I was going jumping, I should go to Gordon Elliott. My older brother, Liam is someone I really look up to, so when he also advised it, I knew it was the right decision.”

Having finished his only full campaign on the flat with five winners, Gilligan added a further four in his opening season over jumps. For most young conditional jockeys starting out it can be a bit of a slow burn but that wasn’t to be the case for Danny.

His success of the 2022/23 season soon pales into insignificance when compared with what the IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Galway man has already achieved this term to date.

Circumstances dictated that with Elliott’s first- and second-, indeed third-choice jockeys (Jack Kennedy, Jordan Gainford and Sam Ewing) all unavailable through injury, his young protégé was thrust into the spotlight in the early months of the new season.

“While it was unfortunate for the lads who were out, I was lucky in that I fell in for those rides and it really got me going. I am very thankful to Gordon for giving me the opportunities despite my lack of experience.”

At a stage where he could easily have decided to use the best available, it is testament to the trainer’s faith in his own rider that he backed him. A win in the Listed Mayo National on Tullybeg towards the end of May in Ballinrobe was a first really significant success.

“It was a great day in the Mayo National. Aside from the big race itself, I also rode a double, just the second of my career (having recorded the first in Kilbeggan).”

On a real high with his career on the up, the reality of being a national hunt jockey was soon brought home to him.

“I got a fall in Punchestown during the festival. A few weeks later the shoulder still hadn’t healed; it turned out I had a fracture”.

Not long back from that particular lay-off, a broken collarbone in a subsequent fall put his appearance at the upcoming Galway Festival in some doubt. Being a local lad, who had grown up attending as a spectator over the years, that was the one he had really been looking forward to all year.

Missing out was never an option, at least not in Gilligan’s mind.

“There was definitely an added incentive to get back. I pushed hard and was nearly begging the medical team to pass me fit.”

Fortunately, all the hard work paid off, as not only did he make it back in time for the festival, Gilligan enjoyed his biggest success to date.

A ride on the flat the Friday before eased concerns regarding his readiness, while a winner on the opening evening of the festival confirmed his recovery. The Elliott-trained Ash Tree Meadow went into the Galway Plate with solid claims, so Gilligan was anxious to partner the gelding.

“I was delighted to see my name on the race card IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

next to him on the morning of declarations. I did kind of fancy our chances. He had a nice weight and had run well on his first run back after a break.”

Making all aboard the Alymer Stud-owned 13/2 chance, Gilligan kept enough under his sleeve as his partner stayed on strongly to win by two and a half lengths from Authorized Art. Winning the feature race at his home track was something that meant a lot to him.

“It was a really special day. Most of my family, friends and neighbours were in attendance. It’s nice to have it ticked off so early in my career.”

Another sharp dose of reality was to hit a week later however, with a fall at Downpatrick resulting in a cracked shoulder blade. Following a further spell on the sidelines Gilligan was back in action days before the Listowel Harvest Festival. He promptly rode race favourite Samui to win the Listed Lartigue Handicap Hurdle for Elliott.

With Kennedy, Gainford and Ewing all returning to the fold in recent months, Gilligan is well aware that he will now need to be patient, biding his time for the opportunities that come his way. However, with Elliott having been such a huge influence on his development over the past year, he has no doubt whatsoever that he made the right decision in going to Cullentra House.

“Gordon has been a massive support to me from the very start. For a big trainer like him to put me up on his horses just fills me with confidence. Riding out in the yard is an education in itself, given the high calibre of jockey I get to work and school alongside.”

Apart from Elliott, he also singles out his parents Paul and Natalie, brother Liam and agent Garry Cribbin for their support. All those that used him pony racing, during his time on the flat and since going jumping are also thanked. In the short term, the conditional jockeys’ championship would be the main target this season, although, at the same time, he is conscious of not burning through his claim too quickly.

“Garry looks after me in that sense, as does Gordon. I’d say I won’t ride too many. It will be a case more of quality over quantity.”

With Elliott prone to claiming off classier horses in the bigger handicaps, there are certain to be plenty of chances for Gilligan over the coming months.

Leading from pillar to post, Gilligan and Ash Tree Meadow forced their chasing rivals into errors and recorded a memorable victory in the Tote Galway Plate

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National hero

RICKY DOYLE

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: DARREN NORRIS

Ricky Doyle completed the Kerry-Munster National double in under five weeks, to add to his previous Irish Grand National and Midlands National successes on Freewheelin Dylan

T

he past year provided Ricky Doyle with some notable highs but when he takes the call to reflect on 2023, he does so after one of those frustrating days that form part of the life of a working jumps jockey.

Good World was fancied in the opening race at Thurles on the first Thursday of November but an awkward jump at the first fence saw the 4/1 shot part company with his rider a few strides later. Later in the card, 12/1 shot Robin Elite led narrowly before the straight but faded to finish ninth of 15. And that was Doyle’s day done.

Happily, that Thurles trip was not symptomatic of his year.

“It’s been good I suppose,” muses Doyle. “It’s my second full year going freelancing. Last year was a bit slow but I seem to be getting back into the swing of things.

“Winning the two Nationals was a great help and I’m busy riding-wise and riding a good calibre of

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horses now so overall I’m happy. I’m riding for new trainers, getting plenty of rides off Gavin Cromwell, Gordon Elliott and Martin Brassil so I’ve been riding better quality horses this year than I ever have been.”

The two National triumphs Doyle refers to are the Kerry National at Listowel in September and the Munster National at Limerick a month later. Then, at the beginning of November, on his first trip to America to ride for Elliott at Callaway Garden, he picked up a spare from trainer Neil Morris and drove Animal Kingston to get up the inside of two other rivals to win by a nasal hair.

Doyle is best known for riding the Dermot McLoughlin-trained Freewheelin Dylan to Irish National glory in 2021. At odds of 150/1, Freewheelin Dylan was the longest-price winner of the Easter Monday highlight.

But while that Fairyhouse fairytale remains the biggest success of Doyle’s career, winning the Kerry IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

National on the Martin Brassil-trained Desertmore House in the silks made famous by Irish and Aintree Grand National hero Numbersixvalverde arguably gave the jockey even greater satisfaction.

“I probably got a better kick out of that than winning the Irish one,” Doyle says. “Just the fact that it was for Martin. I grew up in Martin’s household and he has won Nationals before in them colours, so it did mean an awful lot to me.”

The hardest part of the race for Desertmore House was getting into it in the first place. The eight-yearold was second reserve but, as Doyle puts it, “the stars aligned” as Elliott took two of his horses out of the race, a move that gave Desertmore House - and Doyle - a chance to shine.

Once he sneaked in, confidence was high.

“I wouldn’t have swapped him for anything else.

Them type of races suit novices and I just thought with the trip and everything that he’d run a big race.

He had a lovely racing weight as well, 10-6 on his back, and I knew from riding him out at home that he was in great form. Looking through the card, even though it was a good race, I wouldn’t have got off him to get on anything else.”

And the race itself?

“It was literally Plan A from word go. I knew if he wasn’t travelling they were going plenty quick and he’d stay on but if I was travelling well going out on the final circuit I knew that they were after going steady.

“He’s a horse that takes a bit of time to wind up so I knew going down the back the last time that I needed to go through the gears with him because it’s such a short run-in in Listowel that when I turned in, I needed to be in top gear jumping the second-last. From there, he was always going to be coming home the best of them. I just wanted to make sure I was within range of the leaders when we turned in.”

A short run-in certainly won’t be an issue if Desertmore House one day tackles an Aintree National and Doyle believes the horse has the attributes to emulate Numbersixvalverde’s IrishEnglish National double.

“He ticks all the boxes. The plan is to go to Fairyhouse for the Irish National this season. He’s an eight-year-old but he has very little mileage on the clock, so the plan is to get as much experience as possible this season and hopefully he’ll head to Liverpool in 2025. I think the further he’ll go, the better he’ll go. With the Irish and English Nationals, IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

it’s all about jumping and staying and they’re his two strongest points.”

Given Elliott’s small but pivotal part in Desertmore House’s Listowel win, Doyle was delighted to provide the Meath trainer with a Munster National success with Gevrey a month later. He rides out in Cullentra House every Wednesday but was still pleasantly surprised when he got the nod.

“Gordon had plenty in it and I could kind of pick holes through all of them bar Gevrey. I thought that once he got into a rhythm with his jumping, I was happy to be on him. I wasn’t looking for anything else in the race.

“Plan A went to plan, just follow the leaders around, get him jumping, get him in a rhythm and that’s what happened. It was a very simple race to ride in my eyes, but it was great to get another National, I’d be nearly known for them now, which isn’t a bad thing.”

That last observation prompts an obvious question: What does Doyle put his record in staying chases down too?

“I enjoy them more, definitely. For me, it’s all about getting in a rhythm and getting your horse jumping. With two-mile hurdle races, it’s a lot sharper and there’s very little room for mistakes. But in longer distance races if you make a mistake, you can give them time to get back into it and you don’t have to rush them. I’m just very lucky that I came across the three horses that gave me four Nationals (Freewheelin Dylan also won the Midlands National in 2020).

Doyle is considered one of the fittest, strongest jockeys on the circuit and believes one of the benefits of his healthy lifestyle is the ability to bounce back from falls.

“I like to keep active, whether it be going to the gym, playing five-a-side or playing GAA, and plenty of golf. It’s good for your mental and physical health.

I feel that I’m able to take falls because I’m active and fit and if I do get a bang, touch wood, I’m quick to recover.”

He is busy, riding winners and getting on better quality. Like all his colleagues, he is now looking out for the signature horse to propel him to another level.

“I suppose if I could find a horse that is going to get you onto the next stage, a nice, graded horse, that’s my goal. I don’t think I’ll ever be champion jockey so if I can win as many big races as I can, that would be a great achievement.”

Winning the Kerry National on Desertmore House gave Doyle an even greater kick than his Irish Grand National victory, because of his long connection with trainer Martin Brassil

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Double R:

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: MARCUS TOWNEND

Reaping Rewards

There was never any doubt about Rossa Ryan’s talent but with the freedom of being a freelance, everything clicked into gear in 2023 and the dream of being champion jockey looks realistic

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ROSSA RYAN

W

hichever measure you use it comes out with the same answer when you assess Rossa Ryan’s 2023 season - a significant step up to a new level.

More rides, significantly more winners and almost double his previous biggest haul of prizemoney lays out in hard figures just how well the year went for the jockey from County Galway.

If you throw in two winners at Royal Ascot, one at 150/1, and a first Group 1 courtesy of Shaquille in the July Cup at Newmarket, it shows that it was quality as well as quantity which burnished the 23-year-old’s CV. But the one statistic that stands above all that array of success is that by the middle of November, Ryan had ridden more winners (179) than any other flat jockey in Britain during the calendar year. More than William Buick (162) and Oisín Murphy (165) and much more than Tom Marquand (118) and Hollie Doyle (117).

The fact that the British champion jockey title is now decided over the ridiculously truncated period from 2000 Guineas day at the start of May to the British Champions fixture in October meant Ryan finished third, 31 wins behind title winner Buick and two successes behind Murphy.

But compare that to 2022, when he was 15th in the championship. Make no mistake, Ryan is now a genuine contender and he has the bit between his teeth.

Not that this should be a surprise. Expectations were huge when the teenage protégé, who had taken the Irish pony racing circuit by storm, moved to the Richard Hannon stable in 2017.

But, as can often be the case for a professional sportsman or woman, it is defeat and how they react to it rather than success which defines the ultimate direction of a career.

“When I came to England I thought I would get going quicker than I did,” says the Galwegian. “I was probably in a rush. I had to learn how to be patient.

“I was second in the apprentice title (in 2018 to Jason Watson). If different things had happened I could possibly have won but in hindsight getting beaten was the best thing that happened to me.

“I had to go back to square one and build my contacts. I had to build foundations and didn’t jump in with a big job that I would not have been ready for. It has taken a while to come right but it is only now I feel like I am ready to take on a good calibre of horse.

Ryan, whose father David is a trainer, also feels those first steps were important in earning the respect of his colleagues and cementing his place in the weighing room.

“Setting out your stall to graft and keep grafting, that stands you in good stead. There are a lot of older jockeys in the weighing room and when you come in as a young rider you’d be hoping someone would grab hold of you, put their arm around you and say, ‘Come on.’

“They don’t but when they see you going up and down the country working flat out they say, ‘Fair play, you are trying your best.’ You earn a bit of respect that way.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

The big change in the 23-year-old’s professional career in 2023 was that he was no longer retained jockey to the increasingly influential Amo Racing operation of football agent Kia Joorabchian. That link ended very publicly in August last year, leaving question marks as to whether it would be a bump or a pothole in the Ryan career.

It proved to be the former. Ryan maintained a relationship with Joorabchian but it is now more on his terms. His 150/1 royal meeting winner on the Adrian Murray-trained Valiant Force in the Norfolk Stakes was in the Amo colours but the stifling aspects of being a retained rider when it restricts your options were gone.

Ryan says there is no chance of him stepping back into the Amo job after his successor Kevin Stott was released in the aftermath of King Of Steel’s unplaced run in the Irish Champion Stakes but he is and will be on the roster of riders.

“Me and Amo never fell out. I think a lot of people struggled to see how we still get on but Kia is a family friend and everything is easy. He is good friends with my mum and dad.

“If I am available to ride for them they will use me but if I am not they understand that. I am pretty happy with that. I speak to Kia a good bit and go for dinner with him. He kind of has that father figure about him. His kids aren’t very old and when he took me on I was still a kid.

“It will always be a bond which will be strong whether I am Amo No 1 or not. It’s just a good healthy relationship.”

Ryan’s freelance freedom allowed him to build on partnerships and forge new alliances. There have been over 50 winners for Ralph Beckett as

“Me and Amo never fell out… Kia is a family friend. He is good friends with my mum and dad”

“Setting out

your stall to graft and keep grafting, that stands you in good stead” 109

ROSSA RYAN

The July Cup triumph on Shaquille that gave Ryan his first elite triumph “was the maddest Group 1 race I have ever ridden in… exhilarating and fearful”

“This time

I had a target of 150 winners… three winners a week”

well as solid support from Clive Cox and Alan King with Mick Appleby also joining the Ryan party.

“Being attached to the likes of Ralph, Clive and Alan, I had a bit of freedom being away from Amo. Mick also got behind me after a good winter for him. They are the four main lads that got in behind me and gave me a right kick.

“Come entries on Monday for Saturday, I was able to line myself up before declarations on Thursday knowing exactly where I was going. It

meant I could get the best and most rides I could possibly pull out of the week.

“I have a good team behind me including my agent Steven Croft. I had ridden 116 and 120 winners in a year before. This time I had a target of 150 winners. We just took it block by block and said it is three winners a week. If we can hit that we are going well.

“I got going well in the winter and stayed rolling from there on in.”

Being able to provide Amo Racing with their first Royal Ascot success after so many near-misses, courtesy of the Adrian Murraytrained 150/1 shot Valiant Force, meant a lot to Ryan

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IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Ryan continues: “In previous seasons there have been times from the middle of July to the middle of August when I had dropped away for a few weeks and then got going again. We were thinking if we could just scrub up there you never know what we could achieve. We have hit the targets we set and I couldn’t ask for more.”

The support Ryan had helped allay his one concern when he split from Amo. “I did wonder, ‘Where can I find a good horse now?’

They have a lot of good horses and I thought, ‘Where can I find my one?’ I didn’t know. But one thing led to another and it all started with Mick’s Annaf at the beginning of the year.”

Ryan won three all-weather races on the Appleby-trained colt in January and February, including a listed race at Lingfield. The partnership also finished third in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot as well as winning the Portland Handicap at Ascot and the Group 3 Bengough Stakes at Doncaster at the end of the season.

It was that freelance freedom which allowed Ryan to partner Julie Camacho-trained Shaquille in the July Cup, a race which remains vivid in Ryan’s memory given the colt missed the break and then rapidly tanked to the front.

“Martin Hughes, Shaquille’s owner, has been a long-time supporter of Richard Hannon and I always got on well with him but I still never thought would ride for him in a Group 1 one day,” he recalls.

“When he gave me the call-up I was over the moon. It was the maddest Group 1 race I have ever ridden in, to do what he did and still win. Nine times IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

out of ten they wouldn’t be able to. It was exhilarating and fearful.”

Optimism for 2024 is fuelled for Ryan by the hopes he has for Beckett-trained Task Force, winner of his first two races and runner-up to Vandeek in the Middle Park Stakes, as well as stablemate Bluestocking, the Irish Oaks runner-up who was beaten a neck in the Champion Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes at Ascot.

“There are a lot of good two-year-olds there like Task Force. Next year is going to be all about them.

This year was a bonus. Task Force was unlucky to run into Vandeek, who is a true sprinter whereas he is more of a miler being bred to be a 2000 Guineas horse.

“You’d be hoping next year with a winter on his back and a bit more maturity and a mile shouldn’t be a problem for him.

“I was unlucky in the Fillies’ & Mares’ Stakes on Bluestocking. She is still going to be a lovely filly next year. There are a lot of horses with potential to be Group 1 horses next year in both the Beckett and Cox yards.

“The rides aren’t guaranteed but if you do get the ride you have to be ready for it and it is something to look forward to. I will stay here for the winter but I will take a break at Christmas and have a week or two just to see my family.”

More Group 1 prizes should be just around the corner for Ryan and as well as his big ambition.

“It would be a dream of mine to be champion jockey one day,’ he says with no trace of arrogance.

That dream is surely close to being reality.

Thanks to agent Steven Croft, Ryan had a very consistent Royal Ascot, getting off the mark with a smooth back-to-front victory in the Royal Hunt Cup on Jimi Hendrix for one of his biggest supporters, Ralph Beckett

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NATALIA LUPINI

Milan Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: JOHNNY WARD

Made in

How a glamorous young woman from the fashion capital of the world wound up training stakes winners in Loughbrickland

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IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

NATALIA LUPINI

F

alling for someone is special but falling for someone that will bring your career to another level is, well, another thing. Just ask either Natalia Lupini or Craig Bryson.

When I spoke to the Milanese Lupini for the bulk of this feature, my timing was akin to that of Ryan Moore in the finale on day one of Irish Champions Festival 2023. Moore’s sensational last-to-lastgasp-first on Broadhurst was something else.

History is written by the winners but this most improbable of victories came at the expense of Dunum, who looked for all the world as though he would provide Lupini with a double on arguably this country’s biggest day of flat racing in the year, after the juvenile filly Kitty Rose had secured listed honours in the opening Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes.

You see, when Natalia answered my call, she was less than two days from giving birth to beautiful Tim. Not long ago, she barely knew Craig, nor Craig the lady who loves racing despite having no background in it and hailing from football-mad Italy.

And their story is barely a couple of chapters in.

“I don’t come from a horsey family,” she explains.

“I’m from near the city in Milan, very little countryside, nothing like Ireland.”

For some reason or no reason, Natalia Lupini was destined for an equine life. Bred more to take an interest in Prada, she ended up in Scarvagh.

“I always liked horses, the interest grew as I grew older; I followed European and American racing in Italy. I went to the track at the San Siro a few times, obviously still quite young but nobody in the family had any interest. Some of my friends liked horses.

“I always read that Ireland was the home of thoroughbreds and breeding. The best racing, the best trainers and horses in the world really. I came over as a student because it was close to Italy.

“When I moved, I was living quite close to Scarvagh House, it used to be a stud; with the landlord I just organised a few stables.”

She says stables like someone living all her life in County Armagh.

“I stayed a couple of years there and then moved IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

not even a couple of miles to a yard in Loughbrickland. That’s where I’ve been seven years, ever since.

“At the start, I didn’t have the young horses as a selling project. I was training mostly handicappers for a bit of fun with my friends. And it was a jointventure, a bit successful with Blairmayne and a few other ones. When I met Craig, my partner, things started to change.”

She had been tipping away with a few mainly modest horses, Blairmayne the outlier. Blairmayne was known to little more than the yard and the anoraks when taking a Fairyhouse handicap in June 2016, rated 57 and ridden by one K Fallon. Six years later he was within a head of winning off 90. In all, he has won eight races to date. Lupini had shown her talents as a trainer but without money it’s hard to unearth horses like him.

A racing colleague of mine in Northern Ireland describes Bryson as “a genius with horses”. For Lupini, it was the proverbial match made in heaven and Bryson’s experience having worked for Aidan O’Brien must have been beneficial on many levels.

“From then on we looked more into training twoyear-olds. It all changed. We’re more into a business kind of thing now.

“Craig’s from nearby. I met him locally. He was a work rider in Ballydoyle, travelled with Aidan’s horses around the world. He always had this in mind: he’d love to train.

“We sort of met, he came to the yard, rode a few horses and we decided to stick together, build a business: a team of horses and owners. It’s something we really enjoy together. I’m lucky, something I’ve always wanted in my life: someone to share my passion and work with. It’s been great, that’s all I can say really.”

And she has a little laugh.

Their alliance’s success is nothing short of staggering in such a competitive arena. She has been unable to quite match last year’s 25% hit rate this season but was not far off and will end the year not a million miles off 100 runners.

And there was Kitty Rose.

Meeting Craig Bryson (centre, with jockey Billy Lee on the right), elevated not just Lupini’s personal life but also her professional one

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NATALIA LUPINI

The Guineas will be an early target for Ingabelle Stakes winner Kitty Rose, with the Oaks also a possibility

“I’m lucky,

something I’ve always wanted in my life: someone to share my passion and work with”

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Dunum brought premier handicap success at Galway but the difference a Kitty Rose can make to a yard is beyond imagination. An easy winner at Naas on debut, she looked better again at Leopardstown in the opening race of an epic weekend and lost little but the race at Group 3 level at The Curragh subsequently.

“Kitty Rose was bought privately from Robson Aguiar. He always liked her, always told us she was one for later in the year. She was bought before going to the breeze-ups.

“We gave her time, as he advised. She did her work easily all along. We knew we had a nice filly. She wants farther in time, maybe a mile-and-a-half horse next year and at four. We’re delighted we still have her for next year, as the sale fell through!”

Whilst it was improbable Lupini would lose the daughter of Invincible Army, such is the life of a selling yard. What is fascinating about Kitty Rose is that, despite being by Choisir, the dam stayed 12 furlongs. Kitty Rose is staying in Armagh.

“Unfortunately, when it came to payment, the potential buyer dropped out,” Lupini explains. “The sale was agreed before she ran at The Curragh. We were always told she was going to stay with us but they dropped out unexpectedly when it came to payment. It was disappointing, obviously, for the owners – but they still have an exciting filly on their hands.

“Leopardstown was a massive day. That’s what every trainer wants: a winner on a big day. And Irish Champions Festival is one of the biggest days in European racing. It was massive for everyone, the owners, everyone working in the yard. It was a good incentive to want more of those kind of days.

“It meant loads to Craig. We and the lads in the yard have put in so much effort. The race at The Curragh didn’t pan out the way we wanted because she was left in front a long way; it was hard work over a mile on soft ground, and we were delighted that she stayed there to finish second. She still looks very well, even though she is on a little break, and we are very much looking forward to having her next year.

“We’re looking at a seven-furlong Guineas trial at Leopardstown. She’ll be entered in both the English Guineas and the Irish Guineas. We’ll have a choice.

It’s possible she could step up to a mile and a quarter, even a mile and a half. There’s a possibility she goes for the Oaks. If she does settle in her races

and does everything right, she will get a mile and four. The Oaks is not to be ruled out! We’ll see how she takes everything.

“She’s doing very well, a very happy filly at the moment enjoying her break. She’s a very big filly so she will fill into her frame and we hope she will improve furthermore, we’ll have a very nice filly next year, we hope.”

Hope, in the words of a prisoner in a film with a plot less unlikely on paper than the rise of Lupini, is maybe the best of things. Lupini now has a name; she has reached somewhere between the start and the next level.

“We’ve 17 stables, building as we speak. Craig has a farm, we’re building a few stables there. We’re expanding and there’s a five-furlong, sanded fibre gallop that’s been working well for the past year.

Long-term, the project would be to have all the horses in one place but we’re building the yard, we still have a lot of work to do, but things are looking promising at the moment.

“At the sales, we look at the horse. Is he a nice mover, correct? If he has all the attributes to be sold, obviously the sire, a commercial sire ideally, then you pick the right races for the horse.

“We’ve bought a few yearlings; a few new owners have been in touch about having yearlings in training as selling projects, to join the venture.

Things look pretty positive at the moment, long may it continue.

“We’ve a nice Almanzor filly with a staying pedigree but she’s broken and riding now and she’s already shaping very nicely. Very clever, very smart, she takes everything in her stride and she’s a good size. We’re looking forward to doing something nice with her. We’ve others with sprinting pedigrees we’re looking forward to running early in the season.

“It’s always quite hard to get staff but at the moment we’re in a good position. We’ve a few capable lads and girls. We’re going to expand a little bit, get more yearlings and we’re looking for extra hands.”

Now her family comes over a few times a year to see her horses both galloping at home and at the races. They wonder at what their daughter has become and might become so far from home.

“Probably 30 horses would be good. We’d like to keep the quality but keep an eye on every horse as an individual, so 30 for next season would be a nice number. We’ve a small team – normally we meet the jockeys at The Curragh or Dundalk, maybe twice before they run. We are able to get feedback then.

“We have four riding out, including Craig – he likes to sit on them and get a feel himself. We’ve a couple of ground staff and occasional staff to give us a hand feeding or make sure all is okay. I’d say we’ll be looking for more before the spring!”

What race would the Milanese want to take most? She’s entitled to dream.

“I’ve no particular race in mind I’d like to win most but with Kitty Rose we’d obviously like to win the Guineas at Newmarket, take her to Royal Ascot. We try to give all horses the best chance in terms of the races they’re capable of winning.”

Short odds about Tim falling for the game.

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GARY CARROLL

Carroll NO 1 Words: IAN GAUGHRAN • Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS

A career-best season included a second Royal Ascot winner, a stakes victory on a first ride for Aidan O’Brien and consistent repayment of faith shown in him by Mick Mulvany and Joe Murphy, as well as Ger Lyons and Gavin Cromwell

I

t is a fitting afternoon to catch up with Gary Carroll. The flat season is drawing to a close and the Kildare man is on the way home following a Galway win on board Joe Murphy's Immutable.

It is winner number 53, Carroll's best season in the saddle, on a horse trained by one of his most loyal backers. It is also the one that surpasses the highest total his father Raymond - himself an Irish St Leger victor - managed. Gary would ultimately finish on 54.

Raymond, possibly Gary's greatest ally and harshest critic, will be on the phone within the hour to discuss his performance in the saddle at Galway - and likely to congratulate him.

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“It’s my best ever season, my first time breaking 50 winners and I also found out today that getting to 53 beats my father’s record – his best season was 52 so there’s some bragging rights. I’ll have him onto me around seven o’clock,” Carroll says.

“I’d say he’ll be down the shop getting a couple of bits, grab a shower and then he’ll be on to me for my debrief for the day! It’s great to get that winner for Joe too because he’s been one of my biggest supporters for a long, long time now – him and Mick Mulvany, I’ve been riding for them since I’ve been a seven-pound claimer, I’m almost part of their families now.

“They are two great men, who have shown a lot

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

GARY CARROLL

of trust in and loyalty to me so I’m glad to be able to repay them – every winner for them is almost a relief, that I can repay that faith.”

Carroll has twice been champion apprentice, once shared with Ben Curtis and Joseph O'Brien and once out on his own, but 2023 has easily been his most rewarding campaign, qualitatively and quantitatively. It produced a second Royal Ascot triumph, a stakes success for Aidan O'Brien, more than 50 winners in total, over €1m in prizemoney and some real promise for the future in the likes of Desmond Stakes winner Lord Massusus.

“I had had 41 winners last year so I had set myself a target of 50 (for 2023). I was actually stuck on 49 for quite a while and it was getting frustrating… the target next year will be 60, but we all start on zero and the hard work will begin all over again.

“More trainers are supporting me these days, I suppose, and now I’m probably a senior jockey seeing as though I’m probably mid-thirties. It’s more so that Joe Murphy hit the ground running early on, and so did Mick. We were banging in winners and usually when that happens you tend to get more outside rides – I’ve won on horses this year for people I wouldn’t usually ride for so it’s all great.”

One such trainer is the incomparable Aidan O’Brien, whose Unless was underneath Carroll at The Curragh in August when the pair landed the Listed Michael John Kennedy Memorial Irish EBF Stakes.

“I suppose that’s a feather in any man’s cap, to say you rode for him, never mind won for him – it was a great thrill and I was very happy to have been given the opportunity.”

Perhaps O’Brien was impressed by Carroll’s ride on Snellen in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot and he decided that Carroll was the man for Unless – it was, after all, his Pearls And Rubies who was beaten by a short head at Royal Ascot.

“Oh, that was a great thrill,” Carroll continues.

“She was a filly we thought a lot of and was flying at home. And it was going to be a big ask to win her maiden and then go and win at Royal Ascot just ten days later but Gavin Cromwell and his team did an amazing job to get her back as quick as they did to win.

“She’s an exciting filly and probably ran on the wrong ground subsequently but she has the size and the scope to make into a lovely three-yearold.”

As he travels across the country heading home from the races, the line breaks. As we wait for a bit of coverage to come back to his phone, it gives another opportunity to rewatch that Chesham. In real time, the result looks clear – Carroll and Snellen win well.

The slow-motion reply shows how close it was and in the immediate aftermath, Carroll appears not so sure. Spread across the track, Carroll looks towards Ryan Moore on Pearls And Rubies. Moore looks back as they finish.

“I was fully sure I was beaten – I was half-gutted that I had let her roll left, a bit of greenness and IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

getting a little but tired, I probably should have pulled my stick through. And even though I knew connections would be delighted as they were hoping for a top-four finish, I was half-gutted. But then when I looked up at the big screen and the camera kept showing me, I thought maybe I had won it, and so we did! I really thought, for sure, that we had been beaten but it was a nice surprise.

“Gavin really is going from strength to strength, at the minute – I love riding for him, love working for him. He listens to everything you say and he is very keen to improve so that’s helped me as well because I want to get things right for him too. He has invested a lot in his facilities and next year he’s going to have a new straight woodchip gallop that is going to be a huge help to all the flat horses as well. He’s getting more money to spend with new owners. So, he’s going to be really mixing it with the big guns over the next few years.

“And you know, mixing Chesham winners with Stayers’ Hurdle winners – there’s no fluke about it and I don’t even think we’ve seen the best of him yet, he’s still improving and I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes him.”

Lord Massusus has been another highlight of Carroll’s season, with that Desmond Stakes win

After a Group 3 success this year, the Joe Murphy-trained Lord Massusus might be the one to break Gary Carroll’s top-flight duck in 2024

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GARY CARROLL

“I suppose that’s a feather in any man’s cap, to say you rode for Aidan O’Brien, never mind won for him”

“Maybe

fatherhood has helped with some of the success I’ve been having”

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opening doors to what could be a globetrotting four-year-old campaign. It’s just reward for a partnership with Murphy that has endured for the guts of 15 years and the Markaz gelding could provide him with that elusive first Group 1 winner.

“Any good winner that I can repay Joe’s faith in me is a welcome one but if I can get the best out of all our horses it’s job done. The nice ones though, when we do come across them, you really hope they can fulfil their potential. He has some nice options, including in the likes of Bahrain, so hopefully we can have a bit of fun with him around the world next year. He will be better again as a four-year-old.

“Long term, it’s about continuing to improve – 60 will be the number for next year and ideally, I’d like to also improve on the quality of winners too.

Joe and Gavin are buying a better class of horse the last couple of years, and that’s down to their success.

“A Group 1 winner still eludes me. I’ve been placed in plenty of Group 1s… but Group 1-winning rides are very hard to find. Hopefully we’ll come across one someday!

“As I’ve said, I have some fantastic support, from the likes of Joe and Gavin, but also Mick and Ger Lyons. Mick will tell you that it was him that got me going! My first ride for him was on The Tooth Fairy, who was difficult to get up on and down to the start and to get out of the stalls. But I managed him well, we finished third that day and I think I won five times on him. He ended up being rated 96 or 97 and was just beaten in a premier handicap at Leopardstown one day. We’ve done very well since – I’ve ridden plenty of winners for him, I still am. He’s great to ride for, his family is great to ride for and I love riding for them.

“I won a Lincoln for him on On The Go Again (in 2018). He was a good horse, we won a listed race too. Mick does extremely well with the calibre of horse he has – he always will get the best out of them, it’s what you need as a jockey, that you know you’re going to get the best version of them.

Mick’s horses are always healthy and fit and always run to line for me.

“Ger has been very good to me over the years too. In fairness to him, when Colin Keane isn’t there, he never looks past me – it wouldn’t matter what the horse is. Ger is one of those who always fills you with confidence. He lets you at it, trusts in your ability to do the right thing on his horses.

And even with Colin there, there have been plenty of times down the years that he’s had a tough choice when Ger would run more than one in a big race. But it’s always made my choice easy and it’s worked out well at times for me.”

With a young family – he shares two children, Annabell and Max, with wife Joanne - there is extra incentive for Carroll to improve his totals next year, and beyond. Building a house and a yard for his young family makes the wins that bit more welcome and makes spending time away from his children during the busier months of the season a little more bearable. Perhaps they’re part of the reason he is enjoying his most successful period in the saddle.

“The kids are great craic. Of course, they can be full-on at times but I wouldn’t change anything.

The only pity is in the summer I don’t get to see enough of them as I’m on the road so much. But they’re a great leveller – I could have a bad couple of days on the track but they don’t know about that and they want me to play with them! Maybe fatherhood has helped with some of the success IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

GARY CARROLL

Winning the Chesham Stakes on Snellen for trainer Gavin Cromwell and owner Lindsay Laroche “was a great thrill”

I’ve been having too – I don’t just have myself to provide for anymore. We’re building a house this year, we’re building our future and I suppose we need this success to come with it.

“There’s nothing cheap about building a house anymore but it’s going to be a huge milestone in our lives for our family and hopefully we’ll build a yard to go with it. So it’s exciting and it helps me keep the

head down and helps focus me to win races.

“Joanne though, does so much behind the scenes for me – she’s always there for me and makes plenty of sacrifices. She’s bringing up our two children and deserves all the praise in the world. Even though sometimes if I have a bad day at the races she might get the brunt of it!”

A team game indeed.

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FOZZY STACK

American DREAM Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: JOHN O’RIORDAN

Fozzy Stack had been a consistent achiever since taking over the training licence from his father before this year’s landmark triumph

F

ozzy Stack made the breakthrough at the elite level this season, with Aspen Grove winning the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in July. Despite disappointing on her previous start in the Irish 1000 Guineas at Curragh Racecourse, connections kept faith in the daughter of Justify, sticking to a route that had been plotted since May. “The race in America was always part of the plan,” says Stack. “(Co-owner) Craig Bernick came over in the spring and we drew up a programme.

Aspen Grove ran very well in the Guineas trial (Cornelscourt Stakes) at Leopardstown, staying on well to finish third having been forced to race wide from a high draw. Unfortunately, she was in season before the Irish 1000 Guineas but realistically, we had no option but to let her take her chance. It wasn’t as if she could run in the race again next year!”

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Having a valid excuse for that below-par run, Aspen Grove went out to New York just over a week before the Belmont Oaks. “After leaving our yard, Andrew Balding very kindly kept her overnight, before she completed the second leg of the journey.”

Mark Enright, who had had his penultimate ride before retirement when partnering the filly in the Irish Guineas, oversaw her preparations Stateside.

After 48 hours in quarantine, she had her final workouts on the track in the days leading up to the race. The trainer travelled over on the Thursday.

On the day itself, everything worked out just as Stack had hoped. Oisín Murphy gave the Irish raider a textbook ride, sticking to the fence throughout in order to save ground. The gaps opened at the right time, allowing the filly to quicken up and win well.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

FOZZY STACK

“It ticked the box anyway!” Stack remarks of achieving that maiden Grade/Group 1. “I was just delighted for Craig and Mrs (Sue) Magnier for putting their trust in us, allowing us to bring the filly over.”

Stack succeeded his legendary father Tommy, who was best known for steering Red Rum to his historic third Grand National triumph in 1977 before carving out a fantastic career as a trainer that included two Classic successes. Fozzy was a boarder in Glenstal Abbey at the time Las Meninas won the Newmarket 1000 Guineas in 1994.

“RTÉ showed the race at the time but they were also covering a national hunt meeting from Punchestown that same afternoon. As soon as Las Meninas and Balanchine flashed by the winning line together, the coverage switched over to a juvenile hurdle!” With just a short head separating the two horses, it took the judge almost 20 minutes to call Las Meninas the winner. Fozzy admits to a nervous wait, ringing his mother every few minutes in order to get live updates from the racecourse.

Four years later, Stack, who was now in Leaving Cert, witnessed Tarascon winning the Irish 1000 Guineas in person. Again, the winning margin was tight, with the filly getting up close home under Jamie Spencer to beat Kitza a neck. ““I was in primary school with Jamie, so knew him most of my life,” he says. “It was a great day for all of us.”

Coming from a family steeped in racing, it was perhaps only natural that Fozzy always wanted to make his life within the industry. He went over to trainer John Dunlop in Arundel in order to gain further experience in the autumn of 1998. The plan had been to stay for a year at least, before maybe, spending some time in America or Australia.

However, those plans never came to fruition.

“Dad got meningitis at Christmas, so I came back straight away. I was more or less catapulted into the role of assistant trainer from that point onwards.”

For the best part of two decades, together with his father, Fozzy enjoyed numerous big race successes.

When pressed on those, he mentions three in particular that stand out for him - Myboycharlie winning the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville in 2007, Alexander Tango scoring in the Grade 1 Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park that same year and Lolly For Dolly prevailing in the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2011.

In 2017, the baton passed over, with Fozzy taking over the licence. While it had been in the offing for a number of years, timing dictated that it wasn’t until quite recently that the name J A Stack (James being the never-deployed Christian name) was to appear as the trainer on the race card.

“I could just never find the time to do the trainers’ course. Each time I planned to do it, the course just clashed with one sale or another.”

Diamond Fields was the first significant success winning the 2017 Group 3 Gladness Stakes at Naas.

Sirici provided another memorable afternoon when winning a listed race at Tipperary later that July.

“She was a very fast filly who was owned by David IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Wachman, Michael Slevin and some pals.”

Son Of Rest proved to be a real flagbearer in the initial stages of Stack’s training career. After winning a premier handicap at Cork as a threeyear-old, he was just touched off in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh before making a quick reappearance when dead-heating in the Ayr Gold Cup less than a week later. Not only was he part of the first ever dead-heat in the long history of the race, the Pivotal colt also became the first and thus far, only Irish-trained winner.

Despite never having a large number of horses, Stack counts himself fortunate to have the support of some very loyal owners and owner/breeders.

The aim has always been to have quality over quantity, although a bad batch is not unknown.

Stack notes that the operation “leads itself more towards fillies than colts for whatever reason”. In recent years, the stable has enjoyed listed and group success with horses of the calibre of Wood Creek, Lady Wannabe, Aloha Star, Castle Star, Hermana Estrella and Too Soon To Panic. Aspen Grove also did her part when winning a Group 3 in her juvenile season. However, despite a whole host of wins just below the top level, that breakthrough had proved elusive prior to 2023.

“It’s not easy to win a Group 1 race; there are only so many of them every season. Thankfully, we got our turn this year.”

While reflecting on a solid campaign, which aside from Grade 1 success for Aspen Grove, saw listed wins for both My Eyes Adore You and Aussie Girl, the Tipperary man has mixed views on 2024, particularly with Aspen Grove remaining in America to race there.

“The two-year-olds were slightly disappointing this year, so we just have to hope they improve over the winter.”

You Send Me, a maiden winner at Cork in April, went on to finish second in Group 3 company at Leopardstown before finishing an honourable sixth in the Irish Guineas. However, Stack feels that that run wasn’t her true form either.

“I think she is better than that Guineas run and she could be the main flagbearer for 2024.”

“It’s not easy to win a Group 1 race...

Thankfully, we got our turn this year”

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Dream baby Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: SEB VANCE

It has been a steady climb for Seán Kirrane even though he rode a winner on just his sixth ride but the 23-year-old is now a Group 1 winner with a very bright future

C

an there be a more appropriately named horse currently in training than Live In The Dream? Sean Kirrane doesn’t think so.

The hitherto unheralded Dublin-born rider was launched into dreamland when his unconsidered 28/1 mount delivered one of the flat season’s great storylines in winning the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes in August.

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It was a shot in the arm for the small guys, which the sport always needs time to time to break the monopoly of the big battalions’ traditional stronghold on many of the showpiece races.

Trainer Adam West had been doing well enough with his string of 45 at Epsom but had only registered seven winners going into York’s showpiece sprint – and hadn’t tasted group glory IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

SEAN KIRRANE

of any kind, let alone at the highest level. And the horse was a relative bargain, costing owners Steve and Jolene De'Lemos just £24,000.

Kirrane himself had been ticking along, having lost his claim in early August and building on a decent return of 23 winners in 2022. And while Live In The Dream had shown promise at a lesser grade, no one expected him to win, let alone those closest to him.

“I went into that day quite relaxed,” his 23-yearold rider admits. “We thought he would be competitive and were hoping to pick up some prizemoney, a top-six finish perhaps, but to win?

No, that was beyond our wildest dreams. I never expected that.

“Looking back, he deserved his place. He’d come second in the Palace House at Newmarket back in May and ran quite well to come fourth in a listed race at Deauville on very soft ground, which didn’t suit.

“I thought he might be challenging in the big sprints, but only next year. I thought this year would bring him on and give him the experience he needed to make his mark in 2024.

“But we never looked back once he jumped the gates. I was able to keep him on the bridle longer than I ever have as nothing ever came to me at the furlong pole. When I took him off it he found another gear again.”

Live In The Dream ended up seeing off the brilliant Highfield Princess by a comfortable looking length.

The pure elation etched on all connected to the horse was contagious for those watching on at York and on TV. This was the perfect advert for what joy horse racing can bring.

West, who describes himself as a recluse, was in utter disbelief, while Jolene planted a smacker of a kiss on Kirrane…

“We were all lost in the moment. It was a whirlwind. I wasn’t surprised by Jolene’s reaction.

You can see my arm around her. I didn’t care at all.

We were sharing an incredible moment.”

The reason the jockey is slightly defensive about the image is that it came days after the Spanish Football Federation president, Luis Rubiales gave World Cup hero Jennifer Hermoso an unwanted kiss on the lips. It led to social media users drawing unwanted comparisons between the two images – despite the wildly different circumstances.

“I was annoyed with the reaction. I don’t like to comment on it too much, as it does take away from the moment,” Kirrane reflects. “The photo doesn’t tell the story of a horse winning a Group 1 against all the odds, beating some of the best sprinters around in the process. I think it took away from Adam, the owners and myself. We didn’t want the story to look like that.”

A more welcome and enduring image could be created at the Breeders’ Cup in Santa Anita, where Live In The Dream was being pointed after securing a “win and you’re in” berth at York.

America makes perfect sense as Live In The Dream can make use of his trademark early speed – a style which lends itself very favourably to US IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

racing. After a good tune-up at Keeneland, where he faded late on with the extra half-furlong to be fourth, there was some disappointment among connections when he was unable to hold on after bursting out of the gates once more in the Turf Sprint, but still ran very well to be a length-and-aquarter fourth.

Looking back at the year so far, did Kirrane ever dare dream (there’s that word again) that he could reach the heights he has?

“Absolutely not,” he insists. “I knew I had a good horse in Live In The Dream to look forward to, but at the start of the season he’d only won a couple of handicaps as a three-year-old.

“I’d had another shoulder operation, this time on my right shoulder, and Live In The Dream was actually one of my first winners back, appropriately enough, at Lingfield in March. Like myself, he’d had a bit of a lay-off and won off the back of a 220-day break.

“I guess the momentum built from then on, and I thought losing my claim would be a good achievement for the year. It’s gone better than that,” he says with considerable understatement after posting his 34th winner of the year.

Kirrane’s shoulders have taken a battering. He’s dislocated his left three times, which led to an operation back in 2020, and his right twice.

“I’m quite tall for a jockey – just under 5’10’’ – and obviously pretty lightly-framed, especially at the top of my body, which makes me more susceptible to this sort of thing. I’ve done my shoulders riding out and once it’s happened, you’re 200% more likely to do it again. Thankfully, though, I’ve had no problems since the ops.”

Given his height, making weight is a constant consideration.

“I go to the gym most days,” he says. “I am just under 9st most days, and the lightest I’ve ridden this year is 8st 9lb. I could probably do a couple of pounds lighter if I really had to, and it’s certainly a lot easier now I am not claiming.”

Kirrane grew up in Mount Merrion, on the outskirts of Dublin, a short walk from Leopardstown Racecourse, which he used to drag his parents to as a child.

“My father worked as a corporate financial advisor for PWC, and my mother worked for a bank – they had no interest in racing whatsoever. I just took an interest from when I was six and had riding lessons on ponies. My parents helped cultivate my interest and were happy to take me to Leopardstown for the big meetings.”

Aged 15, Kirrane’s destiny became clearer when he started riding out for Willie Mullins, whom he approached via a contact of his uncle that worked at Closutton.

“That’s when I learned to ride racehorses and really got the bug. I wanted to leave school at 16 and chase dreams. It triggered some difficult conversations with my parents, who insisted I finish school and get my leaving cert. Once I did that, they let me kick on. They’ve been very supportive.”

He took out a licence while with Johnny Levins, who trains on The Curragh, and supplied Kirrane

“My father

worked as a corporate financial advisor for PWC, and my mother worked for a bank – they had no interest in racing whatsoever”

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SEAN KIRRANE

“I was able to keep him on the bridle longer than I ever have as nothing ever came to me at the furlong pole.

When I took him off it he found another gear again”

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with his first victory – on just his sixth ride – courtesy of Bainne in an apprentice handicap at HQ in 2017.

“I had a chat with Johnny about how best to progress my career. He had around 25 horses, a nice string, but he had a stable jockey and he felt I should look at moving to England.”

They felt with more fixtures in Britain, there would naturally be more opportunities for Kirrane, and he set up in Newmarket with Richard Spencer, riding 20 winners in his first full season, before moving to David O’Meara’s Yorkshire base for a further two years.

His desire to broaden his horizons and experience led him to the UAE, where he spent two winters with Satish Seemar, and learned “a hell of a lot” from Richard Mullen and Tadhg O’Shea, who have shared multiple jockey championships out there.

His riding in the UAE caught the eye of Tim Easterby – Kirrane had formed a nice alliance in Dubai with Live In The Moment, “a good grass sprinter” and Easterby took him on as a 5lb claimer.

“I’d never met Tim formally, so I was surprised but obviously delighted he wanted to use me. We had luck early on which is always key and things went from there.”

Kirrane also got off to a great start with West, and his association with the stable is a brilliant

example of his work ethic. The jockey, who was riding for O’Meara at the time, stayed over in the south of England between days riding at Epsom and Goodwood in the summer of 2021.

“I thought, ‘What shall I do with my morning?’, and gave Adam a call, asking if he’d like me to ride out for him,” recalls Kirrane. “I went in and rode two lots and on the back of that he put me on a filly, Sky Blue Thinking, whom I won on three times, and now I ride for Adam whenever I am available.

“I’ll be forever grateful for what Adam has done for me. He could have looked at using a top jockey on Live In The Dream, but he stayed loyal to me, despite my inexperience.”

Despite Kirrane’s success this year, he is very conscious of the pendulum that can swing either way when it comes to this sport.

“Anything can happen can’t it? I’ve been injured countless times and sometimes felt perhaps I had not got the opportunities I deserved. And then I have the season I’ve just had.

“For me, I just take each day as it comes. Don’t expect too much. Don’t get too high, or too low. If you put yourself under pressure, you can expect too much of yourself and make mistakes. I don’t really set myself goals as such.”

That said, you are allowed to dream every so often.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

FIXTURES March Sunday 17th Season Opener April Friday 5th Evening Meeting

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ADRIAN MURRAY

HATS Of f Words: GUY WILLIAMS • Photos: HEALY RACING & CAROLINE NORRIS

One of those rare people you feel better for having met, it is no surprise that Adrian Murray’s Group 1 breakthrough was a popular one

M

odest man that he is, Adrian Murray sounded pleasantly surprised that any scribe would want to meet him in person, rather than interview him over the telephone. We could meet at his second yard. “Coming from Mullingar? Go two, maybe three miles out the Ballymahon road and you’ll see the barn and the gallops on your right. But ring me that morning.

I’ve a head like a sieve.”

Getting to Mullingar was the easy bit. The town is now surrounded by industrial estates. Ten minutes later we found the Devil’s Arms. As for signs to Ballymahon – or indeed anywhere – forget it. We retreated in disorder, ringing Adrian to apologise. On learning our immediate destination – Tullamore – he said he would meet us at the filling station on the Tullamore side of Kilbeggan in 20 minutes. And so – God bless him – he did.

Adrian Murray’s story of how he mutated from hunting and showjumping to training two-year-old Royal Ascot contenders – and a 150/1 winner to boot – has been recounted so often as to have become part of racing folklore.

126

As they say, you couldn’t make it up.

A farmer’s son from Rathowen – “It’s close to Longford. But it is in Westmeath!” – Adrian remembers his father taking him to Mullingar races, where the swing bridge across the river scared the daylights out of him.

Valiant Force, his Royal Ascot hero, brought him to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup, where he finished like a train to be second in the Juvenile Turf Sprint by a fast-diminishing half-length. Murray had been at Belmont Park for the 2001 championship, when Galileo took part.

As for Bucanero Fuerte, he had already gone into winter quarters, his job well done, an electrifying performer with the Railway Stakes and the Phoenix Stakes to his credit, the latter a maiden Group 1 for the trainer. Apropos his final appearance, when a well-beaten third in the National Stakes stepping up to seven furlongs, Adrian considers that he had gone over the top.

“The only way you find that out is to run them.

They say he didn’t get the trip. Sure, he was beaten after three furlongs!”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

ADRIAN MURRAY

By that time, Bucanero Fuerte’s achievements had elevated his dam, Frida La Blonde’s reputation to such a pitch as to see bloodstock agent Oliver St Lawrence secure his half-sister by Dubawi for €2.4m at Arqana on behalf of a Bahraini client.

Bought as a yearling at Deauville by Robson Aguiar, the bay son of Wootton Bassett came to hand early, making a winning debut at the Curragh in the very first juvenile maiden of 2023, owned in partnership by Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing and Robson’s wife Giselle de Aguiar. He became the first of Kia’s twosome to challenge for Royal Ascot races from Adrian’s Rathowen stable, finishing an honourable third to River Tiber in the Coventry Stakes on the opening Tuesday.

In doing so Bucanero Fuerte became Amo’s eighth representative to achieve minor honours at the royal meeting. His hopes were now pinned on

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

King Of Steel, second in the Epsom Derby to Auguste Rodin.

In the interim, Adrian would saddle Kia’s Valiant Force, a very long shot in the Norfolk Stakes on the Thursday. As the outsider of Kia’s two runners, Valiant Force was ridden by Rossa Ryan, Kia’s formerly retained jockey, now displaced by Kevin Stott. Well, horses don’t know their starting prices, as Valiant Force proceeded to confirm by winning well. Interviewed in the aftermath, the delighted trainer further confounded incredulous listeners.

“I can’t believe it. I fell into racing by accident. A friend of mine got me involved in the flat. It’s magic.

We were third here on Tuesday. It’s the stuff of dreams. It’s great for the small man. I’m based in Mullingar and have had some right nice jumpers in the past. I love it, love racing.”

Having finally got off the mark as an owner, Kia

A first Group 1 courtesy of Bucanero Fuerte’s four-length triumph in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes arrived just a year and a half after being persuaded not to hand in his trainer’s licence by Kia Joorabchian’s talent spotter Robson Aguiar, photographed here being congratulated by MV Magnier after the landmark success, and Aguiar’s brother-in-law José Guerra (CN)

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ADRIAN MURRAY

“Kia sees

Ireland as a very difficult place to win in”

Valiant Force belied odds of 150/1 to prove a worthy winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot (HR)

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completed a double when King Of Steel was successful in the King Edward VII Stakes. It represented a just return on a substantial investment. In 2023 that amounted to 76 representatives in Britain and 10 in Ireland, while the United States accounted for 36% of Amo’s horses in training. Having achieved recent Irish success with such as Go Bears Go in the 2022 Railway and Phoenix Stakes and Crypto Force in the 2022 Beresford Stakes for English-based David Loughnane and Curragh trainer Michael O’Callaghan, the soccer agent chose to concentrate his Irish runners with Adrian and the Brazilian brothers-in-law Robson Aguiar and José Guerra in Westmeath.

Should you refer to the last printed Directory of the Turf – the 50t edition, published in 2010 – you’ll find MURRAY, Adrian – type of licence: Jump (restricted). Going back further, Adrian’s initial winner was First Battle, successful in a point-to-point under a certain Mr Gordon Elliott. Leney Dow Jones became his first winner under Rules, appropriately at Kilbeggan, Adrian’s local course following the closure of Mullingar. Subsequent decent winners included Cass Bligh, Tullyann, Loughnagall and Fairymount Lad. The watershed year proved to be 2016. That was when Adrian switched from the suckler herd on his 140-acre farm at Rathowen to dry stock to give him more time for the racehorses. He also took out a flat licence. That far-reaching move was prompted by the association with Robson Aguiar and José Guerra.

Robson, apprenticed at the same time as Silvestre de Sousa, had come to Ireland to work for Aidan O’Brien in Ballydoyle. José had worked for Dermot

Weld in Rosewell House. By this time heavily involved in breeze-up preparation with Jim McCartan outside Mullingar, Robson had begun riding out for Adrian in the afternoons. This unlikely pairing opened Adrian’s flat account with Shes Ranger at Dundalk in 2016. “The Brazilians are great workers and natural horsemen. Like, we used to grow them in Ireland!”

Through Robson, Adrian came to meet Robson’s backer, Kia Joorabchian. One thing led to another and in 2022 Saliteh became the first winner he trained for Amo, at Naas.

Kia has proved prone to dispense with agents, trainers and jockeys peremptorily. Adrian prefers to see that as evidence of Kia’s will to win. Apropos his client’s future commitment to Irish racing, Adrian sounds a note of caution. “Kia sees Ireland as a very difficult place to win in, due to the domination of the O’Briens, father and sons.”

In The Sunday Independent, Adrian summarised the economics of his precarious profession.

“To exist in training, you have to be selling,” he said in that September article. “There’s no money in training. You have to be selling them. That’s what keeps the show on the road.”

As to whether life as a public trainer would be a little easier if Horse Racing Ireland were to collect agreed basic training fees as has been done for jockeys for many years and as has been the case in France for decades, he is doubtful.

“Would HRI either want to or be able to fulfil that role?”

As for his own case, Adrian counts himself fortunate that he trains mostly for local friends and acquaintances. “Yes, there have been a couple of

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

ADRIAN MURRAY

rotten eggs. But they were total strangers.”

Determined to confine his string to its present strength comprising 25 national hunt and 15 flat performers, Adrian reflects on the advantages Curragh trainers enjoy, not least the gallop charges being billed directly to the relevant owners of the horses in their care. In his own case, Adrian underwrote the refurbishment of his two-furlong circular sand gallop. “Wexford sand of course. What else?” That set him back a whacking €48,000.

His horses’ wellbeing is another constant concern.

Indeed, Adrian Murray came close to throwing in the towel as recently as 2022. From being the picture of collective health, the string would suddenly go offcolour, lose their zest for life and run like hairy dogs.

A retired equine vet diagnosed e-coli in the spring water Adrian was using. Counter-measures have meant that menace set at bay.

He admits that were it not for Robson and José and through them, Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing, he would happily have turned his back on the sport and reverted to full-time farming.

“Oh my God, I was horrid lucky,” he recounted in that Sunday Independent feature. “It’s all down to Robson and José. They said I can’t go. I’ve never looked back from then.”

In chatting, many familiar names from the Westmeath area came up: the Ross brothers, Cecil and Alan, Pat Casserly and Tony Broughan. Older than Adrian, I had ridden against the first three and

actually employed Tony Broughan – Adrian’s best friend and fellow farmer – when venturing into training myself outside Tullamore, a very long time ago, it seems. Mention of Daletta’s Irish National in 1980 brought a perceptive response.

“Was it fast ground at Fairyhouse that day?”

That proved to be the last of Daletta’s 17 career successes. He broke down during his Gold Cup preparation, bringing to mind Paddy Mullins’ contention that more damage is done on that final run in the spring than is ever done in the early part of the following season. The trouble is there already, just lurking.

Back to the moment. Adrian revealed that he had 20 acres of grass to cut for silage that very evening, a long-awaited relief after what had been a terrible year for grass. He might have been fortunate to have secured a supply of silage before the dearth manifested itself. If now was a bonus, Adrian was not going to miss it.

In the game of chance that racehorse training has always been, Adrian Murray has an unusual advantage, which may account in large part for his philosophical mindset. He is a single man, beholden neither to spouse nor offspring. During our hour chatting in that filling station, that rare quality among the training profession impressed itself on me more and more. Adrian Murray is accountable only for himself and to himself. He is one of those rare people you feel better for having met.

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129

NIALL MCCULLAGH

Words: ANNE MARIE DUFF Photos: HEALY RACING

got it

Still

It is more than 37 years since Niall McCullagh rode his first winner but he proved his enduring prowess by dropping Brazil in front on the line from a wide draw at Galway and is looking forward to riding more winners in 2024

W

hen Niall McCullagh headed off for Down Royal on the last Friday in July for his two booked rides, it was more in hope than any great expectation of success.

It wasn’t that the long-serving rider wasn’t having a busy summer. His expertise was as sought after as ever in the mornings, he’d been as busy as ever on the gallops.

But there were no winners on the board and no jockey, least of all one who had an Irish Classic success to his name, would be completely satisfied with nothing in the winner’s cabinet.

When the sun turns to shine in your direction, who knows what the rays of luck may bring.

“One of the rides that I thought had the best chance ended up being a non-runner,” he recalls, “so I was ending up with one ride that was a 150/1 shot.

Then the first reserve got into the last with a decent chance for Gavin Cromwell so at least I had two!”

On his ride in the opening two-year-old maiden, he lined up alongside another 150/1 shot ridden by Rory Cleary. The formbook comments are amusing

130

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

NIALL MCCULLAGH

now, in the knowledge that Cleary suffered no serious injury. Cleary’s mount T Or Coffey “ducked sharply right and unseated over a furlong out”.

McCullagh on Rogerwaswrong “had to take evasive action due to the faller on the flat”.

With Cleary shaken up by the fall and removed to hospital, the Bolger runners, Eastern Legend and Golden Spangle, were without a rider.

“Lucky for me, I was in the right place at the right time! (Bolger’s travelling head man) Ger Flynn said, ‘Niall McCullagh is available,’ and Mr Bolger said, ‘He’ll do.’”

The 54-year-old grabbed his chance and ended the evening with a double.

“It was funny then because I actually went to Belfast then to collect Rory from the hospital. After riding his two winners, I had the decency to bring him home!” he recalls in humour.

It kicked off a great seven late-summer days for the Carlowman. The balls bounced in his favour when he was on standby to ride Brazil for Pádraig Roche in the feature flat handicap at Galway on the Friday. But he ran and was pulled up in the Galway Hurdle on the Thursday.

“But then my agent Ciarán O’Toole rang and said that the horse was definitely running. So off I went to Galway, hoping for the best and lo and behold I went and won the Galway Guinness Handicap!

“It was great because those were the only winners that I had but I meet people even recently and they say, ‘Oh, you had a good year.’ I had a crap year, but because I rode a Galway winner and it was on TG4, people knew it. It just shows you how strongly Galway resonates with Irish people.

Everyone wants to be there and everyone wants to have a winner there.”

There was no small skill or effort either in getting Brazil home, drawn 17, slowly away, driven round the outside of the field to get up by a neck. Seán Bowen, rider of the second-placed Teed Up, was 19 years from being born when McCullagh rode his maiden success on Rose Of Carlow for his father Michael in 1986.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky there. In a way, it got my career going in 1988 when I won the McDonagh Handicap for Paddy Mullins on Pheopotstown - I got a great thrill and buzz out of this one and especially for Mr McManus, Paudie Roche, Frank Berry and the team.”

For the rest of the summer, McCullagh remained in demand.

“I have a good association with Mick Halford, Johnny Murtagh, Ken Condon, Jessica Harrington, Charles Weld, the list goes on – I’m as busy on the mornings as I ever was. I like being busy and I ride out at several yards, they are happy to have me in with my experience and I’m happy to help out.”

And there is no retirement sign from the big stage being hoisted yet.

“I renewed my licence lately, did my concussion test and medical. One of the days I’m going racing, I’ll say I don’t want to do this anymore but I can’t see it. I’ve another bit to go, I love being a jockey, I love riding, I love being in the weigh room.”

In the weigh room too is son Scott, who is also IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

taking all the opportunities that come his way and bringing satisfaction to his dad.

“I’d rather see him have a winner than me. I’m delighted to see him doing well, he’s nestled into the weigh room well and he can hold his own.”

The racing gene runs down from his own father Michael, also still in the trainers’ listings.

“We are all involved in it with a family friend Danny McLoughlin, we’re dabbling in that so that might be the future but only on a small scale.”

He has seen many changes in the development of young riders setting out on their careers from the mid-’80s when he started off.

“Back then you had to be light to get going, I was very light, I could claim 7lb of 7st 7lb. The human race has got bigger for the lads starting now, a lot of apprentices now wouldn’t have got a look-in when I started. The bottom weight is now 8st 7lb.

“I’m doing a little bit of coaching now as well, you can see some of the kids, they ride as well as other kids but they just don’t have the luck. Some kids fly and some kids don’t. But there is a lot more help available for them. When I started, I hadn’t a clue about nutrition or calories or diet, you learned as you went along. Now you have the Jockey Pathway and psychologists, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches.

“When I started, when a new rider came into the weigh room, you had absolutely nothing but a helmet and a whip. But they have to feel their way, I enjoy seeing the kids come through.”

Looking through his career wins, some old favourites appear. He won a Leopardstown November Handicap in 2000 on the Michael Hourigan-trained NH hero, Dorans Pride. The biggest wins came on Royal Diamond in the Irish St Leger for Tommy Carmody and then Sadler's Rock for John Oxx in the Doncaster Cup. The weigh room he entered back then consisted of plenty of famous names.

“Mick Kinane, Stephen Craine, David Parnell, God be good to him, Christy Roche. It was very popular for riders to come from England or France for the weekends: Cash Assmussen, John Reid. I grew up watching all them and idolised them. Little did I know that 39 years later I’d still be in the weigh room!”

Still riding winners.

“As a family. we all get a great kick out of any success – big or small.”

Three generations of McCullaghs celebrate, along with owner Danny McLoughlin, a friend and key member of the team, after Scott rode Run The Jewels, trained by Michael, to win the Francis Harte Memorial Handicap at Cork last year

131

Slickers CITY

Photos: PETER MOONEY & CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: ALAN HEWISON

CITY OF TROY (PM)

What’s in store for this year’s top Irish-trained juveniles in 2024 CITY OF TROY (USA) 124p

b c Justify – Together Forever (Galileo) “There is no doubt he is the best two-year-old I’ve trained.” Not an unusual quote from a trainer but coming from Aidan O’Brien it seems quite the statement concerning City Of Troy, who became his trainer’s eighth Dewhurst winner in mid-October with a performance that confirmed his standing as the top-rated juvenile of 2023 and the highestrated for some time.

Having had to miss his intended debut in a Curragh maiden on Guineas weekend due to an allergy, City Of Troy made an impressive start on Derby weekend over seven furlongs, hitting the line so strongly that Ryan Moore had difficulty pulling him up. Just a fortnight later he obliterated a decent field for the Superlative Stakes at the Newmarket July course, again powering away inside the final furlong. Having missed the National Stakes due to ground concerns, City Of Troy travelled to Newmarket for the Dewhurst, this time 132

over the Rowley course. Despite misgivings over the soft going, City Of Troy handled it no problem and showed a much greater level of form, making all and once again lengthening away from his rivals inside the final furlong. Connections are adamant his powerful, long stride will be even more effective on a sound surface and he goes into winter quarters a short-priced favourite for both the Guineas and Derby.

Coolmore’s continuing search for a stallion from the Scat Daddy line, which in recent years has been centred around No Nay Never, seems to have shifted towards Scat Daddy’s Triple Crownwinning son Justify. No Nay Never’s progeny seem to have stamina limitations but the Belmont winner should give City Of Troy a much greater chance of seeing out the Derby trip, although it should be noted that City Of Troy’s dam Together Forever, winner of the Fillies’ Mile at two, didn’t quite stay the Oaks trip.

Aidan O’Brien IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

HORSES TO FOLLOW

HENRY LONGFELLOW (IRE) 118p

b c Dubawi – Minding (Galileo) Like his stablemate City Of Troy, Henry Longfellow was unbeaten in three starts, all coming over seven furlongs at Curragh Racecourse. A fluent maiden success in late July was followed by another comfortable win in a poorly-contested Group 2 Futurity Stakes and then, with ground concerns for City Of Troy, he was diverted from a Dewhurst bid to the National Stakes. where he gave the Futurity second Islandsinthestream a much greater beating in what was admittedly a disappointing turnout of just four, his chief rival Bucanero Fuerte running way below his best. The bare form of the National Stakes leaves him some way off City Of Troy but nonetheless he looks an equally exciting prospect, and in stallion terms arguably a more valuable one.

The best son of Dubawi to have gone through Ballydoyle, he is out of the yard’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks winner Minding, herself a sister to another Oaks winner in Tuesday, also winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and an Irish 1000 Guineas winner Empress Josephine. Bred to relish the Derby trip, he could emerge Ballydoyle’s main Epsom hope if City Of Troy comes up short on the stamina front. He also has plenty of speed for a Guineas bid and it will be interesting to see if Ballydoyle keep the top colts apart. Henry Longfellow could head for the French 2000 Guineas.

Aidan O’Brien

BUCANERO FUERTE (GB) 117

b c Wootton Bassett – Frida La Blonde (Elusive City) In a breakthrough season for Amo Racing, Bucanero Fuerte gave them their first juvenile winner at the top level, and trainer Adrian Murray his first at any age, when winning the Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh in August. That was the colt’s third success at the venue following a maiden win on the opening day of the season and when rallying to get up on the post in the Railway Stakes.

The son of Wootton Bassett encountered easier ground when upped in trip in the National Stakes the following month but raced too keenly and didn’t get home, probably not helped by his stablemate setting too strong a pace. He is well worth another shot at seven furlongs but there must be serious doubts over him getting the mile, his brother Wooded having won over seven but producing his career-best when winning the Prix de l’Abbaye over five.

Adrian Murray

OPERA SINGER (USA) 114p

b f Justify – Liscanna (Sadler’s Wells) Opera Singer put up the best performance by a juvenile filly in Europe when blitzing the field in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc day, dominating from flag-fall. The step-up to a mile on her previous start had brought about serious improvement when winning a Group 3 at Curragh Racecourse and under that positive ride with stamina proven at ParisLongchamp, she came on again. She is the third juvenile Group 1 winner bred by her dam, following the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BUCANERO FUERTE (PM)

Hit It A Bomb and the Cheveley Park winner Brave Anna, both by War Front. Their dam, Liscanna was a smart sprinter for David Wachman, the next dam Lahinch won a Guineas trial over seven furlongs.

Opera Singer could well stay 1m2f as a three-yearold and she deservedly heads the betting for the 1000 Guineas.

Aidan O’Brien

UNQUESTIONABLE (FR) 113

b c Wootton Bassett – Strawberry Lace (Sea The Stars) Unquestionable gave Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore their sixth win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, always nicely placed in a strongly-run contest and asserting well inside the final furlong in beating stablemate Mountain Bear.

That was the colt’s first win since a Curragh maiden win on Guineas weekend but in between he ran to a smart level of form when only touched off on the post by Bucanero Fuerte in the Railway Stakes, and in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on Arc weekend, racing keenly in a strongly-run race and ultimately outstayed by Rosallion inside the final 100 yards.

The tight mile around Santa Anita bears no resemblance to the test that awaits at Newmarket or The Curragh but there must be a good chance he’ll stay, although at the moment he looks a bit below the top table at Ballydoyle.

Aidan O’Brien

VESPERTILIO (FR) 111p

b f Night Of Thunder – Prudente (Dansili) The good-looking Vespertilio seems a filly to follow after a progressive juvenile campaign, highlighted by her Group 2 Debutante Stakes triumph at Curragh Racecourse and her clear second to Fallen Angel over the same course and distance in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, having travelled well. The daughter of Night Of Thunder was a €320,000 yearling buy at Arqana and is out of a French mile winner that has also produced the fairly useful miler, Fort Vega. A mile looks to be Vespertilio’s trip.

Willie McCreery 133

HORSES TO FOLLOW

PORTA FORTUNA (IRE) 109

VESPERTILIO (CN)

YLANG YLANG (GB) 111p

b f Frankel – Shambolic (Shamardal) Ylang Ylang’s best two performances came on soft ground, the second in taking a strong renewal of the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October. Winner of her first two starts including the Silver Flash on soft, she had run well below her best in both the Moyglare and Rockfel but relished the step-up to a mile at Newmarket, coming off a strong pace to win going away in the closing stages, despite having been hampered inside the final furlong. A 1.5m guineas yearling, the daughter of Frankel is out of a listed-placed half-sister to the 1m4f Hong Kong Group 1 winner Viva Pataca among others and looks sure to be at her best over middle distances in 2024. She will, no doubt, head for the 1000 Guineas, but looks primarily an Oaks prospect.

Aidan O’Brien

RIVER TIBER (IRE) 110

b c Wootton Bassett – Transcendance (Arcano) River Tiber’s Coventry Stakes win was a tenth success in the race for Aidan O’Brien and completed a quick hat-trick for the son of Wootton Bassett, following wins at Navan and Naas.

Afterwards Ryan Moore talked of him as a Dewhurst type but he was kept to six furlongs for his next two starts. On soft ground at Deauville in the Prix Morny he came from some way back to finish third behind Vandeek, his trainer revealing beforehand that the colt had pulled a muscle two weeks earlier and only just made the race. Back on quicker ground in the Middle Park he finished a similar distance third to the same rival, having every chance. The more fancied of the Ballydoyle trio for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf over a mile, he didn’t get to start after failing stringent Santa Anita vets on the morning of the race, in a race won by stablemate Unquestionable, another by Wootton Bassett. Out of an unraced half-sister to a listed-winning sprinter and to a US mile-winning filly, who has bred a Group 1-winning juvenile in Sudirman, River Tiber’s pedigree is essentially speed and there could be stamina doubts over a mile.

Aidan O’Brien 134

b f Caravaggio – Too Precious (Holy Roman Emperor) Porta Fortuna had quite a busy campaign but progressed throughout, putting up her best efforts on her final two runs at the top level on quick ground. In an ordinary renewal of the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket she showed speed throughout, quickened and stayed on well, while she saw the mile out well in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf without quite getting to the half-length winner Hard To Justify. Her first three wins of the campaign also included the Albany Stakes on similar ground, the easier ground in the Moyglare not appearing to suit as well. A daughter of the crack sprinter Caravaggio, whose progeny seem to stay better than he did, Porta Fortuna is out of a 1m4f winner.

Donnacha O’Brien

DIEGO VELAZQUEZ (IRE) 108p

b c Frankel – Sweepstake (Acclamation) It was a pity Diego Velazquez was unable to do himself justice in the Kameko Futurity at Doncaster. Unsettled in the stalls as a result of his stablemate Battle Cry going down in the adjacent stall and being withdrawn, he also had to contend with heavy ground for the first time, both factors probably contributing to a tame finishing effort. The Frankel colt had made a good impression in winning both his previous starts, each time looking a work in progress, notably over a mile in the Group 2 Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown, knuckling down well to reel in his front-running stablemate Capulet, the pair clear. At Doncaster he never really looked happy, squeezed along under three furlongs out then getting within striking distance of the leaders only to fade inside the final furlong. A 2.4m guineas yearling, he is closely related to Derby Trial winner and Epsom Derby fourth Broome, and to Point Lonsdale, winner of the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh. Diego Velazquez will need middle distances at three and back on a sound surface he could be lining up at Epsom in June with a live chance.

Aidan O’Brien

ONE LOOK (IRE) 108p

b f Gleneagles – Holy Salt (Holy Roman Emperor) Paddy Twomey continues to impress and his yard had an enviable 39% strike rate with its two-yearolds on turf in 2023, by some way the highest.

Among the 15 wins were two real money spinners in King Cuan, winner of two very valuable sales races at Naas, and the filly One Look, who made a lasting impression on her only start when sprinting away from some experienced rivals in the Goffs Million at The Curragh in late September. Beating the Lowther Stakes runner-up Cherry Blossom six lengths rates as very smart form and she looks an exciting 1000 Guineas prospect. A daughter of Gleneagles, she was very well bought for €65,000 and is out of French mile winner.

Paddy Twomey IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Van Man

VANDEEK (HR)

Photos: HEALY RACING & PETER MOONEY • Words: RORY DELARGY

the

The prospects of some of this year’s top European 2yos trained outside Ireland are placed under the microscope VANDEEK 119p

gr c Havana Gray – Mosa Mine (Exceed And Excel) No British-trained two-year-old made a bigger impression in 2023 than Vandeek, with the imposing son of Havana Grey going unbeaten through four races which included Group 1 wins in the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes, beating Ramatuelle in the former after the filly had got first run, and proving his effectiveness away from soft ground when beating Task Force by two and a quarter lengths in the Middle Park.

Simon Crisford has suggested that Vandeek could stay a mile, but James Doyle described him as a “pure ball of speed” after the Middle Park, and the jockey’s immediate reaction is the more reliable indicator of where this exciting colt will go, with the Commonwealth Cup surely the primary goal before taking on his elders in the top sprints. It may be that connections start him off in the Greenham

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Stakes at Newbury to see whether he’ll stay seven furlongs, and the ground tends to be testing for that fixture, which is clearly no issue for him, but a tilt at the Guineas may be a step too far.

Simon & Ed Crisford

ANCIENT WISDWOM (FR) 118

b c Dubawi – Golden Valentine (Dalakhani) A €2m yearling and full brother to useful juvenile Intricacy out of Prix Minerve winner Golden Valentine from the family of Goldikova, Ancient Wisdom is bred to be smart, and was beaten only once in five outings, that coming when favourite for the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July, which has thrown up a host of subsequent blacktype winners.

Given a break after Ascot, he impressed when beating Chief Little Rock by three and threequarter lengths in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes and IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

HORSES TO FOLLOW

was supplemented for the Futurity, which he won in the manner of a stayer without really having to improve on that impressive Newmarket success. He will stay at least a mile and a quarter next season and is unlikely to develop into a serious challenger for the 2000 Guineas, with the Derby a more likely aim, although as a Group 1 winner, he could use Newmarket as his starting point.

Charlie Appleby

ROSALLION 116p

b c Blue Point – Rosaline (New Approach) The Listed Pat Eddery Stakes won by Rosallion at Ascot in July proved a remarkably rich source of future winners, with the next five home all gaining black-type success subsequently, and three of the field enjoying Group 1 success: Sunway (Criterium International), Ancient Wisdom (Kameko Futurity) and Rosallion, who bounced back from defeat in the Champagne Stakes to land the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on his final start, again showing a most taking burst of speed from off the pace to beat Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable.

The concern is that he does tend to take a strong hold, and he cost himself a winning chance in the Champagne by pulling too hard in a small field. He should just about stay a mile, for all Blue Point is likely to prove more of an influence for speed, but if he is to throw down a challenge for the 2000 Guineas, he will need to learn to settle better. He would make some appeal for the French Guineas should connections opt for that path, however, and it’s worth reiterating just how well his twoyear-old efforts stack up.

Richard Hannon

ARABIAN CROWN (FR) 114p

b c Dubawi – Dubai Rose (Dubai Destination) Another son of Dubawi, Arabian Crown improved as his stamina was drawn out, his sole defeat coming on debut over seven furlongs at Sandown.

He won a soft-ground maiden over the same course and distance in July and followed up in the Listed Stonehenge Stakes (1m, good) at Salisbury the following month. He then stepped up to ten furlongs for the Group 3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket for his final outing, winning by five and a half lengths from Gasper de Lemos. It was a weak contest numerically, with only four runners, but Arabian Crown’s performance must go down as impressive, for all he was allowed to dictate.

He will aim for a Derby trial in the spring and Godolphin have largely avoided running their best Derby candidates against Coolmore-owned colts at Chester, so Sandown’s Classic Trial or the Dante Stakes at York are more likely targets for a staying type who reportedly shows little on the home gallops.

Charlie Appleby

Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood and the Group 2 Flying Childers at Doncaster before his greatest moment in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He was unable to lead in the Santa Anita contest but showed his usual speed to track the trailblazing Crimson Advocate and forged ahead as that rival weakened in the straight. Big Evs kept on well to the line and always looked likely to hold the late charge of Valiant Force in a race dominated by European challengers.

Until Santa Anita, there was a question of whether Big Evs could show his form if unable to dominate, largely due to a disappointing effort when taking on his elders in the Nunthorpe at York, but he dispelled than notion on his final start, and that helps open up his options, for all he looks as if even six furlongs may be too far given just how quick he is over the minimum. The King’s Stand rather than the Commonwealth Cup is where he is best aimed at Royal Ascot, with either the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket or the Temple Stakes at Haydock to choose from as a starting point for the season.

Mick Appleby

RAMATUELLE (Fr) 113

ch f Justify – Raven’s Lady (Raven’s Pass) There is little doubt that Justify is a name we will be hearing more and more of in breeding circles, with the US Triple Crown winner looking just as imperious as a stallion, with a pair of Group 1 winners at the Breeders’ Cup in Just FYI and Hard To Justify advertising his achievements and City of Troy flying the flag for him on the domestic front.

Ramatuelle is another looking sure to make her mark at the top level in 2024, and although beaten twice in her first season, narrow defeats to Beauvatier and Vandeek carry no shame and she was a wide-margin winner of pattern races at Chantilly in between those efforts, beating the prolific Zorken by five lengths in the Prix du Bois BIG EVS (HR)

BIG EVS 114

b c Blue Point – Hana Lina (Oasis Dream) He might not be easy to place in 2024, but Big Evs deserves his spot due to his achievements as a juvenile, when winning the Listed Windsor Castle IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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HORSES TO FOLLOW FALLEN ANGEL (PM) Dewhurst. He looked a work in progress as a juvenile, and although no match for Vandeek when beaten two and a quarter lengths, he very much took the eye in both the paddock and the race itself, with his trainer barely able to contain his excitement for the future.

Ralph Beckett

FALLEN ANGEL 110p

and equally impressive in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin the following month. She led everywhere bar the line in the Morny, and Vandeek did his bit for the form when winning the Middle Park Stakes on his next start. Ramatuelle has done all her racing over sprint trips, and her dam was best at six furlongs, but stayed further, and Christopher Head’s filly has every chance of staying the mile of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains even if that proves the limit of her stamina.

Christopher Head

BEAUVATIER (FR) 112p

b c Lope de Vega – Enchanting Skies (Sea The Stars) The first foal of a ten-and-a-half-furlong-winning daughter of Sea The Stars, whose own dam is a half-sister to German champion Elle Danzig, Beauvatier looked an excellent prospect when getting the better of Ramatuelle in a minor event at Saint-Cloud (6f, good) in May. He won his next two starts at seven furlongs with ease and started evens favourite for the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère on his final start but could finish only third behind Rosallion after being left poorly placed when the race began in earnest.

Despite being beaten at Longchamp, Beauvatier showed improved form, with he and Rosallion split by subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Unquestionable. He looks a leading contender for both the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Prix du Jockey Club, with his pedigree suggesting that ten furlongs ought to suit as a three-year-old.

Yann Barberot

TASK FORCE 111p

b c Frankel – Special Duty (Hennessy) He may be unproven over further than six furlongs but Task Force looks the most exciting of the 2000 Guineas contenders in Britain based on the prospect for improvement as a three-year-old as much as the impression he made when finishing a fine second to Vandeek in the Middle Park Stakes.

That effort came after winning a Salisbury maiden and a listed contest at Ripon, and while beaten, he came through with his reputation considerably enhanced.

The product of Guineas winners, he is bred to improve for stretching out in trip and Ralph Beckett was inclined to mind him after his Newmarket run rather than send him to the 138

g f Too Darn Hot– Agnes Stewart (Lawman) Karl Burke had an excellent time with his two-yearolds in 2023, with 36 individual winners from just 71 runners. He did particularly well with his fillies, with Darnation and Fallen Angel both looking topnotch prospects, but while the former is almost certainly in need of soft ground, Fallen Angel is more adaptable and she produced her best effort of the season when winning the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh (7f, yielding) in September. She had to quicken twice to score and impressed in the way she responded when joined by runner-up Vespertilio, coming away to win with authority after looking to face a stern challenge.

The Moyglare form is always strong and was soon boosted when third-placed Porta Fortuna won the Cheveley Park Stakes and then ran an unlucky second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf. Fallen Angel had shown her best form on quick turf prior to her Curragh success, but looks like she will cope with anything except perhaps heavy, and she should have no trouble staying a mile on the evidence of her strong finish there. She is favourite for the 1000 Guineas at the time of writing and while there is much water to flow under the bridge by May, she certainly deserves her ante-post position based on what she has achieved to date.

Karl Burke

EBEN SHADDAD 109p

b c Calyx – Galileo’s Lady (Galileo) John and Thady Gosden had a rather thin time of things with their juveniles in 2023, with their first turf winner coming in the shape of Eben Shaddad at the end of August. The son of Calyx failed to win in two subsequent starts but showed muchimproved form when a four-and-a-half-length third to City Of Troy in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes on his third and final outing.

Eben Shaddad started 25/1 for the Dewhurst and failed to lay a glove on the outstanding winner but is a substantial sort who hadn’t grown into his frame at two and is sure to do a fair bit better with time to strengthen up. His pedigree is a blend of speed and stamina but with Galileo as his dam-sire he seems certain to stay at least a mile, and his unraced dam is a full sister to Shakespear’sgalley, who won at up to two miles for Joseph O’Brien, while a half-sister, Lady Speightspeare, was a close third behind Tuesday in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

John & Thady Gosden *Ratings reproduced by kind permission of Timeform IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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There is much to look forward to among the older horses returning to race next year (ages as of 2024) AUGUSTE RODIN 129

4 br c Deep Impact - Rhododendron (Galileo) It’s to be hoped that Auguste Rodin will be aimed at the Breeders’ Cup Classic as a four-year-old, as Aidan O’Brien was at pains to point out how well he worked on dirt in California and is clearly trying to open the door for that possibility. MV Magnier, in accepting the trophy for his Breeders’ Cup Turf success, certainly didn’t attempt to close that door AUGUSTE RODIN (PM)

for the son of Deep Impact and it is a massive boost for racing to have this magnificent colt on the scene next year.

Auguste Rodin had his off days, with poor efforts in the 2000 Guineas and the King George, but some intensive work at home and a switch to a cross-noseband seems to have done the trick, and wins in the Derby, Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes prior to that thrilling win at Santa Anita make for a special CV for a horse who is as stunning in the flesh as he is on the page. He is an enormously valuable stallion prospect but the Breeders’ Cup Classic is the race that the “lads” would love to win above any other.

Aidan O’Brien

BIG ROCK 129

4 br c Rock of Gibraltar – Hardiyna (Sea The Stars) Leopoldo Fernández Pujals doesn’t do things by halves, and is determined to make the same impact in racing as he has in business despite first dipping his toe into the thoroughbred market as recently as 2019. In 2023, Big Rock and Blue Rose Cen carried the blue and white livery of his Yeguada Centurion company with great credit, and Big Rock’s sixlength win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October was arguably the performance of the season, although the soft ground at Ascot makes that claim a contentious one.

Big Rock showed that he is a top-class performer on a sound surface when second in a trio of Group 1 races in the summer but was a revelation on testing ground as he made all the running at a strong pace to win by a wide margin. He had beaten Horizon Dore by five lengths in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche on his previous try on such a surface and will always be hard to catch when the mud is flying. He didn’t stay the extended ten furlongs in the Prix du Jockey Club when beating all bar Ace Impact, but 1m1f is within his range as he showed in the Guiche.

Christopher Head

KYPRIOS 128

6 ch c Galileo – Polished Gem (Danehill) Kyprios had a sensational season where he won all 140

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

HORSES TO FOLLOW

INSPIRAL (HR) six of his starts from 1m6f to 2m4f in 2022, but injury kept him sidelined until the autumn last term, and he failed to win in two starts, albeit looking sure to collect for a long way in the British Champions Long Distance Cup when worried out of it by Trawlerman.

Kyprios is inclined to doss in front as demonstrated by his walkabout in the Cadran as a four-year-old and he probably made a big move too early in Ascot, with Trawlerman able to get a breather before rallying as Kyprios leaned to the rail. He almost certainly retains all his ability with his season merely rushed due to an injury-affected preparation, and he should be a huge player in all the big staying contests again in 2024.

Aidan O’Brien

Dettori was coolness personified, but his confidence was down to his belief in a filly of outstanding ability, and it’s a boost to the season ahead that she’s to be kept in training as a five-year-old.

Best known as a brilliant miler, she was stretching out to ten furlongs for the first time in California, and while that opens up new options, I’d expect her to race over the shorter trip in Europe, with the nature of the Santa Anita track allowing her to be fully effective over the longer trip. I doubt she would be as effective over ten furlongs in a race like the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot or York’s International, but another bid for the Filly & Mare Turf at the Breeders’ Cup would obviously make sense.

John & Thady Gosden

CONTINUOUS (Jpn) 125

KING OF STEEL (USA) 125

4 b c Hearts Cry – Fluff (Galileo) Continuous improved markedly in the second half of the season and was impressive in winning the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August and the St Leger at Doncaster before a highly creditable three-and-a-quarter-length fifth of 15 to Ace Impact in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He has the profile of a horse that will keep progressing, though a planned trip to Japan had to be aborted due to stiffness.

He may still go to Hong Kong in December and/ or the Dubai Carnival, with the Sheema Classic at Meydan a race that would suit him ideally, and the plan for top-class middle-distance performers is a familiar one, with the Coronation Cup and King George the big mid-season targets.

Aidan O’Brien

INSPIRAL (GB) 125

5 b m Frankel – Starscope (Selkirk) Inspiral’s last-gasp triumph over Warm Heart in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf was one of the highlights of the season, with Frankie Dettori refusing to panic when well back on the home turn.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

4 g c Wootton Basset – Eldacar (Verglas) King Of Steel was beaten on four of his six starts as a three-year-old but there remains a feeling that the son of Wootton Bassett could be really exceptional. To finish second in the Derby to Auguste Rodin on his seasonal reappearance was a remarkable effort, and he followed that with a comfortable win in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. He seemed to find the stiff mile and a half in the King George stretching his stamina back at Group 1 level and then did his running too late in the Irish Champion behind his Epsom nemesis.

The Champion Stakes saw him redeem his reputation with a gutsy success, but that was a tough race to endure, and a trip to California for the Breeders’ Cup Turf was a race too far.

It would be a surprise if a horse of his size and scope didn’t do even better at four. He stays a mile and a half, and is fully effective over ten furlongs, while he’s won on both good to firm and very soft ground, and I’d expect the International at York with its long straight to be the race in which he could show himself at his very best.

Roger Varian 141

HORSES TO FOLLOW

BLUE ROSE CEN (HR)

Longchamp and the Prix Dollar at the latter track.

Those wins all came at around ten furlongs on good or faster ground but he ran well on a softer surface when third to King Of Steel in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, albeit finding less than looked likely when making smooth progress to challenge.

It may be that a sound surface is important to Horizon Dore and he should pay his way in the summer at ten furlongs. It would be no shock to see him gain a first Group 1 with the balance of his form suggesting he’s well up to the top level. A big, imposing type, he has probably yet to reach his physical peak.

Patrice Cottier

ROGUE LIGHTNING 119

COURAGE MON AMI (GB) 124

5 b g Frankel – Crimson Ribbon (Lemon Drop Kid) Wathnan Racing, aka the Emir of Qatar, will be another major player in British racing having made an initial splash at Royal Ascot with two winners from just three runners, all of whom were bought within weeks of the big meeting. The biggest impact was made by Courage Mon Ami, who graduated from handicap company to win an admittedly weakened Gold Cup, for all that might be harsh on runner-up Coltrane. He looked to have the world at his feet at that stage. In retrospect, he was hardly disgraced in two subsequent starts, finding soft ground against him in the Goodwood Cup before posting a strong-finishing second to Coltrane in the Lonsdale Cup at York, where he found a fast-run two miles an inadequate test.

Courage Mon Ami is at his best with a thorough test of stamina but also seems in need of a sound surface. He’s likely to get ideal conditions as he bids for back-to-back wins in the Gold Cup and should be viewed as a leading contender, but his chances in the other big staying events may rely on getting a strong pace and/or the autumn weather being kinder.

John & Thady Gosden

HORIZON DORE (Fr) 123

4 b g Dabirsim – Sweet Alabama (Enrique) The gelded Horizon Dore improved with almost every start in his second season, and he was successful at pattern level in the Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud, Prix du Prince d'Orange at 142

4 b g Kodiac – Field of Stars (Acclamation) Rogue Lightning has yet to score in pattern company but after landing a hat-trick in lesser company in late summer/autumn, he looked most unlucky not to take a big hand in the finish of the Prix de l’Abbaye, meeting trouble at a crucial stage but still beaten just over a length by Highfield Princess. Sold for £1m at the Qipco Champions Day Sale, he will remain in training with Tom Clover but will race next year in the colours of Wathnan Racing.

The son of Kodiac is learning all the time as a sprinter and while inclined to be a little too free in his early starts, he is sure to learn to settle with experience and will be a more potent force when connections are able to dispense with the hood he wore as a three-year-old. He’s been tried at six furlongs but looks best at the minimum trip and the King’s Stand will surely be on his agenda.

Tom Clover

BLUE ROSE CEN 118

4 b f Churchill – Queen Blossom (Jeremy) Four Group 1 wins, including the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane, is an impressive haul and it’s a pleasant surprise to see a filly with this profile persevered with. Blue Rose Cen failed to stay in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in September but bounced back to take the Prix de l'Opera at the same venue the following month, keeping on well to win by a neck from Jackie Oh. Blue Rose Cen is likely to be kept at up to ten furlongs, with the Prix d’Ispahan over an extended 1m1f a logical first step, as Head’s father Freddy won the race with Goldikova (twice) and Solow, although the race would also suit Big Rock, and their trainer will want to keep them apart. She lacks the scope of Big Rock but is equally effective on soft and good to firm turf. She was beaten on her only outing in Britain when regular rider Aurelien Lemaitre had a nightmare trip in the Nassau Stakes and it would be no surprise to see connections come to Goodwood once more in a bid to right that wrong.

Christopher Head *Ratings reproduced by kind permission of Timeform IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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NOEL MEADE

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: JOHNNY WARD

chameleon

THE

Noel Meade has proven supremely capable of adapting to changes in his environment and is now flourishing back in the flat sphere he did so well in more than four decades ago, having become a seven-time champion when turning his attention to the jumps

W

hat odds might one have had at the turn of the century that, in 2023, both Jessica Harrington and Noel Meade would be training far more flat horses than jumpers?

They were always dual operators but both were pension age when they started to concentrate more on the level in terms of numbers. Harrington was soon training Classic winners, Meade won a Group 1 in 2021 and even saddled two of the first three in the Royal Whip this season.

For Meade, there is a little sadness that he might

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have less than a couple of dozen jumpers this year.

Given his longevity, it is a stark reminder of where jumps racing is at in Ireland. He sees the national hunt picture as “peculiar” and – while there is no sense of feeling hard done by – Meade and Harrington might be old dogs but they are still hungry and evolving.

In the final days of a wet October, he saddled an impressive Galway maiden chase winner in Affordale Fury, who may hoist his jumping flag highest in 2024, and his stable star on the level,

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

NOEL MEADE

Helvic Dream struck at The Curragh. Meade always tends to be on fire this time of the year, even if things have changed.

The trainer, who began with one horse called Tu Va in 1970, enters 2024 at Tu Va Stables, still hungry but for different winners. Willie Mullins’ dominance is such that it is borderline fanciful that seven-time champion trainer Meade will ever top the jumps ladder again.

He is okay with that. In 1988, Meade had 221 flat runners. In 2014 he had 13, and not a single winner.

This year, over 50 years training, he had more flat runners and winners than ever before. The circle has turned for the proud Meathman.

“The problem with jumping at the moment is the same problem that drove me out of flat racing at the beginning: I couldn’t buy flat horses. I found I could buy jumpers at the sales, the second-hand horses-in-training sales.

“You’d buy horses off the flat for fifty to eighty grand; you wouldn’t even get to a hundred. You were buying horses rated 90 or so to go jumping, or you could buy reasonable stores for 25 to 30 grand.

The whole thing changed so much.

“I am not blaming anyone, it’s good for everyone I suppose. The point-to-point lads got so strong, they were giving maybe up to 30 for their stores; now they are giving a hundred at times. There are not that many people, you take out the top players, who can give that sort of money.

“The jumping horse is a commodity to them. They are buying to sell. They’re extremely good at it – the most brilliant trainers around. But, realistically, that horse can only be sold in Ireland or Britain.

“With a flat horse, he is a worldwide commodity.

He can go to the States, Australia, Japan, the Middle East, the Far East. There are clients for all sorts. The flat horse is more sellable. We still sold a good few this year but it’s nice to keep a few as well.”

For all his prowess at home, Meade had an anomalous difficulty in winning at Cheltenham but that changed over time. Even now, the names recall memory of an era when Irish horses winning at Cheltenham was something to celebrate, rather than expect. Sausalito Bay, Nicanor, Go Native; Harchibald, Pandorama, Road to Riches… not all won at Cheltenham but were names that make a jumps aficionado smile. Meade still recalls ‘Harchi’ as his favourite – I’ll have to sign in here too – but the reality of jumps racing saw him change tact in recent years.

“A friend of mine asked would I be interested in taking a share in a couple of flat horses rather than jumpers and I said yeah, so we ended up buying a couple of flat horses and they were lucky. They got sold well. It moved in that direction.

“Things started to close in around me a little bit when Gigginstown (was) pulling out, pulling away from me anyway; that left a big hole – we’d quite a few of them. Unfortunately, my owner Paul Hunt passed away this year; even before he left, he said that maybe we might be better off trying flat ones.

We’d had good jumpers with him but he felt that was the way to go so we did go that direction.

“Then I teamed up buying them with Peter Nolan.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

He’s a great worker, a great man to see a lot of horses, so we started buying horses together. It went on from there.”

Layfayette’s success ensured Nolan and Meade would become an axis for the future. Back in 2019, Meade bought the youngster from the breeze-ups thanks to Nolan. Nine wins later, most of them at stakes level, the son of French Navy has illustrated the pair’s eye for a flat horse. A good horse is a good horse. Meade believes at this stage it is easier and more logical to pursue flat ones.

“Our budget is never big enough: now and again we have a few quid for one but we’re generally looking for a cheaper horse. We can’t buy the top ones, we know where we are going. We’re very much on the individual.

“We both like a horse that can walk, that flows along. That’s basically where we come from, then we tap in as much pedigree as we can. We only go back three or four years would you believe? Mags O’Toole was always my number one but she got so busy, it wasn’t feasible for her to keep up. That’s how it came around. There was no special arrangement, it just fell in together.

“He was probably the start of it. He was solely responsible for Layfayette: he was at the sale, at the breeze, he was mad about him. I was at the sale and liked him but he was the one. We went on from him.”

For a man training over 50 years, but who never looks that, it is still something of a jolt that Noel Meade’s number of jumpers is down to such an extent that there will be a lot of NH meetings run this season at which he is not represented. He is looking forward to Affordale Fury tackling Grade 1 company this Christmas, but things change. The wheel turns.

“It’s gone to a very funny pitch – peculiar. I don’t know how long it will last. A hundred used to be a big string. That would be very small compared to the top jumps yards – at least three or four with an unbelivable amount of horses.

“Willie, Gordon (Elliott) and Henry (de Bromhead) have brought training to a different level. Willie has done it by hard work but there’s a different method in training those horses now: it’s very much about delegation and you have to have a lot of staff around, delegate staff for what they do.

“Staff is a serious problem. I’m very lucky in that my top people have been there for so long. Paul Cullen is here since 1976. Damien McGillick -

Layfayette, a nine-time winner, mostly at stakes level, cemented Meade’s relationship with noted buyer Peter Nolan and propelled him full square back towards flat racing, having trained a Royal Ascot winner as long ago as 1978

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NOEL MEADE

Staffing is a major issue for trainers now and Meade admits to being lucky that many of his workforce, including assistant trainer and travelling head lass Emma Connolly, have been with him a long while

“With a flat

horse, he is a worldwide commodity…

We still sold a good few this year but it’s nice to keep a few as well” 146

everyone knows him as Les - is here a long time.

Emma Connolly you'll all see every day racing.

“I would be way down on jumpers – 20 or 25 horses this season. I haven’t stopped training them but in the past couple of years I bought very few, bar those just on order. I always bought horses at the Derby Sale but not for the last three years.

“I suppose it makes me sad in a way but it’s hard work Johnny, everything about it is hard work, and I’ve been at it for a very long time. I am very happy to be still at it and not working as hard as I was, pushing it so hard. Trying to stay at the top, you were always pushing yourself for the next title; I am not sure I even enjoyed it that much. As soon as the season is over, they are all wiped out and you have to start again. I am not saying I didn’t enjoy it but it was tough work.”

There are few more personable trainers than Meade and he enjoys a winner with racing people – as it should be. Helvic Dream was thus special but as it happened, his big day came during the pandemic. Whatever, he’ll always have the 2021 Tattersalls Gold Cup. It was a ride of genius from Colin Keane, whose relationship with Meade has blossomed into something special.

“The worst thing was there was nobody there.

That was terrible, both of the guys involved in Helvic Dream love going racing. They’d have lapped it up at The Curragh that day, a special day, but sad

there was nobody there. Those big winners are fantastic.

“From very early on I’ve been very lucky that Colin has more or less given me second choice after Ger Lyons. If Ger doesn’t fancy something that much he’ll let it off. He’s a smashing young man, I am very fond of him. I don’t want him riding horses of mine that have no chance, so he can get off them as well. It works well.”

He name-checks a couple of two-year-olds he is looking forward to next year. Rothstein, owned by none other than point-to-point guru Donnchadh Doyle, and Monasterboice will have him looking to the future, while Curragh winner Caught U Looking’s quiet conclusion to the season at Newmarket – when she was sent off 4/1 in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile – did not worry him unduly.

“Caught U Looking is a lovely filly, I didn’t intend to bring her to England as it was time to stop. She’s a big filly, who should improve. Colin looked after her, it’ll not have hurt her, but it would have been nice not to run her. She still ran a good race. You’d imagine she should be better as a three-year-old.

“We’ll be looking forward to her. We’ve a couple of two year-olds that will be nice next year, Monasterboice and Rothstein. Rothstein wants good ground. He’s a fair horse to be honest with you.”

Noel Meade finds it hard to be any other way.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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Harvey’s POINT BEN HARVEY

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: DONAL MURPHY

An long association with John McConnell is paying rich dividends for Ben Harvey

N

otable and welcome exceptions occur, but strong roots in racing are rarely an impediment to anyone making their way in the game. Through his background Ben Harvey is well versed in the ups and downs of the sport. It’s serving him well.

It may seem at a more distant remove than just in 2020, when Davy Russell barked in a muchwatched Bellewstown clip.

“Hold on a second now - whichever one of ye want to be famous ye break the start, okay? ‘Twas you Ben Harvey. All right - you’re not riding in a point-to-point now, okay? Stay in a line, you walk down to the poles. Then you go as hard as you fuckin’ want down to the first. Do not cause a false start.”

Mr Ben Harvey, claiming seven, went on to finish second that day aboard Roi De Dubai. It wasn’t any slight on Harvey’s beginnings, that Russell should chastise him in such a way. More likely, the legendary Youghal pilot was emphasising to the young Dub that he was playing senior hurling now - no harm done, and onwards and upwards since.

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In great times to be an Irish racegoer, the earlyto-mid-nineties, Harvey’s grandfather, David was represented with distinction by a mare called Titian Blonde. The talent skipped a generation since, coming good again with aplomb in more recent times, including through the family’s Beyond Ambitious.

There’s a spark in the young rider that tallies somewhat with that Kalanisi mare’s moniker. It chimed too with an apparent tilting-at-windmills bid for a Grade 3 bumper at the Punchestown Festival in 2022. The then five-year-old went off at 200/1, on the back of two beaten favourite efforts at the start of her career.

Ben partnered Beyond Ambitious to a tremendous second placing on that occasion only losing out by half a length to The Model Kingdom, and they got their just desserts with victory at Wexford next time.

“Beyond Ambitious got a bit of an injury and is out in the field now. I’d say she will be going in foal.

It’s great to have her,” he reflects.

Looking back at how it all began the John IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

McConnell employee states: “I’ve done a very small bit of pony racing, just some locally. My father is Willie and the point-to-point handler’s licence is in his name, while the track licence is in my grandfather, David’s name. My uncle is bloodstock agent Daithi Harvey. I have another older brother who is an engineer.

“We have a few mares at home and we do a lot of the pre-training and breaking for John. We have a couple of our own to run on the track and we buy some stores every year to run in point-to-points with a view to selling on.

“I had my first ride on the track in February of 2017 and had my first point-to-point ride around a year later. I had a couple of rides in bumpers when I was 16 and started point-to-pointing when I was 17. It was a big relief to have my first winner on Cheeky Rafeeky for Eddie Power at Bellurgan Park in April of 2019.

“It was great to be a joint-winner of the U21 point-to-point jockeys’ title (in 2020). I rode some nice horses, including Bob Olinger. It was nice to have a good season, get seven winners, and be joint-top with Brian Lawless at the end of it.

“I’ve been going to John McConnell’s yard since I was 14 or 15. It was only after Covid that I really got going with John. I started riding his bumper horses he’s only down the road from me. I was half-way through first year of college when Covid came in. I was studying equine business in Maynooth. It all went online and I didn’t continue with it. That course has been discontinued but they still do equine modules in Maynooth. My younger brother, Alex is studying business and marketing there and is doing an equine module as well.

“I’m 22 and Alex is 20. Alex is with John as well and goes up to Brian Hamilton once a week. Alex jumped into my role in John’s yard when I turned conditional, so he is riding a lot of the bumper horses now.”

His first track win arrived on Space Cadet, in the Ulster National at Downpatrick on March 22, 2020. ”It was great to win for Gearoid O’Loughlin and Chris Jones. I had low enough expectations going there. I wasn’t after having a whole lot of rides on the track over fences and I was just delighted to be riding in the race.

“Covid had just kicked in, and it was a pity that we IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

were behind closed doors. I still got a great buzz out of it. I remember going up to my grandparents’ house after it and having to tell them all about it through the window!

“It was only a week or two later that racing stopped so I didn’t get the full benefit of it. John gave me great support after that win and has been a big supporter all along.”

That association has led to some good times at Cheltenham, but nothing could beat getting off the mark at the Festival last March, when Seddon won the Magners Plate Handicap Chase.

“I had my first winner at Cheltenham on Some Neck, who won a cross-country race in December of 2020. My second winner was on Seddon at the October meeting last year. I rode in the Kim Muir at the Festival last year and I had a few rides on the Wednesday before he won the Magners.

“I don’t think I will ever experience anything quite like it. I was gutted for John when Mahler Mission fell on the Tuesday when it looked like he was going to win, so to come out two days later and provide John with his first Cheltenham winner, the guy who got me going, was very special indeed.

“None of my family were there on the day but they roared the house down by all accounts. It was great for the Galaxy Syndicate who own Seddon.

They love their racing and got some kick out of it.”

The team had a very good stab at adding the American Grand National, with Seddon running his heart out for Harvey to finish third.

“It was a brilliant experience in America. It was a pity that we didn’t win, as we had high expectations. The travel could have just got to him a little bit. He tried so hard and still ran a massive race. It was a very different experience to anything I’ve had over here or in England.”

There is much to look forward to as Christmas and the spring lie ahead.

“I suppose Mahler Mission is the horse I’m most looking forward to for the season ahead. We have really high hopes for him. We are going novice hurdling with Intense Approach. Alex won two bumpers on him and he looks the real deal.

“I’d love to get a graded winner this season.

While I’ve won graded handicaps, I haven’t had a proper graded winner and that’s something that’s definitely on my list.”

Winning on Seddon at Cheltenham: “I don’t think I will ever experience anything quite like it”

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Burner SLOW

Adam Caffrey was happy to be patient as he learned on the job and the rewards have started to come for the promising apprentice

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS & PETER MOONEY • Words: ROBERT CATTERSON

I

t’s three days before the flat season comes to an end and Adam Caffrey is a happy camper. He’s ridden a winner at Dundalk the evening before and that puts him on 24 winners for the season. He would add another, courtesy of Ado McGuinness stalwart Saltonstall, on the concluding day at Curragh Racecourse to finish three behind champion apprentice, Jamie Powell. He’s more than happy with his season in the saddle.

“It’s been a very good year and I’ve got a lot of support from my boss Ado. I’ve also got a lot of outside rides too, which has been great. Between the four of us in the apprentice title race in Jamie, Luke (McAteer), Conor (Stone-Walsh) and myself, we’ve all given it a good rattle. It’s been close the whole way really. If you told me that I’d finish second in the apprentice title at the very start, I’d have taken that,” says the man from Clonalvy in Meath.

In his three years in the saddle, Adam has shown significant improvement despite having to wait longer than ideal to ride his first winner. But 2021, he says, was about more than just riding winners.

“My first year in the saddle was very much a learning curve. I hadn’t done any pony racing so I was just picking up a ride every now and again from the boss and learning on the job basically. I started off riding a few hunters for my uncle and that’s how my interest in the game really started.

After that, I spent a summer with David Dunne, one of my local trainers. After three months there, I

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started working on Saturdays with Ado. That was four years ago and it opened up an opportunity for me and I’m still here now.”

Of Adam’s 301 rides for the calendar year up to the middle of November, McGuinness supplied 173 of those and the young Meath man is more than complimentary of the support he’s received from the man he calls ‘the boss’.

“I’ve learned everything that I know from Ado and being in his yard. That’s where I really got on the radar and between Ado, Stephen (Thorne), all the staff and all the owners, they’ve all been behind me. It’s been ideal to be honest and Ado has been very fair to not just myself but to Cian (MacRedmond) too. He’s given us both a certain amount of rides each.”

Adam has put his experience to good use in his short career so far. From drawing a blank in 2021, he registered 14 winners last season and again improved on that figure in the season just gone, with eight further winners coming in the 2022/2023 winter all-weather term. He also managed to bag a big handicap winner in 2023 after going close the year before.

“Undoubtedly, the highlight this year was winning the Joe McGrath on Laugh A Minute. That gave me a great thrill to win that day. I had gone close last year in the Colm Quinn Mile at Galway on Casanova, when he was just touched off so to win the Joe McGrath was great. That’s been my biggest win so far in my career.”

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

ADAM CAFFREY

In his three years as a jockey, there are a few horses which are close to Adam’s heart but none more so that Magnetic North. And for more reasons than one.

“He was my first ever winner when he won at Navan last year and this year, I’ve won four times on him. He’s already been a special horse for me and when things go his way, he’s a great horse to ride. I’ve definitely got a soft spot for him.”

And it’s not just Magnetic North who Adam has a soft spot for either.

“I’ve ridden the likes of Sirjack Thomas a few times this year and it’s great to get the leg up on horses like him. I won on him at The Curragh on Irish Guineas weekend and he ran really well twice at the Galway Festival. He’s a horse that many people know, especially around Galway. He’s a people’s horse and riding horses like him is definitely good for my profile.

“Hodd's Girl is another horse I’ve ridden quite a bit and the change of yard helped her this year and I managed to win on her twice (on the all-weather), which was great. I’ve won on her four times in total and all of those wins have been for Ado so that made it even better.”

Adam also managed to notch up his first career double on the turf, having registered a couple at Dundalk on consecutive Fridays in January. And again, he managed to follow up quickly.

“To ride two doubles during the season was great and again, it comes down to the great support I’ve got. I rode one at Limerick, including on a horse for Charles Byrnes (Miss Abby Jools, having taken the opener on Magnetic North), and I rode another double at Naas. I’ve been lucky enough to have built up a nice connection with Charles. He’s a shrewd operator and not only has he given me plenty of

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

rides but he’s given me plenty of good rides. I’ve also ridden a couple of winners for Noel Meade and he’s another very good trainer and has been very good to me. Hopefully, that’s something which I have still to look forward to.”

So, three seasons in the life as a jockey and it’s going swimmingly well for the Meath man.

“I always would have known that it was difficult.

During my first year I didn’t have many rides and the ones I did were more so for experience than anything else. That taught me a lot and the fact that I had to wait a year before I rode my first winner showed me that it wasn’t going to be easy.

There’s still a long way to go.”

With life in the apprentice ranks on the horizon for at least another year, Adam is now hoping to go one better and be champion.

“There are plenty of good apprentices around but to get my head in front and win the apprentice title would be a target I’d be aiming for next year. I might not ride much over the winter in order to look after my claim but I’ve got two good years of riding winners under my belt and I’d be hoping that would stand to me.”

And it’s not just an apprentice title which Adam has in his sights for 2024.

“I’d love to ride a winner at the Galway Festival.

It’s a festival that Ado targets for his owners and it would be great to do that. I’ve ridden a winner at the October meeting and I’ve come close a few times at the Festival but I’ve never managed to get my head in front. To ride a winner there in front of the big crowds and come back into that winners’ enclosure would be special.”

With Byrnes and Meade are knocking on your door, and McGuinness as a primary supplier, both targets look eminently attainable.

“Undoubtedly, the highlight this year was winning the Joe McGrath on Laugh A Minute” (CN)

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CIAN COLLINS

places

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: ANNE MARIE DUFF

GOING

Cian Collins has hit the ground running since taking out a licence to train

W

hen the end-of-year reviews and awards lists are generated. and new talent requires a mention, it is most often in the direction of young riders that the nod goes. But they are aided by allowances and apprenticeships and specifically framed races. Newcomers in the training ranks are often more worthy of a look.

There are many who get a few nice winners, the one decent horse that can stay competitive, but it’s a tough gig, getting owners to invest and put their trust in a newcomer. Few will argue that Cian Collins has made quite an impression in the year and a half that he has held a trainer’s licence.

Strong cases made from the racing media for his inclusion on the emerging talent list for the HRI

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Awards was testament to that.

Collins has taken all the various steps on the ladder to training success. To be a jockey was the first desire for the Kerry native who had the racing bug from his family interest at an early age. His father, Alan was part of the syndicate that owned the Tom Cooper-trained Cheltenham bumper winner Total Enjoyment and his uncle, Noel enjoyed success in breeding horses.

The natural first step was pony racing. Indeed, his first photos in Healy Racing’s library are from an Abbleyfeale pony meeting, waiting to mount alongside Jack Kennedy, Eoin O'Sullivan and Finny Maguire some 11 years ago.

“I know Jack a long time and we were in IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Gordon’s together then after that,” he remembers.

Time spent in the Cooper yard and then with Dessie Hughes, as well as on the showjumping circuit, would stand to him later.

The first track winner came at Wexford in 2015 for Sandra Hughes and there were numerous successes including many for the Elliott yard, where he was a regular work rider on the high-class inmates in Cullentra. A serious back injury in 2017 ended the riding career after less than three full seasons, but the attachment to the Elliott yard continued as a work rider and in breaking and pre-training.

Kicking off as a point-to-point handler in late 2019, the first winner as a trainer came three months later when We Will Sort it won at Punchestown in February 2020. What is impressive is the continued movement though the ranks. In June 2022, he received his full licence from the IHRB and sent out the first runner at Kilbeggan later that month.

Based in Robinstown, Co Meath, he began with a string of 30 horses made up of everything from horses in training to pre-trainers to breakers. His first ‘flagship’ horse Effernock Fizz was his first winner when successful at Killarney that August.

She brought the stable plenty of attention with her win a few months later in October in the Welsh Champion Hurdle Limited Handicap at Ffos Las and continued to pick up prizemoney through this summer.

“It was brilliant for it to come off, I was looking through the calendar and spotted it and thought it might cut up and not have too many entries and we’d go over and pick up some prizemoney,” he said at the time.

And the ball has kept rolling with Mighty Tom, bred by Noel, bringing this summer’s highlight with a listed hurdle success back on his home grounds in Killarney.

“Ever since she (Effernock Fizz) won that race, the winners have kept coming, there’s never been a quiet patch. The yard has grown, all summer it was busier and busier.”

The spotting of good opportunities in Britain was characteristic of the earlier days of the Elliott stable. Collins admits the time as part of the establishment in Cullentra has been put to good use.

“Without a doubt, I do a lot of things and train them the way Gordon trained them. When it worked for him, you don’t want to change too much. (Running the horses in Britain) is working for me. I’ve five winners over there at the moment, it’s a big help to bring them over. If they win or be placed, it covers the trip. It’s all about getting the winner and the owners enjoy it.”

There’s an old saying about having a wise head on young shoulders but here, that could be slanted slightly differently. It’s more the wise head supported by older shoulders with the back-up team in the yard.

“Davy Condon is full-time with me, while Ray Loftus is our yard man.”

Loftus too came with him from Cullentra, while Denis O’Regan was another he rode work with at IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

the Elliott factory. O’Regan steered Mighty Tom to the landmark Killarney success so Collins enjoyed being central to the big occasion in mid-November when he saddled Fiveonefive to win at Hereford, contributing to the jockey getting the full set of winners on British and Irish racecourses.

“Denis is here most days. It was great, a big day, I really enjoyed that day and it was nice for Denis.

We’d been trying to do it for a while, it was the plan to try and get him the winner. He’d done a lot of work with that horse too.”

Collins had registered seven winners over jumps already for the season by the middle of November and has high hopes for the eight-year-old Mighty Tom, who made a nice debut over the larger obstacles behind Letsbeclearaboutit at Cork on debut at the beginning of that month.

“He looks my best at the moment, hopefully he’ll keep improving over fences and we get a big day out with him.”

And on the flat, looking ahead to the winter, things are busier again than in the previous season.

Chica Power, who scored at Dundalk at the end of October, heads the squad for the winter allweather season.

“I’ve four or five flat horses now as well for Dundalk which I wouldn’t have had this time last year.”

Another old saying goes, keep yourself in the best company and your horses in the worst. With what he learned from the Elliott team and with the wise heads of Condon and O’Regan on board, that first box is ticked. Spotting opportunities in England to add up the winners marks that second box.

At only 25, Collins has made good strides in a short time training and impresses with the progression through the ranks. Does being the front man so quickly give any concerns? “It doesn’t bother me too much!” he responds, brushing off the idea of being in the limelight.

There are bigger steps to take but everything is moving on upwards in the right direction.

“Keep the winners coming and improve the quality of the horses in the yard. You are always looking for more winners but hopefully they’ll keep coming,” is the young trainer’s intention. And after the last season and a half, you expect they will.

Killarney listed winner Mighty Tom (pictured) and Welsh Champion Hurdle heroine Effernock Fizz have put their young trainer’s name in lights

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King of the PA KING

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: EOGHÁIN WARD

COTSWOLDS

“The thought

of packing it all in did cross my mind… there was no point in sitting there thinking it was going well because it wasn’t and I knew it”

Having been on the brink of giving it all up just a few seasons ago, Pa King had a year he will never forget when riding his first Cheltenham Festival winner and adding a western point-to-point riders’ title

F

or four days in March the hallowed turf of Prestbury Park becomes the epicentre of the racing world. Seasons are defined, careers made by the outcome of these 28 races, but for jockey Pa King the Cheltenham Festival has traditionally been viewed from afar.

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Having never previously been among the handful of Irish qualified riders called upon to ride in the amateur rider races at the festival, his Cheltenham week had typically consisted of watching the action from the comfort of his sofa at home in Holycross, Tipperary, where he would IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

PA KING

be joined by his wife Áine, who would take the week off from her work as a nurse.

Point-to-pointing has long been King’s bread and butter, and so the festival’s calendar slot in mid-March, the peak months of the pointing season, had restricted his trips to Prestbury Park, even as a spectator, to just one solitary visit in 2017, when a hand injury had confined him to the sidelines.

Six years later, the 35-year-old returned and this time it was in a working capacity as his sofa was replaced by a first festival ride in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir aboard the Sam Curling-trained Angels Dawn, the mare that was quietly fancied for the race by her trainer following a promising prep run in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown two months earlier, when she unseated Cian Quirke at the penultimate obstacle while throwing down a big challenge.

“Sam was very hopeful that she would be in the first five,” King explains. “She was flying at home and she looked very well in at the weights after her run in the Grand National Trial. It looked like she would have won that, but even if she had finished second to Coko Beach, he is highly rated so she would have gotten a right whack at the weights.”

A single schooling session four days before the race to enable the pair to become acquainted saw King gain a share of the trainer’s confidence in the eight-year-old’s well-being, with Curling keen to take every step possible in order to have the daughter of Yeats in peak condition.

“She was still in bouncing form when she got over there because Sam went to a lot of effort to keep her happy. She lives out in the field at home, IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

and he went over early with her and got permission to stable her in Tom Ellis’ yard. She was able to stay outdoors there and only went to the races that day. Sam went to a lot of effort, and it was those little things that kept her happy right up to the day itself.”

That preparation could only instil a greater sense of hope going into his festival debut, especially with Prestbury Park proving to be a lucky venue for King, having guided Christian Williams’ Strictlyadancer to win at the October meeting there in 2021 on the first of his two previous rides at the track.

Despite that 50 per cent strike rate at the home of jumps racing in Britain, King could not have expected his first festival ride to play out just as smoothly as it did from flag-fall.

“To be honest the whole way through the race she was carting me along from the word go. I remember going down the back, I was getting too close because she was just tanking along and was finding it all very easy.

“It was jumping four out that I thought that she had a right chance and I said to myself that I may try hold onto her. We knew that she was going to get up the hill, and even though she is a very honest and tough mare, she can have her quirks.

She had jinked at the last at Punchestown one day and just got beaten, so that was in the back of my mind.

“Up the run-in she was running around a bit and I was definitely headed for a stride or two. For a split second I did think, ‘oh that’s it gone now,’ but she started to motor again and really dug deep.

“After crossing the line, there was about a second of questioning if I had won because it was

“To be honest the whole way through the race she was carting me along from the word go”

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PA KING

“Any winner at the festival is very special, but to be able to do it for Sam and his team when you are going into the yard, working with all the lads dayin, day-out through the season, that just makes it extra special”

“There is a

picture of Cheltenham on the wall here in the house, and I do still pinch myself every day that I look at it” 156

such a big moment and the finish was so close, but once I knew that I had won, it was a surreal feeling and it took a while for it to sink in because I just never thought that it would happen to me.”

Wise words from two stalwarts of the winner’s enclosure after amateur races at the festival, Jamie Codd and Patrick Mullins, to soak up the moments that would follow on his maiden voyage to the festival number one spot, still failed to prepare him for the euphoria.

“It is unreal walking back in in front of the stands. People are so happy for you, it’s nearly like everyone is your friend, you have people congratulating you from all sides. There is a picture of Cheltenham on the wall here in the house, and I do still pinch myself every day that I look at it.

“Any winner at the festival is very special, but to be able to do it for Sam and his team when you are going into the yard, working with all the lads day-in, day-out through the season, that just makes it extra special.”

It is perhaps no surprise that King puts such a premium on having achieved that career highlight on a horse trained by Curling and his Skehanagh Stables team. It is that relatively recent link-up with the Tipperary trainer that could be credited with reigniting his career after a lean spell in the pointing fields that had him questioning his future within the sport.

Crowned champion U21 rider in 2008, a title that so often identifies the rising stars of the riding division, King followed in the footsteps of Derek O’Connor, Andrew McNamara, Andrew

Lynch, Johnny Farrelly and Jack Doyle, who had each won that prize in the five years that preceded his own title triumph.

King was riding high at the time, his emergence having coincided with the boom point-topointing period in Ireland, a time when there were around 11,000 runners in a season.

Every farmyard in the country with a stable was filled by a point-to-pointer, marathon fixtures with up to 12 races on the day were commonplace, and for riders that meant life was good.

Future big-race winners Pandorama and Any Currency were just two of the horses that he partnered in the pointing fields in these years as he was able to take advantage of the plentiful opportunities that were going his way with up to 160 mounts a campaign and consistently ending the season with his winners tally in double figures.

But the boom came crashing down on many within point-to-pointing. A 2008/09 peak of 11,622 runners in a single season had collapsed within a decade. By the 2017/18 season there were just 5,087 runners, the net result of which was a significant contraction within the sport.

Opportunities, particularly winnable opportunities, were harder to come by.

For King, that 2017/18 season was his toughest with just a solitary success to his name for a season’s work.

“It was the worst year that I had ever had,” he admits. “If the lads that you are riding for are not having winners, and you are not having winners, you get forgotten about.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

PA KING

“I only had the one winner and even it only came at Clonakilty on one of the final weekends of the season - that was a long year.

“The thought of packing it all in did cross my mind, it would have to when things were going that badly, there was no point in sitting there thinking it was going well because it wasn’t and I knew it.

“Only you can help yourself in a situation like that, you have to admit to yourself that this isn’t working, and I took the step to do something different. It was one last throw of the dice really.”

The dice didn’t instantly land on a double six when he decided to join Curling’s team, a yard he had ridden occasionally for in the past, but the promising signs were soon there that the decision would stand to him.

“It was a slow start to the autumn because it had been a dry autumn and there weren’t a lot of runners. I didn’t actually ride my first winner for him that season until March.

“But in the next few weeks I rode winners for him every weekend, and even though I ended up getting hurt and missing the rest of the season, it was the first time in a long time that I was coming back from injury with a lot to look forward to, which wasn’t always how it was.

“When you are struggling and you get injured, it is a viscous cycle really, it just gets worse and worse. This was different though, I had a big yard behind me and so much waiting for me to come back from.”

When he did come back for the 2019/20 season he matched his U21 title winning personal best tally of 16 wins in spite of Covid-19 bringing action to a premature halt in mid-March. Those spoils saw him reaping the rewards of the support base that he had built up with Curling, the Carlowbased Willie Murphy and his uncle Pat Doyle, as his career came full circle with the latter.

“I would have ridden out at Pat’s when I was in school and even back then I would have been sitting on Grade 1 horses. Now, over 20 years later, he has continued to keep producing Grade 1 horses every year. He has really gone with the times which is a credit to him. Lots of people get lost along the way as times change, but he knows that he has to keep evolving.”

It is fair to say that King’s career too has had to evolve with the times that he has found himself in, and the rewards for that have been evident of late. A career-best 27 winners in 2022 saw him finish among the top three riders nationally for the first time, whilst earlier this year, he shared the western title with the sport’s all-time great Derek O’Connor.

That is a third regional riding title within the space of three years for King, having successfully defended the western title that he had won for the first time 12 months earlier, and claimed the southern title in 2020.

“For a long time, I honestly didn’t think that there were titles there for me,” he admits. “They mean a lot to me; every winner means a lot no matter what it is or who it is for. I would travel IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

anywhere to ride a horse with a chance. I think after the bad years that I had, I do appreciate these times a lot more.

“Even last season, I was behind in the title, and we had booked a holiday before the dates for the awards came out. When I joined Derek to win the western title again, Áine said to me that we better change the flights to be there for the awards because you might never get another one.

“I’m not going to be riding forever but some of these things that have happened to me in the last few years, they have made me very proud of the career that I have had.”

A career-best 27 winners in 2022 saw King finish among the top three riders nationally for the first time, whilst earlier this year, he shared the western title with the sport’s all-time great Derek O’Connor.

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Champions MATTY FLYNN O’CONNOR

Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: MICHAEL DUGGAN

Training

A winning coach at county and club level, Matty Flynn O’Connor has now turned his attention to nurturing top-class racehorsess and saw a graduate win at Cheltenham for the first time last March

“Whether it’s a racehorse

or a GAA player, it’s all about being cherry ripe on the day”

A

whole new tranche of point-to-point trainers have emerged over the past decade or so, taking the preparation of young horses to a different level in the process.

These are smart, professional operators with a keen business sense, people that know the time of day, leaving no stone unturned as they go about sourcing and educating the next generation of jump racing’s superstars.

That evolution was inevitable, given the seismic shift that has taken place in racing between the flags. Modern day meetings are as competitive as

158

any action inside the rails, with well-bred youngsters and potential future stars facing off against each other on a weekly basis.

Snooze and you lose is the mantra, as any animal lining up in a maiden nowadays has to be primed to a tee to compete.

Wexford handler, Matty Flynn O’Connor is a man not found wanting in this department. One of a strong band of talented trainers from the sunny south-east, Flynn O’Connor is making his mark in stunning fashion.

“I suppose we are doing alright,” is the modest IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

MATTY FLYNN O’CONNOR

observation by the hard-working Bunclody man.

“Point-to-pointing is a tough game and there’s a lot of hard work involved. You’ll always hear about the horses that make big money, but there’s a lot of other ones who don’t make the grade.”

While having never ridden competitively as a jockey, Matty has a strong background in all matters equine.

“I was always involved in ponies and then I graduated to hunting. My father, Gerard had a deep interest in eventing and stuff like that, so we’ve had horses around the place for as long as I can remember.

“Our first involvement in point-to-pointers was with Seán and Donnchadh Doyle. We had two or three horses with them and got lucky to be honest. One of the first ones we had was a horse called The Last Samuri. He went to the UK and finished second to Rule The World in the 2016 Aintree Grand National.

“We had a few more after that and then decided to train some of our own here in Ballycrystal. We started off small, with 10 or 12 cheaply-bought stores and things have grown from there. We have 60 horses here now and we’ve upgraded our facilities over the last while.

“We put in a six-furlong gallop a few years ago and that’s been a huge advantage. The first couple of furlongs are flat with a nice uphill climb towards the end. We’re very pleased with it and have been getting good results from it. It’s nice to have most of what we need here at home, we have a tenhorse walker and a sand-ring as well.

“We take the horses away schooling a good bit.

We go to a good friend of mine, Mikey Doyle’s place and that’s a big help to us. We’d also use IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

John Bailey’s set-up down in Ballyedmond and visit The Curragh to use the Old Vic gallop just to do something different and for a change of scenery.

“We’ve been lucky enough to put some nice horses through our hands over the years. Sporting John landed a four-year-old Borris House maiden for us in March 2019 and was sold to Philip Hobbs to race for JP McManus. He’s won six races for him since.

“We sold four at the 2021 Cheltenham December Sale. They had all won just before the sale.

“Deeply Superficial made £385,000 (cost €31,000 as a store) having dotted up by ten lengths at Lingstown five days earlier. She went to Gordon Elliott and won her maiden hurdle first time out for him in Galway the following October. She’s a classy mare and there is plenty more to come from her.

“We also sold Stay Away Fay there. He is a lovely horse and also won his maiden very impressively in Lingstown. He pulled six lengths clear in a hot race that day and there was plenty of interest in him. Paul Nicholls and Tom Malone bought him for £305,000. He went on to win the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Hurdle at this year’s Cheltenham Festival and looks like he’s going to develop into a top-class horse. I know Paul thinks an awful lot of him.

“Sporting Mike landed a four-year-old maiden at Damma House. He was sold to Ben Pauling at that sale too and has won since, while the fourth horse we sold at Cheltenham that day, High Class Hero - a winner in Loughrea - went to Willie Mullins. He is by Sulamani and landed his bumper first time out in Listowel in June, following that up when opening his account over hurdles at this

The success of The Last Samuri, seen here winning at Taylorstown with Barry O’Neill steering in 2013, and subsequently scoring eight times between the rails as well as finishing second in the Aintree Grand National, steered Flynn O’Connor towards taking out a handler’s licence

159

Stay Away Fay winning the Albert Bartlett Hurdle last March, 15 months after registering victory at Lingstown under Brian Lawless on his sole point-to-point appearance, was a validation of the Flynn O’Connor operation

“Those

four-yearold maidens are like miniGrade 1s!”

160

summer’s Galway Festival. Following impressive triumphs at Listowel’s Harvest Festival and at listed level at Limerick, High Class Hero certainly looks like living up to his name.”

Not all the Flynn O’Connor horses come under the hammer, however, with quite a few finding new homes having caught the eye of some shrewd judges between the flags.

“Wrappedupinmay won his maiden by a distance in Dromahane for us in April last year. He cost €30,000 at the 2021 Land Rover Sale and was very impressive on that occasion. We sold him privately to Tom Malone and he went to Paul Nicholl’s Ditcheat yard. He always stood out as a very smart horse and won his bumper in facile fashion at Exeter on New Year’s Day.” While the pointing scene is thriving presently, one worrying issue facing handlers is the sourcing of staff for what is a very demanding and labourintensive industry.

“It is impossible and getting worse, to be honest about it. We have six or seven riding out for us on a regular basis and they’re great to be fair to them.

It’s hard to get people because 95% of our horses are three- and four-year-olds.

“We don’t have older horses that younger jockeys can get experience on which makes it even more difficult for us to attract staff. Naturally, young riders like to get exposure between the flags, but when you’re taking on the best around you cannot leave anything to chance.

“We are very lucky to have Brian Lawless, he rides all our horses. Brian does the schooling and works with us five or six days a week. He’s a very, very good rider. When you’re depending on six minutes on a Sunday afternoon to determine your

outcome it’s important to have the best on your side and, thankfully, we have.”

Nobody knows the level of opposition his young horses face better than the very clued-in Flynn O’Connor.

“Ah look, those races are just so competitive at the moment. There’s no such thing as a handy race anymore. You have 13 or 14 horses lining up together and they’re all fit and sharp as a tack.

“That’s the reality of it. You might think you have a nice horse, but you just don’t know what you’re going to bump into. If you’re not on the ball, you won’t be at the races.

“There’s a lot of talk at the moment about how the Wexford lads are dominating. You go to any of the store sales and see horses that are making 80 and 90 grand, they’re going all over the country.

“You have the likes of Sam Curling and Pat Doyle in Tipperary - they’re top-class men. Then the Cork boys, the lads up north, Ciaran Murphy and many, many others. No wonder it’s as cutthroat as it is. Those four-year-old maidens are like mini-Grade 1s!”

Flynn-O’Connor is also sure that - given the right circumstances - there can be gold at the end of the rainbow.

“If you have the right horse, with the profile pedigree-wise, you will get paid. They must tick all the boxes though, it is a huge gamble with horses that cost big money, but that’s the chance you take. Irish pointers are very popular because they go on to do so well afterwards.”

In recent times, Matty’s association with wellknown bloodstock agent Hamish Macauley has proven fruitful.

“I got to know Hamish when he used to be IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

MATTY FLYNN O’CONNOR

buying a few stores for the Doyles. Between the jigs and the reels we got involved together in a few horses, and we’ve been quite lucky to be fair. We’d be 50/50 in a couple at the moment and sure we’ll see how that works out.”

Another pleasing aspect for Matty is the fact that his Ballycrystal farm hosts a couple of pointto-points each season.

“Dad is very proud that we host two meetings each season - one in October and the other in February. It’s something to look forward to and it brings a bit of a buzz and excitement to the locality. It’s been a great success and there’s always serious craic and banter there. A lot of the local lads aim their horses for it.

“I must give credit to all the hunts around the country who stage meetings. A massive amount of voluntary work goes into hosting a fixture, a lot of which goes unseen and unheralded. Without those volunteers the whole thing would cease to exist, I think they don’t get half enough recognition for the work that they do.”

Pressed if he thinks there are areas where improvement may be needed, he continued: “To be honest, I think the Turf Club (IHRB) are doing a super job. Things are very professionally run. The rules are clear and are the same for everyone so there can be no complaints there. It is a very important industry now and it is only right that the highest standards apply. That way, all the stakeholders are on an equal footing.

“I must say Richard Pugh is doing a great job with his p2p.ie site too. It’s so easy now to make entries and watch all the races back on video. It is a great service and a big help to everyone in the point-to-point game.”

On a personal note, last August was a massive moment for Flynn O’Connor as his partner, Emer O’Connor gave birth to their first child.

“Emer and I were over the moon to greet our

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

beautiful daughter called Croia. Thankfully, both mother and baby are doing fine and of course she is the apple of our eye. She’s a wonderful little girl.

I’m sure she’ll keep us on our toes over the next few years.”

While training horses is what 40-year-old Matty is best known for, few may be aware that he is also a dab hand at coaching and managing successful camogie and GAA teams.

“I was joint-manager of the Wexford senior camogie team in 2015. We won a Leinster title and were beaten in two successive All-Ireland semifinals. On both occasions we lost out by a point after extra time, to Cork and Galway.

“My club, Duffy Rovers won the 2015 senior B county title when I was coaching them. I’ve been involved in hurling and football for a long number of years and I love both sports.”

Are there any similarities or crossovers when it comes to dealing with humans or horses?

“Funnily enough, I actually think there is. One thing I’m convinced of is that peaking at the right time is just so important. Whether it’s a racehorse or a GAA player, it’s all about being cherry ripe on the day.

“If a horse goes over the top, it’s very difficult to get them right again. You have to make sure you don’t overdo it and it’s the same with any team you’re involved with. Timing it right is vital. The mental side of it is as important as the physical aspect.”

Resting on his laurels has never sat well with Matty and he, more than anyone else, knows that racing is full of ups and downs. One gets the impression that whatever the game throws at resilient people like him, they will always rise to the challenge. With a get-up-and-go attitude that is second to none, expect plenty more graduates of his Ballycrystal academy to feature prominently on the shopping lists of racing’s biggest hitters.

Sporting John has won six times for JP McManus and Philip Hobbs since being sold after Jimmy O’Rourke steered the Getaway gelding to victory in a Borris House maiden in 2019

161

Derry Boys Photos: HEALY RACING • Words: GARY CARSON

GAA is as much a part of the McGill story as racing but like their father Gary before them, Oran (above right) and Dara (left) have turned their attention now to the horses

I

rish racing has long been built on a foundation of families, and siblings doing battle in the saddle has been a common sight on the racecourse.

Derry has been something of a hinterland when it comes to racing but the McGill brothers are quickly carving out a niche for themselves in the north.

The two come from a family and community steeped in the GAA but both Oran and Dara have followed their father Gary’s lead by pursuing horse racing as their passion.

Gary McGill, who won an Ulster senior championship with Derry, turned his attention to training almost 20 years ago and his sons have also been bitten by the bug with both taking to the saddle.

Similarly, football was the first love of both boys, with Oran facing off against Kerry superstar David Clifford in an All-Ireland minor final in 2017. Both lads played club football with current Ulster

162

champions and All-Ireland runners-up Glen in Maghera up until recently but racing has become all-consuming and they are planning for the future in this industry.

“Football was definitely my first love, right up until minors and then I started to get a bit more into the racing,” says elder brother Oran.

“I was riding away in the early days but if there was a football match I would have gone to that but now it’s definitely gone the other way and I’d be going racing.

“I can’t say I’ve any regrets. I played last year and was on the panel of the Glen team that was in an All-Ireland club final. I wasn’t picked for the Derry and Ulster finals and I probably regret missing out on that but I wouldn’t really change things. The two sports don’t really go together too well.”

Similarly, Dara has put football behind him to concentrate on racing full time.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

DARA & ORAN MCGILL

“Football came first for a long time, it would have been the main thing,” details Dara. “It’s only in the last four or five years that racing became more important than football. I still played a bit last year but this year I went to France during the summer so there was no point training as I was going to be away.”

That dedication to racing, and point-to-pointing in particular, reaped rich rewards for the 19-yearold last season as he became the first northern winner of the U21 championship between the flags.

It’s a title that has an illustrious roll call with the likes of Davy Russell, Derek O’Connor and Barry O’Neill as previous winners.

“It was brilliant. I had it in the back of my head that I wanted to have a go at it but if you had told me at the start of the year that I’d win it I’d probably have laughed at you. If I could go on to be half as good as some of the previous winners I’d be doing all right.”

With the backing of one of the leading point-topoint producers in the north there has to be every chance that another title could be coming his way.

“I’m in with Warren Ewing a lot of the time and I’m kept busy. Warren buys a lot of nice horses, obviously Constitution Hill came out of there so that speaks for itself. I maybe sat on Constitution Hill once or twice when I first started going down there but not a lot.

“I spend most of my time with Warren and he would be my main yard. He has plenty of horses, and plenty of runners, particularly in the four-yearold races which are the most important.”

Last year’s point-to-point season didn’t prove as fruitful for his brother with injury and suspension intervening but he has made a real impact since taking out his licence in 2019 with double figures on the racecourse.

Oran keeps himself busy by riding out for several trainers in the north and has regularly been in

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

action against professionals on both sides of the Irish Sea. “I’d be with Noel Kelly most of the time and Wilson Dennison a couple of days. I ride out for a lot of the trainers in the north, Caroline McCaldin as well and Colin McKeever.

“Noel has more track horses than point-topointers and that helps keep me ticking over in the summertime. We also have a couple of nice horses at home to run on the track as well. We have about 12 at the moment.”

Both intend to maintain their amateur status in the coming years with Dara eyeing another U21 title.

“I’ve still got another two seasons at the U21 level so if I could win that another time that would be the main goal. Hopefully further down

Shantou Show benefited from the riding skills of both McGill brothers in 2023, as Dara guided the then Seán McParlan-trained gelding to a maiden victory at Kirkistown Point-To-Point in February and Oran was in the plate as the six-year-old battled to success in a novice hunter chase at Tipperary on his first outing for Noel Kelly in May

163

DARA & ORAN MCGILL

Dara, Oran and Gary at the Tattersalls Ireland July Store Sale, where they bought stock by Walk In The Park, Affinisea and Milan that they hope will yield profitable returns through the points sector

“There

is rivalry there and you nearly go harder if you’re coming down to the last against him” 164

the line I could maybe get a northern championship.

“Barry (O’Neill) is very hard to beat and he will be for the foreseeable future. He has a lot of backing from David Christie and Colin Bowe among others. Hopefully we can keep things going as well as they did last year.

“The year before, when I had only started with Warren, I got hurt and was out for four months. I missed a large part of the season. If I can stay injury free that’s the main thing.”

Staying amateur suits the brothers given the amount of point-to-point trainers in their locality as Oran explains.

“I’ll probably stay amateur, I wouldn’t mind giving conditional a try, but when you have horses at home it suits. We have 21 rides against professionals on the track so it nearly works better for us to stay amateur. If I wanted to go pro I’d probably have to move down south as well.”

Dara has also started to make more of an impact on the racecourse in the past year and has attracted the attention of Irish Grand Nationalwinning trainer, Dermot McLoughlin.

“I rode a nice horse in Punchestown for Dermot, Angelo Dundee, and he has been good to me. He’s given me four rides and two of them have won.”

With point-to-point racing becoming so focused on four-year-old events and the subsequent sales, it’s a natural progression for jockeys to start dabbling in store horses themselves.

“Myself and Oran have started buying a couple of three-year-olds each year with the aim to sell them on,” says Dara.

“This is probably the first year having a proper go at it. We also have a couple left over from last year as well. The aim is to finish in the first three and then try to sell them on.

“When you are not paying big bucks for them, spending five or six grand, and can turn it into 30 or 40 in ten months, that’s the goal. That’s where the big money is at.”

Oran adds: “We had a couple last year, one of them ran all right but didn’t have any luck, so we have them left over. Hopefully this year we can get a couple sold.

“We want to keep it to a nice number when we’re riding and if we get on well we’ll hopefully try and make it a bigger operation. It’s probably best to stay small at the minute as it takes a lot of time out of the day.”

The two riders are likely to be in high demand for the foreseeable future with a lack of young talent coming through in the saddle in the region.

“There are very few lads coming up through the ranks in the north at the minute. If you counted you’d maybe have six or seven jockeys from the north,” reveals Dara.

Finishes fought out by the McGill brothers in northern point-to-points look set to be a feature of the competition in the region for many years.

Proving yourself against an elder sibling can be a powerful motive and Dara admits he might just drive himself on a bit when challenged by his brother.

“There is rivalry there and you nearly go harder if you’re coming down to the last against him.”

Oran is a bit more coy about how he feels in the same circumstances.

“There is a small bit (of rivalry) but it’s good to be riding together as we can give each other pointers. If Dara has ridden around a track that I haven’t, or vice versa, we can give each other a hand that way.

“We’re flat out at home together. It’s grand at the minute, hopefully we can stay sound and keep going the way we are going.”

The success of the McGills can hopefully inspire more youngsters in the north to pursue racing as a career. Trainers in the area have long had to source riders from the south and like most of the country, a staff shortage is starting to bite hard.

It’s no surprise to see a highly talented duo from the locality in such hot demand.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Frankely FRANKEL

Fantastic In the seven seasons since his first runner Cunco won a six-furlong maiden at Newbury, Frankel has put himself on track to be as extraordinary a stallion as he was a racehorse

Photos: MELANIE SAUER, TREVOR JONES & PETER MOONEY • Words: JAMES THOMAS

“H

e’s the best I’ve ever had, the best I’ve ever seen. I'd be very surprised if there's ever been anything better.”

Those words have gained added poignancy since they were uttered by Sir Henry Cecil in October 2012. That assessment came in the emotional aftermath of Frankel’s victory in the Champion Stakes, the final performance of one of the turf’s defining racing careers.

Prince Khalid Abdullah’s homebred retired with an unblemished record of 14 out of 14, with ten of those wins gained in Group 1 company. His jaw-

166

dropping efforts in the Queen Anne Stakes and Juddmonte International were given ratings of 140

by Longines’ World Thoroughbred Rankings.

Given the style and substance of his achievements, it is fitting that Frankel is officially the highest-rated turf horse in history. He is the benchmark against which all others are measured.

The story of his rise from headstrong juvenile to undefeated dual world champion is linked inextricably with his trainer, who passed away aged 70 after a hard-fought battle with stomach cancer.

Cecil’s death came less than eight months after the IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

FRANKEL

2012 Champion Stakes, with many believing that the responsibility of guiding Frankel through his racing career helped sustain the iconic trainer during his illness.

Not only was Cecil hugely successful, training 25 Classic winners and claiming ten trainers’ championships, he also attained a popularity with the racing public that few, if any, in his profession had before. There can be no finer tribute to the late, great trainer than Frankel. And not only because of what he achieved on the racecourse, but what has happened since.

A NEW CHAPTER

There was intense hype around Frankel’s retirement to Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud ahead of the 2013 breeding season. His introductory fee of £125,000 was befitting a horse of his celebrity status and he duly attracted a stellar debut book.

He covered 149 mares in that first season, among which were 38 Group/Grade 1 winners and the dams of 25 top-level scorers.

His eagerly anticipated first foals began arriving early the following year. However, by the time that first crop reached the sales in the winter of 2014 the rumours had started, with naysayers levelling accusations that he hadn’t stamped his stock. His second book of mares was of a similar standard to the first, but there were so many doubts around by the spring of 2015 that the quality and quantity of his third book dropped markedly.

It is a well-established fact that the majority of stallions don’t come up to scratch, and history is littered with examples of outstanding racehorses who failed to emulate their racing success at stud.

Most had sky-high expectations for Frankel, but for some the jury was out.

All eyes were on the six-furlong maiden at Newbury on May 13, 2016 when Cunco became the first of Frankel’s progeny to step out onto the racecourse. The Don Alberto Corporation homebred may have had his moments during the preliminaries, but once the stalls opened there was very little to worry about. Cunco quickened up smartly to score by three-quarters of a length, and in turn provided his sire with the perfect start to his second career.

That may have only been a run-of-the-mill maiden, but it was the start of a very steep upward

curve for the Juddmonte stallion. Now, over seven years on, Frankel hasn’t just silenced the doubters, he looks something completely out of the ordinary.

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS

By the time the May Hill Stakes of 2021 came around, Inspiral not only became Frankel’s 50th group scorer but her success saw her sire reach a half-century of pattern race winners faster than any European stallion had before. At the end of that season, Frankel dethroned Galileo to claim his first British and Irish champion sire title.

And when Emotion won the Listed Chalice Stakes in July the following year, Frankel equalled the record for siring the fastest 100 black-type winners. The record was previously held outright

by Danehill, with the pair reaching the milestone in exactly 2,402 days, albeit the son of Danzig had the benefit of a dual-hemisphere covering career.

However, with the trend towards bigger books of mares rather muddying the waters of what these achievements actually amount to, these accolades don’t fully reflect the scale of Frankel’s accomplishments. The deeper you dig, the more impressive his statistics become.

Frankel’s roll of honour is capped by 33 top-

FRANKEL'S BREEDING STATISTICS Covering year

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Mares covered

149

142

114

130

221

205

161

175

201

232

196

BT mares covered

100

94

72

76

147

130

106

106

123

159

153

% of BT mares

67

66

63

59

67

63

66

61

61

69

78

BT horses bred

33

32

21

19

37

37

25

4

-

-

-

BT winners bred

24

19

10

11

24

28

13

4

-

-

-

GW bred

19

10

9

6

15

22

8

2

-

-

-

G1 winners

6

2

2

3

6

9

4

1

-

-

-

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Many believe the responsibility of guiding Frankel through his racing career helped sustain the iconic trainer, Henry Cecil during his illness (TJ)

“He is

capable of siring topclass runners of any sex, any age, anywhere and over virtually any distance” 167

FRANKEL

winners, and while that number may be a “If the results flight relatively small sample size in the context of a

of these supercharged books see Frankel’s progeny hit new heights on the track, then the sky really is the limit”

stallion’s career, the identity and achievements among this group neatly illustrates a big part of what makes Frankel so special: he is capable of siring top-class runners of any sex, any age, anywhere and over virtually any distance.

His top-class two-year-olds include Dewhurst Stakes winner Chaldean, who added the 2000 Guineas at three, and Inspiral, one of three daughters to land the Fillies’ Mile. Inspiral went on to land five more Group/Grade 1 prizes, culminating in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

He has sired ten Classic winners, from the aforementioned Chaldean, and Irish 1000 Guineas scorer Homeless Songs, to Epsom winners in Adayar, who claimed the Derby, and Anapurna and Soul Sister, who struck in the Oaks. He has also fielded two St Leger scorers in Hurricane Lane and Logician.

His older brigade includes dual Champion Stakes victor Cracksman, Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Juddmonte International winner Mostahdaf, and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista, while his high-achieving stayers include Courage Mon Ami, who triumphed in the Gold Cup, and the Prix du Cadran-winning Call The Wind.

As well as all his British and Irish success, Frankel has also sired Group/Grade 1 winners in Australia, Dubai, France, Germany, Japan and North America.

In 2023 alone Frankel has been represented by 11 Group/Grade 1 winners, more than any other stallion on the planet, and by the end of the Breeders’ Cup, his stud record featured 208 flat stakes performers worldwide, a figure that includes 91 group or graded winners. He will also regain his British and Irish champion sire crown at the end of

the year, as his progeny earnings are over €3 million clear of his nearest pursues, Dark Angel and Dubawi.

His northern hemisphere group/graded winners have come at a strike rate of 12%, while 27 % of his runners have gained black type. These figures compare favourably with other elite stallions, with Dubawi and Galileo’s group winners-to-runners strike rates standing at 11% and 10% respectively.

That pair have sired black-type performers-torunners at respective clips of 24% and 25%.

Having compiled such impressive statistics there is little wonder that the clamour for Frankel’s stock at the sales has intensified. He sired the two most expensive lots at Book 1 of this year’s Tattersalls’ October Yearling Sale, led by the 2m guineas colt out of Bizzarria, and the top lot at the Goffs Orby Sale, the €1.85m filly out of Multilingual. Both yearlings were bought by Coolmore’s MV Magnier, the former in partnership with Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm.

The combination of recent success, both racing and sales, has prompted Juddmonte to raise the price of Frankel’s nomination fee to £350,000 for 2024, making him the joint-most expensive stallion in the world alongside Dubawi. In announcing the increase, Juddmonte said Frankel’s new fee “reflects his standing amongst the all-time great stallions”.

MORE IN STORE

In truth, Frankel still has work to do before he can be considered an all-time great. There is, however, a mountain of evidence that suggests his best days are still ahead of him. If he remains hale and hearty and can maintain his current standards, there is undoubtedly a place in that elite category with his name on it.

Frankel still has a way to go to hit all-time great status at stud but there is a mountain of evidence to suggest that the Banstead Manor behemoth will end his career in that elite category (MS) 168

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

FRANKEL

Frankel has never lacked support at stud, but the quality and quantity of mares within his books has only increased since he began showing breeders just how good he really is. In 2017, in the afterglow of his debut two-year-old crop including talents like Fair Eva, Queen Kindly and his first top-flight winner Soul Stirring, breeders piled back into Frankel with renewed enthusiasm.

The fullness of time revealed that his debut crop contained 24 worldwide black-type winners, including six who struck at Group/Grade 1 level.

The crop conceived in 2017 matched those heights, with 24 more black-type winners and another six top-flight scorers.

Cracksman put the seal on Frankel’s first crop of three-year-olds by winning the Champion Stakes five years after his sire made his final racecourse appearance in the same race. The crop conceived in 2018 after that first domestic Group 1 has proved Frankel’s most productive to date, yielding 28 global black-type winners, including nine who struck at the highest level. Those are seriously punchy numbers.

Frankel’s first seven crops of three-year-olds have accounted for 32 of his 33 Group/Grade 1 winners and came from books of mares numbering between 221 (in 2017) and 114 (2015), while the percentage of black-type mares within those books has remained between 67% (2013 and 2017) and 59% (2016).

The results from those crops have been impressive enough, but the details of his most recent books raise the possibility that Frankel could be about to raise his game even further. In 2022, after Frankel was crowned champion sire for the first time, he covered 232 mares at an elevated fee of £200,000. Of those, 69% (159) boasted black type. Although the volume dipped slightly in 2023, when his fee was upped to £275,000, the 196-strong book comprised a hefty 78% (153) blacktype mares.

Moreover, the 428 matings from the last two breeding seasons saw Frankel cover 97 Group/ Grade 1-winning mares (23% of the combined books) and 65 Group/Grade 1-winning producers (15%). Ten of those matings were with those incredibly rare mares who not only won a Group 1 on the track themselves, but went on to breed a top-flight winner at paddocks. Among those are Coolmore’s blue hens Halfway To Heaven (dam of Magical and Rhododendron) and Lillie Langtry (Empress Josephine, Minding and Tuesday), as well as Red Evie (Found).

If the results of these supercharged books see Frankel’s progeny hit new heights on the track, then the sky really is the limit. And given covering fees are usually a fair reflection of the mare quality within each book, who knows how his 2024-conceived crop will look now that he is standing at the world’s highest fee.

Frankel contributed to Galileo surpassing the likes of Danehill and Sadler’s Wells to become the most prolific sire of Group/Grade 1 winners in history. The late Coolmore resident is poised on 99 top-flight scorers at the time of writing.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

It is food for thought, then, that Frankel is currently trending ahead of his own sire, who had 31 Group/Grade 1 winners by the corresponding stage of his career, albeit having started out at a much lower fee. Could Frankel one day eclipse the spectacular achievements of Galileo? He looks to have every chance.

NEXT GENERATION

And Frankel’s influence looks set to deepen beyond his own stud record, having already started to make a profound impact from the second generation of pedigrees. His growing roster of sire sons is led by his highest-rated runner Cracksman, who in turn bred Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Ace Impact. The unbeaten champion is due to begin his own stud career at Haras de Beaumont at a fee of €40,000 in 2024.

Next year the European stallion ranks will also include Chaldean (Banstead Manor Stud), Mostahdaf (Beech House), Onesto (Haras d’Etreham), Triple Time (Dalham Hall) and Without Parole (Newsells Park), while Hurricane Lane joins fellow St Leger winner Logician as part of the national hunt roster. Meanwhile, Adayar and Westover will begin their stud careers in Japan, where they join another son of Frankel in Mozu Ascot.

And, despite his oldest daughters only just rising ten, Frankel is also making his presence felt as a broodmare sire. In Japan, Mozu Meimei, a daughter of Real Impact out of the Frankel mare In Luxury, won the Grade 2 Tulip Sho, while Noble Truth, a €1.1m son of Kingman and Speralita, won the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and also finished runner-up to Angel Bleu in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère. Given how many blue-blooded crops he has in the pipeline, his daughters’ record as producers can only improve, possibly significantly so, over the coming seasons.

When Sir Henry Cecil told reporters that he’d be very surprised if there'd ever be anything better than Frankel, he was, of course, referring to his racing ability. But if the Banstead Manor resident continues on his current trajectory, it won’t be long before that assessment is being shared by those reflecting on Frankel’s prowess at stud too.

The 2022 Irish 1000 Guineas victor, Homeless Songs is one of ten Classic winners sired by Frankel, but his progeny can also be precocious as well as achieving at the highest level as older horses and in any part of the world (PM)

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HONEYSUCKLE & NH MARES

Powerof theHoney Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: LEO POWELL

Without the incentivisation in terms of bonus schemes and beefed up race programmes for mares, we would never have seen a female sales topper at a store sale and it is unlikely that we would have ever been fortunate enough to see Honeysuckle race, given that she didn’t even attract one bid when first offered at auction

I

t is hard to believe the difference a decade has made when it comes to the acceptance of fillies and mares by trainers and bloodstock agents in national hunt racing.

Early in 2013, we saw the introduction of the National Hunt Fillies’ Bonus Scheme. The initiative, designed to stimulate interest in fillies at the sales, and encourage more owners to buy and race them, was the brainchild of the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s National Hunt Committee

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under its chairman William Flood. It saw the owners of qualified fillies and mares receiving a bonus payment for winning selected races.

Under this scheme, the owners of a qualified filly or mare could earn up to €15,000 extra during their racing career in Ireland. The scheme pays out a bonus of €5,000 to any eligible filly or mare who wins their mares-only maiden bumper, maiden hurdle and beginners’ steeplechase.

Such has been the success of the scheme that IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

from January 1, 2024, winning owners will be rewarded with an additional €2,500, bringing their initial bonus to €7,500. The move adds further support to what is an increasingly strong broodmare band, and benefits the owners and breeders who choose to race their fillies.

When it was launched just over a decade ago, there was a hope expressed that the scheme would continue indefinitely, and it is well on its way to realising that wish. To date, more than €3m has been paid out in bonuses. This is one self-help initiative that has certainly proven popular with breeders, owners and producers of fillies, and generated enormous appeal in fillies at the sales.

Indeed, even a cursory look at the entries for the Goffs Arkle Sale or the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale will show that fillies are growing in numbers every year. This is in stark contrast to years ago, when you would have needed to be a half-sister to a major national hunt star to earn a place in these sales. Who would have bet then that a three-yearold filly would sell for €310,000, and top the Derby Sale, as happened when a daughter of Kapgarde headlined the 2022 Derby Sale?

For far too many years, the plight of fillies was largely ignored, with breeders generally wringing their hands in anguish following the birth of a filly foal. Most failed to reach the racecourse and breeders largely traded on the hope that a brother or son would go on and provide a major boost to the pedigree. Few races for mares were on the calendar, and no one seemed to care.

Indeed, such was the state of play that sire owners would advertise a covering fee for their stallions but offer a reduced fee if breeders found themselves with a filly foal on their hands. The argument that purchasing an expensive gelding, who turned out not to be so talented or suffered a career-ending injury, was much more risky and financially imprudent than a well-bred filly, who at least had some residual value, fell constantly on deaf ears.

Many have played a part in changing the picture in the last couple of decades, but no one has done as much as Boardsmill Stud’s William Flood. Here is a man who has seen NH racing and breeding from every conceivable angle, as a stallion master, breeder, sales vendor and buyer, racehorse owner and a racing administrator. He was a driving force behind the move to increase the fillies’ and mares’ allowance, and the architect of the Fillies’ Bonus Scheme.

A real game-changer has been the introduction of a growing programme of black-type races for mares, right up to Grade 1 level. Sceptics and detractors often miss the importance of this.

Writing back in 2013 about this new scheme which was being introduced, I opined: “While this has been a subject for discussion for all of my time being involved in the business, never has more been done to give a lift that will help to enhance the appeal of fillies. As a young man, I and many racing fans enjoyed the triumphs of top-class performers such as Glencaraig Lady and Dawn Run, both winners of the coveted Cheltenham Gold IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Cup. How long will we have to wait to see another mare stride up that hill in glory?

“Now we have a proactive approach being taken on the issue, with a more positive programme of races that will include a Grade 1 race for mares this spring. This will surely be copied and expanded upon, and help fuel further demand for fillies at the store sales. With owner’s championships being keenly fought for, it is surely only a matter of time before fillies are on all shopping lists.

“We must see this as a long-term project, and part of a greater overall programme to accord fillies their true value and worth. Their weight allowance against geldings is another positive move to make them more competitive.

“We have seen many good fillies emerge in recent years and we will, I believe, see even more in the immediate future. Look at the excitement caused by Annie Power, following her demolition of six opponents in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Naas. She was the only mare in the race, and extended her unbeaten sequence to six.

“It should not need stating, but mares are a superb investment, offering value for money, a rich programme for their sex, a tantalising weight allowance against geldings, and a residual value when their racing days are over. Now tell me why you wouldn’t race a filly?”

That first Grade 1 hurdle race for mares, backed by the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders’ Fund, was run at Fairyhouse at the end of March 2013. I well recall a great deal of ridicule being vented about the race’s introduction, which attracted ‘only’ six runners. With Annie Power starting at prohibitive odds-on, it was seen as a one-horse race, and it was won in easy fashion by the Susannah Ricci-owned, Willie Mullins-trained, Ruby Walsh-ridden five-year-old.

Now, in hindsight, it was a good portent for what the future held for mares’ races. Annie Power went on to win 15 of her 17 starts, and this included beating the best of either sex when she defeated My Tent Or Yours in the 2016 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Her only defeats were when runner-up in the three-mile World Hurdle at Prestbury Park, the only time she was tried over the extended distance, and when she failed to

The first Grade 1 race for mares, which while the subject of some ridicule initially for attracting just six runners, produced from that cohort a dual Grade 1 winner, a Royal Ascot victor, a Galway Hurdle winner and Ascot Gold Cup runner-up, and two Grade 3 winners, as well as the sensational inaugural winner of the race itself Annie Power, who only lost one completed race in her career and galloped to Champion Hurdle glory in 2016

“If

Honeysuckle was to come up for sale today as a winning point-to-point mare, she would make multiples of what we paid for her” 171

HONEYSUCKLE & NH MARES

“A real

gamechanger has been the introduction of a growing programme of black-type races for mares, right up to Grade 1 level”

complete the course at the same venue when coming a cropper at the last while well clear in the Mares’ Hurdle. What a champion.

Annie Power took a rather unusual route for a NH performer when she retired to the paddocks, afforded an opportunity to be covered by no less a great than Coolmore’s Galileo. Owned by the trio of McManus, Magnier and Ricci, Annie Power’s first-born, Mystical Power, has won both his bumper and hurdle debuts, and could yet be a star.

Runner-up to Annie Power at Fairyhouse was Glen’s Melody, a dual Grade 1 hurdle winner, once thanks to her great rival’s fall at Cheltenham, and she won a dozen of her 21 starts. Third-placed Jennies Jewel was a Royal Ascot winner subsequently, while the rest of the field were Grade 3-winning hurdlers Top Madam and Zuska, and the Galway Hurdle winner and Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Missunited.

The introduction of the National Hunt Fillies’ Bonus Scheme in 2014, the sex allowance, and a growing programme of races for fillies and mares, has resulted in an avalanche of top racemares in the succeeding decade. Congratulations must be afforded to all who helped to make this a reality, rather than remain a dream, and how fortunate racing has been to see so many more top-class mares over jumps in the past 10 years.

None come any better, or were more popular, than Honeysuckle, now awaiting her first-born in

the spring, a son or daughter of Walk In The Park.

Here is a mare whose story is quite the fairytale, given that she did not attract a bid of any kind when she was first offered for sale, and who almost brought the roof down at Cheltenham when she proved to be a pot of gold at the rainbow’s end, winning her final career start.

There has rarely been a racehorse as popular as Honeysuckle, and her owner Kenny Alexander is one of the staunchest supporters of racemares in the business. He has the good fortune to be advised by Rathmore Stud owner Peter Molony, who found Honeysuckle after she won her only start in a point-to-point. Mind you, they faced plenty of competition when, in near darkness, the four-year-old daughter of Sulamani was offered at the Goffs Punchestown National Hunt Sale in 2018.

This boutique sale is held after racing at the Punchestown Festival, and nine of the fourteen lots that traded that year realised a six-figure sum, the best of which sold for €320,000. Honeysuckle was the only filly to venture into the six-figure territory, selling to Molony, for €110,000.

“When I saw her pedigree, I did not feel it was perhaps good enough, but when I saw her I changed my mind,” the Co Limerick man reflects.

“Kenny wanted to build a broodmare band, but with fillies that had raced preferably. In fact, we recently were finalising our matings for the spring, and Kenny has 20 mares to be covered. All of them have black type, and I think all but one of them raced in his colours.

Honeysuckle turned into a goldmine for connections, providing a fairytale conclusion to her career in March with a fourth Grade 1 Cheltenham triumph – comprising two Champion Hurdles and two Mares’ Hurdles

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IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

HONEYSUCKLE & NH MARES

“Hats off to William Flood for his untiring championing of fillies and mares. Such is their popularity in the sale ring that I would suggest if Honeysuckle was to come up for sale today as a winning point-to-point mare, she would make multiples of what we paid for her. A key to all of this is the enhanced racing programme for fillies and mares.”

Honeysuckle came a long way from attracting no bid the first time she went to a sale, selling in Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale for €9,500 to Mark O'Hare, and finally making a handsome profit as a winning pointer. It was significant at the time that she made this money while possessing a solid, if unspectacular pedigree.

Well, she turned into a goldmine for connections, nurtured throughout her career by Henry de Bromhead. She won 17 times over hurdles, from 19 starts, and proved to not only be an outstanding mare, but was up to beating the best of any sex.

She was impressive when defeating Sharjah and another mare, the defending champion Epatante, in the 2021 Champion Hurdle, and she readily

defeated the latter again 12 months later.

The decision was taken to eschew a tilt at a third Champion Hurdle, and instead she faced a strong field of her own sex in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle in March, having previously won it after a fantastic joust with Benie Des Dieux in 2020. The result was an emotional win that brought her racing career to an end in a blaze of glory. Honeysuckle had nothing to prove last March but she showed that she was one of the best racemares we have been privileged to see in recent decades, and gave a further endorsement that having a filly foal is no longer a cause for anguish.

For the record, Honeysuckle retired to stud with earnings of £1,431,907, and recorded no fewer than 13 Grade 1 wins, by way of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham twice, the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown three times, the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse three times, the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, the Punchestown Champion Hurdle twice, and the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham twice. Ten of those Grade 1s came in open company against geldings.

Shattered Love is just one of a high-class group of mares covered

by Walk In The Park in 2023, which includes Champion Hurdle winners Annie Power, Honeysuckle and Epatante

CRÈME DE LA CRÈME VISIT WALK IN THE PARK We regularly are treated to news of the high-quality mares that visited stellar flat sires such as Frankel, Dubawi, Galileo and their ilk, but rarely do the books of mares being covered by the leading national hunt stallions come under scrutiny.

Consider this. Honeysuckle was one of three Champion Hurdle winners to be covered by leading sire Walk In The Park in 2023. She was one of more than 200 mares he covered, along with Annie Power and Epatante. Indeed, the latter’s retirement to the breeding shed was only made public by her former trainer during an open day at his stables in September!

Among the other racing and breeding luminaries covered

by Walk In The Park at Grange Stud in Fermoy, were: Apple’s Shakira, a multiple Grade 2-winning full sister to 11time Grade 1 winner Apple’s Jade; Benie Des Dieux, four-time Grade 1 winner who sold in 2021 for €350,000; Dame De

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Compagnie, Grade 3 hurdle winner at the Cheltenham Festival; Dolcita, dual listed-winning chaser, sold in 2023 for €240,000; Heaven Help Us, Grade 3 hurdle winner at the Cheltenham Festival; Indefatigable, Grade 2 and Cheltenham Festival-winning hurdler; Jer’s Girl, dual Grade 1-winning hurdler; Kruscyna, Grade 3-winning dam of six-time Grade 1 winner Chacun Pour Soi; M'Oubliez Pas, dam of Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle winner Burning Victory; Our Girl Salley, Grade 3 winner and dam of Grade 1 winner Black Tears; Quevega, four Grade 1 wins, six Cheltenham Festival wins and dam of Facile Vega; Shattered Love, dual Grade 1 winner over fences and sold for €260,000; Star Face, dam of multiple Grade 1-winning brothers Douvan and Jonbon; Verdana Blue, winner of nine races including the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle; Vroum Vroum Mag, 14 wins, six places in 21 starts, including three Grade 1 wins.

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GOOD GUESS

Bay 2020, 16.1 hh

> Group 1 winner at 3 and debut 2yo winner in June > Dual Group winning son of KODIAC a proven Sire of Group producing sires > 420,000gns yearling at Tattersalls Book 1

Fee: €17,500

Out of a PIVOTAL mare • A son of Super Sire KODIAC RACE RECORD

Won 4 races, €329,735, 5½f to 7f, and was placed twice, from 9 starts Won Gr.1 Prix Jean Prat, 7f, Deauville, by 3 lengths beating Chaldean (Gr.1), Meditate (Gr.1), Belbek (Gr.1), Sauterne (Gr.1), and 4 other Group winners.

Good Guess is an

Won Gr.3 Prix Djebel, 7f, Deauville, extremely classy horse. beating Belbek (Gr.1) The Prix Jean Prat is and 2 other Group winners. always a good test of a Won Prix d'Orgemont, 5½f, three-year-old, being over seven furlongs on a straight Chantilly, at 2, on debut. track, and he won the race Won Prix de la Croix des Veneurs, over a strong field very easily.

6f, Chantilly, at 2.

He also came to hand early 2nd Gr.3 Prix Paul de Moussac, 7f, as a two-year-old, had a Longchamp. very good turn of foot, 3rd Listed Prix Zeddaan, 6f, so he should be an exciting prospect for breeders.

Longchamp, at 2.

“

”

Trainer, Fabrice Chappet

Timeform Rating: 121 PEDIGREE

By KODIAC, the Record-Breaking Champion Sire of 2-year-olds His dam ZYKINA (Pivotal) has produced 3 Black Type horses: GOOD GUESS (Kodiac): see above SPANGLED (Starspangledbanner): won 5 races, incl. Gr.3 Sceptre Stakes JUMIRA BRIDGE (Invincible Spirit): won 7 races, incl. 3rd Listed Westow Stakes

COTAI GLORY

INNS OF COURT

KODIAC

Group 1 producing Sire

A son of Sire of Sires INVINCIBLE SPIRIT

The perennial Champion European Sire

A SUCCESSFUL FIRST CROP SIRE IN 2023

Sire of 43 Group winners, of which 26 are 2yo Group winners

5 Group Winners 19 Black-Type horses From only 3 crops Yearlings and Breeze-Ups in 2023 have made

Sire of Stakes 2yos MEGARRY, GAENARI, LIA FAIL, etc

Yearlings and Breeze-Ups in 2023 have made

160,000gns, €135,000, 100,000gns, £100,000, etc.

Yearlings in 2023 have made €220,000, £72,000, etc.

€500,000, €430,000, 300,000gns, 260,000gns, etc.

Fee: €12,500

Fee: €5,000

Fee: €35,000

MEHMAS

PERSIAN FORCE

STARMAN

Record-breaking Group 1 sire

Gr.2 winner and triple Gr.1-placed at 2

Champion European Sprinter

Sire of 4 Group 1 winners, 15 Group winners and 49 Black-Type horses from only 4 crops

Group sprinting son of MEHMAS

Winner of Gr.1 July Cup and Gr.2 Duke of York Stakes.

Timeform rated 125

Yearlings in 2023 have made

€500,000, 400,000gns, 390,000gns, €260,000, 220,000gns, etc.

Fee: €50,000

Winner of Gr.2 July Stakes; 2nd Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes and Gr.1 Prix Morny; 3rd Gr.1 Middle Park Stakes

“He looks like what a sprinter

should look like – he’d be a Usain Bolt of the equine world” – Trainer, Ed Walker

FIRST CROP FOALS 2024

FIRST CROP YEARLINGS 2024

Fee: €8,000

Fee: €10,000

phone +353 (0) 4493-48450 • Envelope info@tallyhostud.com • Globe www.tallyhostud.com

Lightning ROD

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS & HEALY RACING • Words: DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR

Vandeek was a stunning success for breeze-up producer Glending Stables but the aim now is to repeat the trick

T

he breeze-up game is more like team sport than individual pursuits such as golf and tennis, where you retain your ranking as a new season comes around.

For Roderic Kavanagh and his colleagues, it is back to square one. Everyone starts off with a clean slate. Of course budget is a factor when it comes to acquiring yearlings, not to mention developing top-class facilities and paying staff, but perhaps reputation is as important as anything and that certainly comes from previous achievement.

Kavanagh is well known and immersed in the industry as son of Peter and Antoinette of Kildaragh Stud. He has learned and branched off to run a breeze-up arm of the operation, Glending Stables, along with business partner Cormac O’Flynn. Given his grounding, it should be no surprise that he could select good stock without breaking the bank and then be able to educate

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them and keep them healthy so that they thrive, not just at the sales but in their racing careers afterwards.

Vandeek is his poster boy, picked up at Tattersalls December Sale from Childwickbury Stud for 42,000gns at the end of November 2022 with Kavanagh, O’Flynn and Kavanagh Snr all having a share. That value was multiplied almost 15 times just five months later, as Anthony Stroud went to 625,000gns to acquire the son of Havana Grey for KHK Racing at the Craven Breeze-Up. He is worth a whole lot more now again, having finished the year unbeaten from four outings at six furlongs under the guidance of Simon and Ed Crisford. He seemed to get better with every outing from his July maiden debut at Nottingham. The Group 2 Richmond Stakes followed at Goodwood in August before he showed tremendous resolution to snatch a first Group 1 prize on the line, grabbing IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

RODERIC KAVANAGH

the Prix Morny by a short neck from Ramatuelle.

His best performance was his last, sauntering to a two-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket, where Kavanagh waved goodbye to him last April.

“You know I was getting a bit sick of talking about it at this stage but it’s funny, when you start at it again, you appreciate what goes into it to make it happen,” muses Kavanagh. “You are back to zero. But I suppose realistically, that is the ultimate dream: buy a horse, ride it, make a fortune and for them to go on to be good.”

While the cheque book might have a bit more power to it 12 months on, Kavanagh is not going to forego the pragmatism that comes from a lifetime in the breeding, sales and racing game. Not entirely, anyway.

“We try to be realistic. There are only so many horses that can make that kind of money and we try to buy them right at a lower level and hitting the six-figure target. Doubling your money at that level is good. There was one that we went out and splashed the money on, on a big horse (a son of Sea The Stars out of Group 3-winning No Nay Never mare Nikisophia at Tattersalls October Book 1 costing £155,000) because we felt like we had been reserved until then. Time will tell.”

Vandeek fit the general spending profile and Kavanagh deflects any praise for picking him up relatively cheaply.

“Havana Grey was leading first-season sire at the time. We weren’t reinventing the wheel. Both myself and my sister (AK Thoroughbreds boss, Alice) had foals that year when he was about to have runners so she was watching him and I was watching him. The one I had he has actually turned out to be a grand horse. He didn’t hit it on the sale day whereas she got a great touch. Everyone was very keen on the stallion but Vandeek was untypical which is fairly well documented. He was a big, tall, elegant, really well-moving horse. That’s the main thing in a racehorse. Stationary is one thing but when they can move and they use an action in all their paces it gives them a great chance when they are galloping. I suppose it was just the motion that really got me.

“I am big on flatwork and groundwork. I was always trying to get him to do it right because he was a big frame of a horse and I wanted him to use himself properly. A lot of it is down to our rider, the former jockey Gordon Power. ‘Flash’ is invaluable to us, he’s so good. The first day he rode him, it was a bit untidy and disorganised and he loved him. I was like, ‘How is he positive on the horse?’ He went, ‘This is a racehorse.’ From then on I knew all I had to do was nurture him and natural ability would get him there.

“In hindsight he’s such a freak that it would have worked out well no matter what way you did it. He just had loads of ability and he showed it on the day. Flash knew from the get-go. He’s generally the judge. I don’t know what I have. I just either like them or I don’t and then I am just trying to get them to do it right and get them in a condition that they can take the next step.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

“We got lucky that we were able to access a horse that wasn’t perfect on the day but had all the credentials and he went on and he performed.”

There was “great pride” in seeing him deliver on the promise in such scintillating fashion.

Indications from the Crisfords are that he will be kept to sprinting next year and Kavanagh is excited to see what he expects to be considerable improvement, given the frame that is there to grow into.

But as referred to earlier, it’s back to the beginning now. They went to America to pick up four yearlings this year after O’Flynn went on his own to pick up two last year that worked out well.

They have bought a few more, which along with some homebreds that didn’t quite hit the mark for the yearling sales, will be prepped for next year’s breeze-ups.

“We are trying to put something together. I think a lot of it is moving that way towards breeze-ups.

You look at the national hunt game and a lot of it is gone towards point-to-point. It just brings you closer to the end product. I suppose to an extent it reduces the risk on the purchaser as to what they are getting their hands on.

“We are very lucky that we have great facilities here to start a young horse off, with lunging rings and so on. We built the gallop on site, a two-anda-half-furlong round and last year was our first year on it. It just lets us get the groundwork into them at home and we can get a number out in a short space of time.”

He is excited about what he will bring to the market in 2024.

“Oh definitely. We have a nice bunch. I hate to really single anyone out but I can go on all night.

The whole lot of them are great. We have a good bunch of strong horses to go to Doncaster and some quality horses that might not be the sixfurlong specialists for France. We had 20 last year and we are just one or two above that this year.”

Vandeek (Andrea Atzeni) gets up on the line to win the Prix Morny at Deauville, before sauntering to victory in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (HR)

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Queens

OF THE GENE POOL

An analysis of some blue hens throwing quality, in-demand stock

Polished Gem’s success as a broodmare proved that an open mind is needed in breeding (CN)

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Words: MARTIN STEVENS • Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS & HEALY RACING

CRIMSON RIBBON (USA)

2006 b m Lemon Drop Kid - Victoria Cross (Mark Of Esteem) Anthony Oppenheimer enjoyed a fine year on the track and in the sales ring, with his black and white silks and red cap carried to black-type success by homebred fillies Crack Of Light, Queen Aminatu and Safety Catch, and his Hascombe and Valiant Studs selling the Frankel colt out of a Lemon Drop Kid halfsister to Royal Ascot winners Cannock Chase, Pisco Sour and Star Catcher who topped Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale at 2,000,000gns.

Crimson Ribbon, another of his Lemon Drop Kid mares, came to the fore as the dam of Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (by Frankel), who was sold

by Oppenheimer to Wathan Racing shortly before Royal Ascot, and his own listed winner Lion’s Pride (from the sole crop of Roaring Lion).

The dam, a full sister to Hardwicke Stakes winner Bronze Cannon and half-sister to King Edward VII Stakes scorer Across The Stars, has now produced

five stakes horses from as many runners, with Astronomos (by New Approach) and Crimson Rosette (by Teofilo) gaining listed honours, and Purple Ribbon (by Gleneagles) taking second in listed company. All those offspring are by sons of Galileo apart from Lion’s Pride, whose sire Roaring Lion was by Kitten’s Joy, who was in turn by El Prado, like Galileo a son of Sadler’s Wells.

Crimson Ribbon has an unraced two-year-old filly named Danielle (by Frankel’s son Cracksman, thus a three-parts sister to Courage Mon Ami), a yearling filly by Golden Horn and a filly foal by Time Test. She was covered by Cracksman in 2023. The mare has produced seven daughters, with some of the unraced ones sold and finding their way to Ireland, including Bonnefio (by Teofilo), who produced a Coulsty colt this year for Suroben Ltd and Summerhill Bloodstock before returning to that sire, and Ray Of Sunshine (by Dawn Of Approach), who was sent by Khalid Al-Mudhaf and Mohammed Al-Qatami to Mehmas in 2022.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BROODMARES

MODERN IDEALS (GB)

2010 ch m New Approach - Epitome (Nashwan) Modern Ideals is beautifully bred, being a New Approach half-sister to 11 winners including Ultra, who struck in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, and Synopsis, who scored in the Prix Minerve, and hailing from a blue-chip family cultivated by Gerald Leigh that encompasses Group 1 winners Act One, Bosra Sham, Hector Protector and Shanghai.

She showed little ability herself though, finishing well down the field in two starts over middle distances in France for trainer André Fabre and owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed. However, she has redeemed herself as a broodmare, serving as a fine conduit for the abundant class in her pedigree.

Modern Ideals bagged a brace of Group 1 winners in 2023, featuring as the dam of Modern Games (by Dubawi), who added the Lockinge Stakes to his impressive haul and now retires to Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £30,000, and Mawj (by Exceed And Excel), who defeated Tahiyra to win the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, landed the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland and nearly captured the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Saratoga only to be nailed

by Master Of The Seas on the line. The mare has also produced listed winner and Group 3 runner-up Modern News and Dundalk maiden scorer Feminism (both by Shamardal) from only four offspring to race.

Modern Ideals might be Godolphin’s most treasured broodmare, but the operation has let two of her daughters slip through its fingers. First foal Cartesienne, a placed daughter of brilliant broodmare sire Pivotal, was sold in 2019 to John

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Grogan’s Milestream Stud in Co Tipperary – he bred a Lope De Vega colt out of her this year, and sent her back to that sire – and Feminism was bought by Co Cork bloodstock agent Barry Lynch for 34,000gns in 2021, and promptly resold to Jill Lamb for €370,000 four months later when the family took off.

New Approach is emerging as an important broodmare sire, with his daughters also producing this year’s Nunthorpe hero Live In The Dream and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère winner Rosallion.

POLISHED GEM (IRE)

2003 b m Danehill - Trusted Partner (Affirmed) For a long time Polished Gem lived in the shadow of her older sister and predecessor in Dermot Weld’s Rosewell House stables, Dress To Thrill. Whereas she was ‘only’ a Leopardstown maiden winner, Dress To Thrill won six black-type races including the Matriarch Stakes at the highest level; whereas she was a little small and not so impressive to look at, Dress To Thrill was considered more beautiful; and therefore when she went to stud she was sent to middle-market stallions whereas Dress To Thrill was mated with the biggest names in the world.

Polished Gem really turned the tables on Dress To Thrill as a broodmare in her breeder Moyglare Stud’s paddocks, though. She bred an awesome eight black-type winners, starting with Sapphire (by Medicean) and Custom Cut (by Notnowcato) from cheaper covers, before being upgraded to better sires and getting Group 1 scorers Kyprios (by Galileo), who returned from injury this year to finish a brave second in the Irish St Leger and British

Rosallion winning the Prix Jean-Luc Lagerdère this year provided further illustration of Reem Three’s influence while also adding to Modern Ideal’s lustre (HR)

179

BROODMARES

Champions Long Distance Cup this year, Search For A Song (by Galileo) and Free Eagle (by High Chaparral). Another of her offspring by Galileo, Falcon Eight, showed the toughness of this family when notching his first group victory in the Loughbrown Stakes at Curragh Racecourse in November aged eight, trained also by Weld.

Supposed golden girl Dress To Thrill meanwhile produced only two non-black-type winners from six foals in her brief broodmare career. It goes to show that an open mind is needed in breeding.

Polished Gem died aged 17 in 2020, leaving Kyprios as her last foal, but Moyglare Stud have daughters Amma Grace, Sapphire and Search For A Song in production, along with several granddaughters.

REEM THREE (GB)

2003 b m Mark Of Esteem - Jumaireyah (Fairy King) Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s great mare Reem Three has the most remarkable record – not just because she has six stakes winners, but also for her progeny’s almost surreal affinity with Royal Ascot. When son Triple Time (by Frankel) sprang a surprise in the Queen Anne Stakes in June he became her third winner at the meeting, after Ostilio (by New Approach), who won the Britannia Handicap before becoming a Group 2 scorer, and Cape Byron (by Shamardal), who took the Wokingham Handicap before striking at Group 3 level. For good measure, the dam’s other Group 1-winning offspring Ajman Princess (by Teofilo) finished second in the Ribblesdale while she was still climbing the ladder.

Reem Three, a half-sister to another Royal Ascot winner in Afsare, is also extraordinary in that her eight winners in Europe are all by different sires, the others being this year’s Heron Stakes scorer Captain Winters (by Lope De Vega), Prix Saint-Alary third Imperial Charm (by Dubawi), dual listed winner Third Realm (by Sea The Stars) and 108rated Naqshabban (by Street Cry). The dam has a two-year-old filly by Kingman named Bolsena, a

BLUE HENS OF THE FUTURE

Coolmore owe a lot to their Galileo mares, with the likes of Maybe and Misty For Me producing multiple high-class offspring for them, and they could have two more blue hens by their late sire phenomenon judging by events in 2023.

Rhododendron, the three-time Group 1-winning full sister to champion Magical out of Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Halfway To Heaven, came up with Auguste Rodin (by Deep Impact) as her first foal. Sadly her next foal died, and then she missed a season, so her next offspring is a Dubawi colt born in February.

Minding, a brilliant seven-time Group 1 winner and one of three Classic winners produced by her Group 1-winning dam Lillie Langtry along with Empress Josephine and Tuesday, meanwhile produced unbeaten National Stakes winner Henry Longfellow (by Dubawi) on her first try as a broodmare. She has a Dubawi yearling filly and a Wootton Bassett filly foal.

Spanish-based operation Yeguada Centurion, a big new

180

yearling filly by Night Of Thunder and a filly foal by Pinatubo.

Reem Three’s influence deepened in 2023 as her unraced daughter Rosaline (by New Approach) produced Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère winner Rosallion.

SUELITA (GB)

2009 b m Dutch Art - Venoge (Green Desert) A prime example of a mare who did it the hard way.

The four-time winner in Italy was bought by Chris Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud for just 21,500gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale of 2013 on the strength of a long admiration for her pedigree. She was sent to a variety of inexpensive sires early on, but she repeatedly upgraded those meagre chances.

Her first foal The Broghie Man (by Cityscape) won the Listed Committed Stakes at Navan and her second offspring, Gloves Lynch (by Mukhadram) ran third in the Listed Prix Herod at Chantilly. The sires of both stood for little money and didn’t last long on British stallion rosters. Next came the Pivotal filly Praised, who made 425,000gns as a yearling and won a Redcar maiden, and two foals by Whitsbury Manor’s own sire Showcasing – the first being Alkumait, who won the Mill Reef Stakes and now stands at Capital Stud in Co Kilkenny, and the second being Get Ahead, who won the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes and found only Moss Tucker too good in the Flying Five at Curragh Racecourse this year.

Suelita’s sixth foal was the first resulting from a really expensive cover and it turned out to be her masterpiece: the Frankel colt Chaldean, who won the Dewhurst Stakes in 2022 and was a clearcut winner of the 2000 Guineas this year. He was campaigned by Juddmonte, who bought him for 550,000gns as a foal, and they have retired him to stand alongside his sire at Banstead Manor Stud at a fee of £25,000.

Suelita has a Kingman yearling filly, who sold as a foal to Juddmonte for 1,000,000gns, and a Showcasing colt foal. She was covered by Frankel again this year.

player on the scene, evidently shopped well when building a broodmare band in recent years. Two of its purchases have produced outstanding three-year-olds of 2023 as their first offspring.

Hardiyna, an unraced daughter of Sea The Stars and Moyglare Stud Stakes third Harasiya, a half-sister to dual Derby hero Harzand, was bought from Goffs for €72,000 carrying a Rock Of Gibraltar colt who turned out to be runaway Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Big Rock. Hardiyna has a Ten Sovereigns two-year-old colt, an Australia filly foal and was covered by Churchill this year.

Queen Blossom, a Group/Grade 3 winner on either side of the Atlantic by Jeremy, now better known for his feats as a jumps sire, was bought privately and sent to Churchill for her first mating. The result was Yeguada Centurion’s dual French Classic heroine Blue Rose Cen. The mare produced a Frankel colt foal in February and returned to the unbeaten dual world champion after giving birth.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

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14/11/2023 18:02

Consolidation SALES REVIEW

Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS • Words: JOHN BERRY

There remained plenty of money about in 2023, even if the astronomical figures of 2022 were not matched

Trainer Andy Oliver casts his eye over the stock at Goffs’ Orby Sale

TATTERSALLS FEBRUARY SALE

The first major sale of the year is Tattersalls’ February Sale, much expanded in recent years (like so many other sales). It generally provides an interesting guide as to what might lie ahead AND gave a solid pointer that, while there was still going to be plenty of money about, the astronomical heights of the market in 2022 might not be matched in 2023.

BREEZE-UP SALES

The returns from the February Sale might have given breeze-up vendors slight cause for concern, as any downturn in the market from one year to the next may be felt by them immediately, the horses whom they offer generally having been bought the previous autumn. Tattersalls’ Craven Breeze-Up Sale, though, should have calmed any nerves 182

because trade was very strong. The catalogue was expanded by nearly 25%, which in general might be expected to see both the average and the median reduced, on the basis that the extra horses included would be ones previously deemed not good enough for the principal sale. Even so, while the median figure did come down, the average was up, which was remarkable. The aggregate showed a massive increase: 11,939,500 guineas to 15,357,500 guineas. Happily, for vendors, this set the tone for the rest of the spring.

Since being taken over by Tattersalls Ireland five years ago, the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale has gone from strength to strength, and it took yet another great leap forward in 2023 with the records for average and median prices smashed, as we can see from the table on the right.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

SALES REVIEW TATTERSALLS FEBRUARY SALE 10,677

2019

5,000

Average

12,350

2020

6,500

Median 11,710

2021

Guineas

6,000

17,833

2022

10,000 13,899

2023

7,000 0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

TATTERSALLS CRAVEN BREEZE-UP SALE SUMMER SALES

121,682

2019

Tattersalls’ July Sale in Newmarket, one of the firm’s longest-standing auctions, tends to be another useful barometer. Recent years have seen major changes to the schedules. In the Covid-induced chaos of 2020, Tattersalls staged an additional sale in August, largely because the ever-changing regulations had still been very tight in July and a lot of horses were not able to make it to Park Paddocks then. Subsequently, the August Sale has remained as a fixture despite the world returning to normality (whatever that is nowadays) simply because the demand for opportunities to sell horses seems to be ever-expanding – to the extent that in 2023 the firm staged an additional one-day sale sandwiched between the two, the Summer Sale in the second half of July.

In 2023, these midsummer sales didn’t just tell us that supply is continually expanding; it also made it clear that demand is not increasing at the same rate. In 2023 the July Sale catalogue was the biggest ever, up by over 100 lots from the previous year, yet the aggregate increased only marginally and the average was noticeably lower. The August Sale was worse. The catalogue was very similar in size to the 2022 book (only one more lot was offered in 2023 than in 2022) but the average dropped by over a quarter and the median plummeted to the lowest figure ever recorded in the four-year history of the August Sale.

Furthermore, trade at the new Summer Sale was very quiet.

85,000 94,993*

2020

61,000*

68,000

2022

80,000 0

30,000

60,000

2022

36,000

17,250*

2023

2021

20,000

40,000

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

2022

30,000

2023

30,000

42,145

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

GORESBRIDGE BREEZE-UP SALE 37,156*

2021

22,989* 38,155

2022

22,000 43,033

2023

30,000 0

10,000 Average Median

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

Euros *Held in Newmarket in £ - figures converted to euros

ARQANA BREEZE-UP SALE 129,798

100,000

Average

75,000 152,417*

2020

*Held in June with Arqana Breeze-Up horses added to catalogue 80,000

*Held in July 35,678

(Administered By Tattersalls Ireland Since 2019)

Euros

60,000

Guineas

24,500

0

Median

40,000 0

Median 29,948

83,600*

Average

62,966

Average

28,511*

2019

48,989

150,000

24,000

2020

84,937*

34,000

120,000

28,839

2019

26,000

2021

90,000

TATTERSALLS GUINEAS BREEZE-UP SALE

45,750

48,590

*Held in June

121,885

GOFFS UK DONCASTER BREEZE-UP SALE

50,000*

Guineas

90,000

2023

Arqana continues to go from strength to strength.

Holding the first yearling sale of the season is an obvious advantage (albeit probably not for vendors of slower-developing yearlings or ones who have had a setback during the spring or summer) as all buyers have yet to start filling their

2020

Median 115,917

YEARLING SALES

2019

Average

86,021

2021

Median Euros

140,473

2021

101,500

2022

100,000

*Held in June with Goffs UK Breeze-Up horses added to catalogue

131,010

150,789

2023

105,000 0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

183

SALESAUGUST REVIEW ARQANA YEARLING SALE (PART ONE) 187,846

2019

Average

125,000

Median

121,615

2020

70,000

Euros *Held in September as Vente de Selection, including some of the Part Two yearlings

163,574

2021

100,000 210,079

2022

140,000 233,470

2023

170,000 0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

GOFFS UK DONCASTER PREMIER YEARLING SALE 46,519

2019

35,000 Average

34,007

2020

27,000

Median 40,795

2021

£ Sterling

32,000

44,042

2022

35,000

2023

35,000

45,854

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

TATTERSALLS IRELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE PART 1 2019

24,267

Average

24,051*

Median

20,000

2020

Euros

17,582* 31,790

2021

23,496

*Held in Newmarket in guineas figures converted to euros

30,075

2022

26,000 30,995

2023

28,000 0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

GOFFS ORBY YEARLING SALE 117,933

2019

65,000 75,184*

2020

51,980* Average

109,330

2021

75,000

Median 121,336

2022

Euros

87,000

*Held in Doncaster in Sterling

122,764

2023

85,000 0

30,000

60,000

90,000

120,000

150,000

TATTERSALLS OCTOBER BOOK ONE SALE 258,008

2019

150,000 Average

223,266

2020

130,000

Median 230,317

2021

Guineas

160,000

298,752

2022

200,000 243,977

2023

180,000 0

184

50,000

100,000

15,0000

200,000

250,000

order books and none are yet suffering from the ‘sales fatigue’.

Tattersalls must surely be looking over their shoulders as Arqana’s August figures are closing on the returns from Book One of Tattersalls’ October Sale, although admittedly achieved from a much smaller catalogue. (There were only 236 yearlings offered at Deauville during its premier sale, compared to the 470 that went under the hammer during Tattersalls’ October Book One).

The Premier Sale at Doncaster remains very solid, even if the figures from the final pre-Covid sale (2019) still have not quite been matched, despite the catalogue having become slightly more streamlined since then. Its record for churning out future two-year-old winners and star sprinters remains rock-solid, with its successful graduates over the past year headed by the Manister House Stud-bred Fev Rover - a dual Grade 1 winner in North America during 2023 - and including such leading juveniles of the past season as July Stakes winner Jasour, Princess Margaret Stakes heroine Sacred Angel and Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy winner Dragon Leader.

The principal yearling sales in Ireland continue to hold their own. Goffs still has cause for frustration (even if it is too polite to say so) that so many Irish vendors prefer to sell their choicest lots in England, so it was pleasing to see two seven-figure lots in the Orby this year: a Frankel colt bought by MV Magnier from Camas Park Stud for €1,850,000 (above) and a New Bay filly bought by Amanda Skiffington from Ballylinch Stud for €1,650,000. The Autumn Yearling Sale was challenging however, as illustrated by the graph on the opposite page.

At Tattersalls, all four parts of the October Sale showed a decline on the 2022 figures, but it would be an overreaction to say that this was drastic.

Admittedly, this is an over-simplification, but basically trade merely fell back to 2021 levels after a mind-blowingly strong sale in 2022.

As far as Book One goes, there were several obvious reasons. One was that it appears to be the case that one of the most significant buyers in 2022 subsequently defaulted on the deals, which meant that the true figures were lower than those officially stated. Furthermore, the extent to which Sheikh Mohammed gets involved has a significant impact on the overall position of a sale. He was still a notable buyer in 2023, but much less so than in 2022 when it felt at times as if he was turning the clock back to those halcyon days when it almost seemed as if he wanted to buy every potentially good horse.

300,000

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

SALES REVIEW

TATTERSALLS OCTOBER BOOK TWO SALE 78,224

2019

The results of his 2022 buying spree, incidentally, have so far been largely disappointing, so it was understandable that he might want to make less of a splash 12 months on. Godolphin did end the season by winning Britain’s final Group 1, the Kameko Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, with Ancient Wisdom, an Ecurie des Monceaux-bred Dubawi colt who had been the second most expensive yearling at the Arqana August Sale in Deauville at €2,000,000.

Coolmore’s high-priced purchases of 2022, on the other hand, have been more noticeably successful.

Three of the top ten lots in Book One of that year’s Tattersalls’ October Sale were knocked down to MV Magnier and all have started their careers well.

Most notably Ylang Ylang (1,500,000 guineas) won the Group 1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Otherwise, Diego Velazquez (2,400,000 guineas) won the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown (before, admittedly, disappointing in the Futurity) and Euphoric (1,900,000) went into plenty of notebooks when making a winning debut at Navan in October.

TATTERSALLS HORSES-IN-TRAINING SALE

No sale did more all year to illustrate that supply is greatly outstripping demand than Tattersalls’ Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale. This year saw the largest catalogue ever assembled, containing 192 lots more than last year’s 1,564. The sale also went up from four days to five. The figures went the other way, though, the aggregate (33,705,774 guineas) falling by nearly 2.5m guineas; the average dropped by approximately 15%; and the median was down by 1,000 guineas.

Tattersalls’ Autumn Sale always depends very heavily on overseas buyers. This year they came, as usual, from all around the world. Australian buyers were the most notable, seemingly eager to snap up any horses with a vague pretension to being suitable for a Melbourne Cup. In his closing statement, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahoney referred to “a particularly strong contingent of Australian buyers”, observing that collectively that had accounted for “10 of the top 20 highest-priced horses sold this week”, and that “nearly 50 horses in total are heading down to Australia”.

NATIONAL HUNT SALES

By contrast with the trade for flat horses, national hunt racing is a purely domestic concern, apart from the occasional good horse being recruited from Ireland or Britain to run in America. Happily, it remains a very strong market, with generally the figures at the principal store sales in the summer at Kill and Fairyhouse more than holding up, the lull during Covid being but a distant memory. If one wants really to see the strength of the demand for potentially smart jumpers, though, the everexpanding number of ‘boutique’ sales of (generally) lightly-raced point-to-pointers, novice hurdlers or bumper horses probably provides the best illustrations, showing that the allure of owning a horse who might possibly be good enough to win at (or even run at) the Cheltenham Festival is at least as strong as it has ever been.

75,922

2020

Median

50,000

Guineas 83,865

2021

62,000 96,020

2022

70,000 86,228

2023

62,000 0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

GOFFS AUTUMN YEARLING SALE 13,345*

2020

10,000* 14,108

2021

9,000 9,405

2022

Average Euros

5,500

Median

8,373

2023

*Sterling

5,000 3,000

0

6,000

9,000

12,000

15,000

TATTERSALLS AUTUMN HORSES-IN-TRAINING SALE 25,780

2019

12,000

Average 22,384

2020

Median

9,000

Guineas

31,377

2021

16,000

2022

16,000

35,949

30,951

2023

15,000 0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

GOFFS ARKLE SALE 48,386

2019

45,000 Average

42,098

2020

36,000

Median 46,177

2021

Euros

40,000

51,792

2022

45,000 52,224

2023

48,000 0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

TATTERSALLS IRELAND DERBY SALE 50,572

2019

Average

42,000 Median

40,980

2020

32,000

Euros 54,018

2021

48,000 57,903

2022

50,000 53,583

2023

43,000 0

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Average

55,500

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

185

Depth chart

YEARLING SALES

Words: JOHN BOYCE

There were some clear big winners at the yearling sales in 2023 in all the price categories, despite the market realignment

T

he 2023 yearling sales will go down as the year of the market readjustment. In fact, if last year’s yearling sales hadn’t been so bullish, we might not even be talking about a contraction at all. Demand in 2023 was so strong that it drove prices to record levels and then we had the added complication of the of the 10.45m guineas spend by agent Richard Knight on behalf of the defaulting Saleh Al Homaizi. Just imagine how that extra demand cascaded down through the various levels of the market.

Also, we had Sheikh Mohammed weighing in with a recently unprecedented £31.7m worth of spending, a sum that was unlikely to be repeated this year and indeed was not, falling over £10m short. So the average price paid across all the main yearling sales in France, Britain and Ireland in 2022 stood at £77,444, some 23% ahead of the previous year’s £62,836. This year that average reached £69,001, well short of last year, but crucially ahead of the average price in 2021.

Against this backdrop we can judge how individual stallions fared. Remarkably, as a group they did pretty well all considered. Counterintuitively, the sires costing £10,000+ produced improved profitability figures in 2023 compared to last year. The reason for this is that the cost of production went down for the latest crop of yearlings. The average advertised fee for this year’s crop stood at £28,587, which was 4.1% lower than the average of £29,806 last year.

Stallions priced up to £9,999

In the sub-£10,000 category, it was no surprise to see Havana Grey and Sioux Nation come to the fore. It was impossible not to be impressed with Havana Grey’s progeny this year. He’d done plenty with his first group of two-year-olds last year, siring 43 individual winners including three at G3 level, but this year he has done even better. Among his 36 second-crop juvenile winners so far is the dual G1 winner Vandeek, who is rated the best two-year-old sprinter in Europe following victories in the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park Stakes.

The Whitsbury stallion is also sire of G2 scorer Jasour and French G3 scorer Elite Status. Whereas this year’s yearlings were produced off a fee of just £6,000, those coming from next season’s covers will need to sell a good deal better given his new fee of £55,000. With an average profit of £72,000 and a 93.5% profitability, he is the clear winner among this cohort.

His chief rival last year was Sioux Nation, and he too falls into the category of cheaply produced 186

yearlings selling after he’d created a favourable impression with his first runners, after his 50 individual winners last term featured a pair of G3 winners, plus Matilda Picotte, who trained on to win the G2 Challenge Stakes and G3 Sceptre Stakes this year. Like his first crop, Sioux Nation’s second group of two-year-olds also features two G3 winners, the Acomb Stakes winner Indian Run and Round Tower Stakes winner Letsbefrankaboutit. As many as 16 (76.2%) of Sioux Nation’s 21 yearlings sold made a profit.

It is another son of Scat Daddy in first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev who produced the third best average profit, although it must be borne in mind that like his stud companion Havana Grey (63%) and Sioux Nation (52%), most of Sergei Prokofiev’s first-crop yearlings (55%) were pinhooked so his overall profitability is very much theoretical.

Stallions priced from £10,000 to £19,999

Here, the clear leader is Ballylinch’s Dubawi stallion New Bay. His 2023 yearlings are from the first crop produced after his first two crops did so well 2020 and 2021, featuring group winners New Mandate, Saffron Beach, Bayside Boy and Bay Bridge. His yearling average has soared this year to €127,000 and his average profit is well clear of anything else in the fee group, as is his number of profitable yearlings, which stand at 81.8%.

Expectations will be high now that New Bay is among Europe’s elite sires.

The leading freshman in this category is Darley’s Earthlight, whose yearlings average of £90,920 compares very favourably to his initial fee of €20,000. Only the more expensive fellow Darley stallions Pinatubo and Ghaiyyath, plus Coolmore’s Sottsass recorded higher average prices in the sales under review. We should also commend the French pair Zarak and Galiway, who both delivered profitability scores over 70%, second only to New Bay.

Stallions priced from £20,000 to £49,999

Both Blue Point and his fellow Darley stallion Too Darn Hot were easily the pick of the new intake of stallions in 2020, based on the quality of their first books. But whereas Too Darn Hot’s first yearlings outsold Blue Point’s, the positions are reversed this year with Blue Point’s yearlings averaging £154,000 compared to Too Darn Hot’s £119,000. Both have done brilliantly with their first runners, but in the minds of buyers the two G1 winners by Blue Point – not achieved by a European first-season sire since Sadler’s Wells in 1988 – clearly outrank Too IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

YEARLING SALES

EUROPEAN SIRE YEARLING PROFITABILITY 2023 (Leading sires by average with 10 or more sold arranged by fee price range) Sire Fee up to £9,999 HAVANA GREY SIOUX NATION *SERGEI PROKOFIEV KODI BEAR TORONADO COTAI GLORY TWILIGHT SON HAVANA GOLD *GOLDEN HORDE ZELZAL SOLDIER'S CALL *ROMANISED ARDAD BUNGLE INTHEJUNGLE CITY LIGHT *ARIZONA KENDARGENT TASLEET TAMAYUZ *FAR ABOVE INNS OF COURT COULSTY THE GREY GATSBY *SHAMAN PROFITABLE INVINCIBLE ARMY MAYSON *KING OF CHANGE BELARDO ELZAAM RECOLETOS KESSAAR AL WUKAIR *SANDS OF MALI LAND FORCE DUE DILIGENCE TIME TEST KUROSHIO CABLE BAY ACLAIM Fee £10,000-£19,999 NEW BAY *EARTHLIGHT STARSPANGLEDBANNER CRACKSMAN NATHANIEL ZARAK GALIWAY TEN SOVEREIGNS BATED BREATH SAXON WARRIOR *WITHOUT PAROLE MASAR INTELLO STUDY OF MAN WALDGEIST HARRY ANGEL CALYX DANDY MAN MASTERCRAFTSMAN

Crop

Sold

High £

Avg £

Fee £

Avg Profit £

In Profit

% In Profit

xFee

3 3 1 5 7 4 5 8 1 4 2 1 4 7 2 1 14 3 13 1 2 5 4 1 4 2 9 1 5 9 3 3 4 1 2 6 4 8 6 4

62 21 74 61 15 36 20 31 18 21 50 36 40 39 33 29 17 11 12 26 45 35 19 55 54 47 17 21 40 12 12 11 13 44 30 10 35 13 15 13

630,000 268,930 231,000 157,500 112,450 117,115 160,000 105,000 68,297 129,750 199,500 145,132 78,076 86,752 98,177 68,000 68,523 78,750 90,000 73,500 190,853 71,136 70,005 84,000 121,452 152,250 120,000 73,500 85,372 84,000 43,250 35,000 34,600 60,726 65,000 55,000 62,000 60,000 81,103 62,461

98,165 67,556 39,568 38,009 36,598 34,845 32,655 31,827 31,254 31,047 30,417 29,558 27,783 27,741 27,660 26,617 24,912 24,564 24,480 24,168 24,158 23,654 23,534 23,374 22,248 22,062 21,526 21,503 19,501 18,617 17,780 17,558 17,392 17,029 16,829 16,578 16,044 15,835 15,024 15,015

6,000 8,547 6,500 5,128 6,838 4,274 5,000 7,500 8,547 5,128 6,411 5,983 4,000 6,838 5,983 5,983 8,547 5,000 6,838 4,274 4,274 3,419 5,983 5,128 8,547 6,411 4,000 5,983 8,547 4,274 5,556 4,274 5,128 5,556 5,000 6,000 8,500 5,128 8,000 9,500

72,165 39,008 13,068 12,881 9,760 10,571 7,655 4,327 2,707 5,919 4,006 3,575 3,783 903 1,677 634 (3,636) (436) (2,358) (106) (115) 235 (2,449) (1,754) (6,300) (4,348) (2,474) (4,481) (9,046) (5,656) (7,776) (6,716) (7,737) (8,527) (8,171) (9,423) (12,456) (9,294) (12,976) (14,485)

58 16 38 36 8 22 8 14 10 7 18 12 20 17 12 10 6 6 5 10 14 15 5 19 11 14 3 8 9 3 3 4 2 10 7 2 8 2 2 1

93.5 76.2 51.4 59.0 53.3 61.1 40.0 45.2 55.6 33.3 36.0 33.3 50.0 43.6 36.4 34.5 35.3 54.5 41.7 38.5 31.1 42.9 26.3 34.5 20.4 29.8 17.6 38.1 22.5 25.0 25.0 36.4 15.4 22.7 23.3 20.0 22.9 15.4 13.3 7.7

16.4 7.9 6.1 7.4 5.4 8.2 6.5 4.2 3.7 6.1 4.7 4.9 6.9 4.1 4.6 4.4 2.9 4.9 3.6 5.7 5.7 6.9 3.9 4.6 2.6 3.4 5.4 3.6 2.3 4.4 3.2 4.1 3.4 3.1 3.4 2.8 1.9 3.1 1.9 1.6

5 1 11 3 9 4 6 2 9 3 1 2 8 2 2 3 2 12 12

66 62 62 25 17 36 45 47 57 67 31 19 13 24 33 25 34 59 22

1,431,400 341,250 252,000 430,500 446,250 363,299 273,000 420,000 273,000 256,115 138,400 105,000 116,775 231,000 131,250 162,750 75,000 136,500 115,500

111,609 90,920 83,092 80,679 76,419 73,712 68,278 59,690 50,480 49,789 39,151 37,654 37,038 35,780 35,337 35,325 33,374 33,147 32,992

17,095 17,095 19,232 17,500 15,000 10,257 10,257 17,095 12,500 17,095 10,000 14,000 10,684 12,500 14,958 12,500 13,676 12,821 12,821

74,514 53,825 43,860 43,179 41,419 43,455 38,021 22,595 17,980 12,694 9,151 3,654 6,354 3,280 379 2,825 (302) 326 171

54 43 43 13 12 27 32 25 30 34 17 7 7 10 11 8 13 22 9

81.8 69.4 69.4 52.0 70.6 75.0 71.1 53.2 52.6 50.7 54.8 36.8 53.8 41.7 33.3 32.0 38.2 37.3 40.9

2.3 5.3 4.3 4.6 5.1 7.2 6.7 3.5 4.0 2.9 3.9 2.7 3.5 2.9 2.4 2.8 2.4 2.6 2.6

*First-Season Sire IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

187

YEARLING SALES

EUROPEAN SIRE YEARLING PROFITABILITY 2023 (continued) Sire Crop Fee £10,000-£19,999 (continued) GOKEN 5 HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR 15 PHOENIX OF SPAIN 2 MAKE BELIEVE 6 FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND 17 *WOODED 1 Fee £20,000-£49,999 BLUE POINT 2 *PINATUBO 1 CAMELOT 8 TEOFILO 14 *GHAIYYATH 1 TOO DARN HOT 2 FASTNET ROCK 17 *SOTTSASS 1 LE HAVRE 12 MEHMAS 5 SEA THE MOON 7 CHURCHILL 4 *HELLO YOUMZAIN 1 SHOWCASING 11 *KAMEKO 1 OASIS DREAM 18 ACCLAMATION 18 *PERSIAN KING 1 AUSTRALIA 7 *MOHAATHER 1 Fee £50,000-plus DUBAWI 16 FRANKEL 9 KINGMAN 7 SIYOUNI 11 WOOTTON BASSETT 10 LOPE DE VEGA 11 SEA THE STARS 12 NIGHT OF THUNDER 6 NO NAY NEVER 7 DARK ANGEL 14 INVINCIBLE SPIRIT 19 KODIAC 15

Sold

High £

Avg £

Fee £

Avg Profit £

In Profit

% In Profit

xFee

32 18 26 35 20 43

119,520 102,446 84,000 75,000 120,000 119,520

31,781 31,424 30,637 29,367 28,828 27,342

12,821 10,684 10,684 12,821 10,684 12,821

(1,041) 740 (47) (3,454) (1,857) (5,479)

10 6 9 10 7 12

31.3 33.3 34.6 28.6 35.0 27.9

2.5 2.9 2.9 2.3 2.7 2.1

73 53 41 19 55 55 16 49 35 145 61 74 72 67 44 45 48 66 40 49

1,575,000 525,000 725,659 420,000 1,102,500 472,500 420,000 448,201 273,189 433,758 603,750 325,500 273,000 388,500 264,652 351,750 242,904 315,000 189,000 173,250

154,274 148,840 141,807 133,219 129,616 119,159 100,274 91,164 80,307 78,256 75,631 71,770 67,157 65,670 61,884 59,082 56,500 51,803 50,299 47,304

34,190 35,000 38,464 25,642 25,642 45,000 42,737 25,642 34,190 21,369 22,500 25,642 21,369 45,000 25,000 20,000 23,506 25,642 21,369 20,000

100,084 93,840 83,344 87,577 83,974 54,159 37,536 45,521 26,117 36,887 33,131 26,127 25,789 670 16,884 19,082 12,994 6,161 8,930 7,304

67 47 29 13 36 36 7 33 16 100 37 36 47 20 22 21 27 32 16 24

91.8 88.7 70.7 68.4 65.5 65.5 43.8 67.3 45.7 69.0 60.7 48.6 65.3 29.9 50.0 46.7 56.3 48.5 40.0 49.0

4.5 4.3 3.7 5.2 5.1 2.6 2.3 3.6 2.3 3.7 3.4 2.8 3.1 1.5 2.5 3.0 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.4

20 28 28 41 95 62 55 45 71 82 41 122

2,048,918 2,100,000 945,000 1,878,175 1,312,500 1,155,000 682,500 563,453 525,000 892,500 546,000 367,098

610,145 578,754 294,724 260,090 247,545 235,446 218,813 190,046 177,310 86,699 76,562 71,462

250,000 175,000 150,000 119,664 85,475 106,843 128,212 64,106 106,843 51,285 68,380 55,559

340,145 383,754 124,724 120,425 142,070 108,603 70,601 105,940 50,467 15,414 (11,818) (4,097)

18 24 19 28 74 42 34 36 41 36 11 38

90.0 85.7 67.9 68.3 77.9 67.7 61.8 80.0 57.7 43.9 26.8 31.1

2.4 3.3 2.0 2.2 2.9 2.2 1.7 3.0 1.7 1.7 1.1 1.3

*First-Season Sire

Darn Hot’s single winner at the highest level.

Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère winner Rosallion is of course an ideal advertisement for his young sire. Not only is he a G1 winner, but the fact he will surely get a mile next year could be crucial to how breeders and yearling buyers perceive Blue Point going forward. And in G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Big Evs, he surely has a top-notch sprinter in the making. No wonder then that he was one of only eight European stallions to record an average profit of over £100,000 in any fee category.

The tried and trusted pair of Teofilo and Camelot show up very well, both siring plenty of profitable yearlings, but this is the cohort that features most of the best first-season sires at the yearling sales this year. Pinatubo, Ghaiyyath and Sottsass were all very popular. Pinatubo, like Blue Point a son of Shamardal, posted the highest average profit and the highest percentage of profitable yearlings of any freshman sire. Ghaiyyath enjoyed some big 188

prices, including 19 six-figure yearlings and one for over a million bought by his owner Godolphin.

Stallions priced from £50,000 upwards

Among the elite stallions, it was as ever a straight fight between Dubawi and Frankel and it was Dubawi, buoyed by eight purchases by Sheikh Mohammed, who ended up with the highest average price, and the most profitable yearlings with 18 of 20 making the fee plus £20,000 upkeep costs. The Darley stallion sired a record-equalling five juvenile group winners this term, headed by the G1 National Stakes winner Henry Longfellow and G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom, himself a €2 million Arqana graduate. Frankel, who looks assured of regaining his Britain and Ireland sires title this year, posted the biggest average profit of the group and it was no surprise to see the Juddmonte sire’s fee rise from £275,000 to £350,000 next year.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

SIYOUNI

Sire of star milers Paddington and Tahiyra €200,000

SEA THE STARS The leading Irish-based sire

by Group 1 winners €200,000

EREVANN

Blue-blooded son of Dubawi and Ervedya €8,000

ZARAK

Group 1 sire with stellar statistics €60,000

VADENI

Champion Three-Year-Old €18,000

STALLIONS BY design

Bigoutlay big return LEADING SIRES

Words: MARTIN STEVENS

DARK ANGEL

When it comes to the leading sires category, you have to dig very deep to find value, though it does exist, while the stars of the future are revealing themselves among the newer blood (figures from stallionguide.com accurate as of November 6) LEADING SIRES

F

rankel will regain his British and Irish leading sire title in 2023, having become champion for the first time in 2021 but loaning his crown to Dubawi last year. His progeny earnings stand at just over €8m up to November 6, way ahead of his closest pursuer Dubawi on €4.66m.

Banstead Manor Stud’s unbeaten dual world champion delivered one Group 1 winner after another in the past 12 months, including Chaldean, Courage Mon Ami, Inspiral, Mostahdaf, Nashwa, Soul Sister, Triple Time and Ylang Ylang on the home front to seal his second championship.

Frankel’s brilliance is illustrated by his 44% winners-to-runners strike rate and 12.78% black-type winners-to-runners strike rate, as recorded in the exhaustive statistics available on stallionguide.com.

A more detailed analysis of his supreme achievements feature elsewhere in this publication.

Tally-Ho Stud stalwart Kodiac and Yeomanstown Stud mainstay Dark Angel supplied the most individual winners in Britain and Ireland this year, with 111 and 100 up to early November, and they both

190

did so at a really commendable ratio of 40%. Dark Angel is poised in third place in the British and Irish sire table, only narrowly behind Dubawi, with €4.63m in prizemoney. If he were to finish the season with a flourish, he could take the runner-up spot.

Rounding out the top ten up to November 6 were Galileo (€4.47m), Sea The Stars (€4.47m), Siyouni (€4.4m), Kingman (€4.12m), Kodiac (€3.57m), Lope De Vega (€3.55m), and No Nay Never (€3.17m).

Sadly, the upper echelons of sire tables tend to confirm that you get what you pay for in life, as nearly all the most successful stallions are priced accordingly. However, a few more affordable names in Ireland did make their presence felt.

Gleneagles, available at Coolmore for €17,500 in 2023, achieved highly credible stats of 41% winners to runners and 4.66% black-type winners to runners in Europe, while Dandy Man, who stood at Ballyhane Stud at €15,000 this year, proved to be the definition of ‘prolific’ again, with 123 winners from 300 runners at a rate of 41%. Only Kodiac’s progeny put in more runs than Dandy Man’s in the past season.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

LEADING SIRES

A bargain basement sire who perennially scores well in these stallion tables is Mayson, who is on the move from Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket to Springfield House Stud in Co Tipperary. The son of Invincible Spirit, who has top sprinters Oxted and Rohaan on his roll of honour, recorded a brilliant 51% winners-to-runners strike rate in 2023, led by Honey Girl’s victory in the Athasi Stakes.

Cracksman edged out his sire Frankel to be champion sire in France (€4.39m), almost entirely due to his unbeaten first-crop son Ace Impact's successes in the Prix du Jockey Club and lavishly endowed Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. It goes to show how first-place prizemoney in that one race skews the statistics, because Frankel supplied Group 1 winners Inspiral, Jannah Rose, Kelina and Westover across the Channel, with Westover and Onesto finishing second and third in the Arc.

LEADING FIRST-SEASON SIRES

Darley pair Blue Point (based at Kildangan Stud) and Too Darn Hot (Dalham Hall) stood out in the European first-season sire table. Blue Point led the way on both individual winners, notching 41 up to November, and earnings, amassing €1.64m, with €1.14m of that accrued in Britain and Ireland. He is the third European-based freshman to supply two Group 1-winning juveniles, after Lyphard and Sadler’s Wells, with Rosallion scoring in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and Big Evs taking the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Too Darn Hot is in second place by prizemoney on both the European and GB & Ireland lists, with the vast majority, €915,318 accrued in the latter jurisdictions, but his black-type winners-to-runners ration of 6.45% in Europe was head and shoulders

BLUE POINT above his peers and his 5.45% in Britain and Ireland also led the way. His four offspring who scored in stakes company all had a significant ring of quality – Fallen Angel, who landed the Moyglare Stud Stakes; Darnation, who took the May Hill Stakes; Alyanaabi, who scored in the Tattersalls Stakes and ran second in the Dewhurst; and Carolina Reaper, successful at Group 3 level in Germany.

In Europe, Coolmore colleagues Ten Sovereigns and Calyx sired multiple stakes winners at strike rates of 4.29% and 4.26%, while Irish National Stud resident Phoenix Of Spain and Ballyhane-based Soldier’s Call managed praiseworthy winners-torunners quotas of 40% and 36%.

One sire who arguably outperformed expectations for his debut season with two-year-old runners, and hinted at better to come, was Lanwades Stud’s Prix du Jockey Club hero Study Of Man. The son of Deep Impact came up with seven winners from just 25 runners, and an early pattern winner in the shape of Paddy Twomey’s Beresford Stakes scorer Deepone gave him a creditable score of 4% black-type winners.

LEADING SIRES IN GB & IRE 2023 BY PRIZEMONEY Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

35 36 21 30 20 9 20 18 20 19

16 14 7 8 8 3 5 5 1 7

25 24 14 25 13 7 12 9 10 16

44 46 40 40 38 36 46 40 44 36

12.78 11.38 4.02 11.54 5.32 3.13 5.73 3.25 3.67 6.92

9.8 9.3 7.3 11.5 11.3 8 8.5 7 9 7

8,039,217 4,663,702 4,631,120 4,473,141 4,467,661 4,403,457 4,121,919 3,565,536 3,545,934 3,170,519

Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

1 6 1 3 3 1 3 2 1 0

2 10 4 10 9 1 8 6 1 1

56 48 47 46 46 52 50 48 29 49

12 15 2.29 4.67 11.86 0.99 6.76 6.98 0.73 2.91

11 9.8 8.3 8.5 8.5 9.8 10.5 9 8.8 10

4,385,150 4,166,135 2,292,865 2,233,835 2,222,815 2,017,830 1,746,295 1,725,050 1,644,245 1,623,950

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Frankel Dubawi Dark Angel Galileo Sea the Stars Siyouni Kingman Kodiac Lope de Vega No Nay Never

2008 2002 2005 1998 2006 2007 2011 2001 2007 2011

Galileo Dubai Millennium Acclamation Sadler's Wells Cape Cross Pivotal Invincible Spirit Danehill Shamardal Scat Daddy

180 167 249 130 188 96 192 277 218 159

79 669 76 569 100 1306 52 497 72 670 35 420 89 863 111 1653 96 971 58 660

112 105 147 72 106 49 126 172 142 87

23 19 10 15 10 3 11 9 8 11

LEADING SIRES IN FRANCE 2023 BY PRIZEMONEY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cracksman Frankel Siyouni Wootton Bassett Kingman Anodin Zarak Lope de Vega Dabirsim Le Havre

2014 2008 2007 2008 2011 2010 2013 2007 2009 2006

Frankel Galileo Pivotal Iffraaj Invincible Spirit Anabaa Dubawi Shamardal Hat Trick Noverre

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

25 60 131 107 59 101 74 86 137 103

14 29 61 49 27 53 37 41 40 50

108 202 548 478 213 706 351 324 864 519

25 38 85 69 40 81 62 62 54 72

3 9 3 5 7 1 5 6 1 3

3 18 13 14 13 3 14 11 1 6

191

LEADING SIRES

7% in Europe and 6.3% in GB & Ireland. His fee has been increased to £55,000 for next year and the word in sales house bars is that still might represent value for money.

Sioux Nation has quietly done well to keep pace, supplying nine black-type winners at a strike rate of 6.12% in Europe, though that drops to 4.9% in Britain and Ireland. The star turn by Coolmore’s son of Scat Daddy was Challenge Stakes winner and 1000 Guineas third Matilda Picotte. Fellow Coolmore sire Saxon Warrior achieved a useful 4.1% black-type winners-to-runners ration in Europe with his first two crops, while the ill-starred champion Roaring Lion’s sole generation, who turned three in 2023, won stakes races at a clip of 3.9%. Dalham Hall Stud-based Harry Angel showed himself to be something of a winner machine with 53% of his runners on the continent this year scoring at least once, that figure holding up well at 50% for Britain and Ireland.

CRACKSMAN

LEADING SECOND-SEASON SIRES

Arc winner, Ace Impact, who also took the Prix du Jockey Club and retires to Haras de Beaumont in Normandy unbeaten, hails from the first crop of his Frankel’s son, Cracksman, who tops the secondseason sire table in Europe by progeny earnings, with a haul of €5.09m. Ace Impact accounted for a large proportion of that figure, though, and there has been more talk about some of the sire’s fellow sophomores.

Havana Grey in particular is widely thought of as the next big thing iin breeding and he tops the British and Irish standings with €2.2m. The son of Havana Gold covered mediocre books of mares at basement fees in his early years at Whitsbury Manor Stud and yet he has supplied ten black-type winners in 2023 – including Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes victor Vandeek – an excellent clip of

LEADING THIRD-SEASON SIRES

The European third-season sire table is led by Coolmore’s Churchill by prizemoney, with dual French Classic heroine Blue Rose Cen and Dante Stakes winner The Foxes contributing most to his pot of pot of €3.14m. He also did enough, however, to top the British and Irish table with €1.77m.

None of the European cohort could hold a candle to Haras de Bonneval sire Zarak, a Group 1-winning son of Dubawi and Zarkava, on two key metrics of success. His first three crops, bred off a fee of just €12,000, produced a 54% winners-torunners strike rate and sensational 8.5% black-type winners-to-runners ratio. He was represented by his first top-flight scorer when Zagrey took the Grosser Preis von Baden.

LEADING FIRST-SEASON SIRES IN GB & IRE 2023 BY WINNERS Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Blue Point Too Darn Hot Ten Sovereigns Soldier's Call Calyx Inns of Court Phoenix of Spain Invincible Army Land Force Advertise

2014 2016 2016 2016 2016 2014 2016 2015 2016 2016

Shamardal Dubawi No Nay Never Showcasing Kingman Invincible Spirit Lope de Vega Invincible Spirit No Nay Never Showcasing

89 55 46 63 32 61 33 45 49 45

35 20 14 22 14 15 13 12 14 15

299 162 159 251 104 239 101 151 211 168

47 26 19 28 18 23 17 15 17 16

3 3 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 0

6 5 6 2 3 3 1 1 0 2

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

1 3 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

3 4 4 1 3 0 1 1 0 0

39 36 30 35 44 25 39 27 29 33

3.37 5.45 4.35 0 3.13 1.64 3.03 2.22 0 0

6 7 6 5.5 6.5 6.5 7 6.3 6.3 6.8

1,144,082 915,318 498,093 478,762 477,222 478,206 380,433 326,013 253,736 215,310

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

3 5 1 1 1 3 0 1 1 0

6 8 5 3 2 7 1 4 2 0

51 40 52 34 27 57 50 30 29 33

6.3 4.9 4.55 1.2 2.08 14.29 2.27 2.78 2.17 0

6 6.3 10.5 8.8 6.3 8.5 6.5 6.8 7.8 10

2,203,482 1,451,653 1,264,202 1,020,344 927,149 911,680 877,852 871,180 765,539 468,978

LEADING SECOND-SEASON SIRES IN GB & IRE 2023 BY PRIZEMONEY Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

192

Havana Grey Sioux Nation Roaring Lion Saxon Warrior Tasleet Justify Harry Angel Zoustar Expert Eye Cracksman

2015 2015 2015 2015 2013 2015 2014 2010 2015 2014

Havana Gold Scat Daddy Kitten's Joy Deep Impact Showcasing Scat Daddy Dark Angel Northern Meteor Acclamation Frankel

127 102 66 83 48 28 88 108 92 73

65 41 34 28 13 16 44 32 27 24

714 477 309 348 212 108 395 422 447 284

104 54 56 42 23 21 65 44 46 36

8 5 3 1 1 4 2 3 2 0

10 9 7 4 2 8 5 9 3 0

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

LEADING SIRES

LEADING SIRES OF 2YOS

Coolmore-owned Scat Daddy sons Justify (who stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky) and No Nay Never (Coolmore Fethard) delivered exceptional results with their two-year-olds in Europe this year.

US Triple Crown laureate Justify’s second crop yielded the highest-rated juvenile colt and filly in Europe, City Of Troy and Opera Singer. For good measure he also got two Grade 1 winners in this age group at the Breeders’ Cup meeting with Just FYI striking in the Juvenile Fillies and Hard To Justify taking the Juvenile Fillies Turf. His two-yearolds imported to Europe, admittedly a selected group, scored in black-type races at an extraordinary 18.8%.

No Nay Never meanwhile provided a tabletopping eight individual black-type-winning twoyear-olds in 2023, at a strike rate of 12.7%. They included Array in the Mill Reef Stakes, Lake Forest in the Gimcrack Stakes and Matrika in the Airlie Stud Stakes. Six of those individual blacky type winners were in Britain and Ireland, scoring at a 10.3% strike rate.

No Nay Never’s studmate Wootton Bassett conjured up a 12.5% ratio of two-year-old stakes winners to runners in Europe with his last crop conceived at Haras d’Etreham in Normandy. Cream of the crop were Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf hero Unquestionable, Phoenix Stakes winner Bucanero Fuerte and Coventry Stakes scorer River Tiber. That whets the appetite for the son of Iffraaj’s first Irishconceived two-year-olds in 2024.

Dubawi, sire of this year’s National Stakes victor Henry Longfellow and Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom, and Frankel, whose daughter Ylang Ylang landed the Fillies’ Mile, fielded 11.9% and 10% black-type winners to runners in Britain and

NO NAY NEVER

Ireland, to suggest that they will be competing for overall champion sire honours again next year.

LEADING BROODMARE SIRES

Late Coolmore phenomenon Galileo showed he’s no historical relic in 2023, not least through his daughters Warm Heart, Free Wind and Savethelastdance giving him a one-two-three in the Yorkshire Oaks, but he has slowly been slipping

LEADING THIRD-SEASON SIRES IN GB & IRE 2023 BY PRIZEMONEY Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Churchill Profitable Ulysses Ribchester Cotai Glory Caravaggio El Kabeir Aclaim Galileo Gold Ardad

2014 2012 2013 2013 2012 2014 2012 2013 2013 2014

Galileo 162 Invincible Spirit 149 Galileo 99 Iffraaj 83 Exceed and Excel 94 Scat Daddy 71 Scat Daddy 51 Acclamation 82 Paco Boy 64 Kodiac 64

52 56 29 28 33 22 14 27 27 20

660 692 416 402 514 283 222 435 324 365

73 77 35 38 57 30 20 38 41 30

6 4 5 0 1 3 2 1 1 0

11 5 6 2 1 5 3 2 2 1

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

5 0 3 0 0 2 1 0 1 0

8 0 5 1 0 4 1 2 1 0

32 38 29 34 35 31 27 33 42 31

3.7 2.68 5.05 0 1.06 4.23 3.92 1.22 1.56 0

8.8 6.5 10.3 8.3 6.8 7.5 7 6.3 7.8 6

1,765,630 1,147,575 1,068,487 1,056,520 911,132 909,763 689,343 647,931 647,979 510,221

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

4 1 2 2 5 3 0 2 1 2

9 3 4 4 10 4 2 3 4 4

41 39 42 48 43 36 37 25 47 25

10.34 3.37 5.19 4.62 11.9 5.45 0 10 5.17 10

6.3 6 6 5.8 7.5 7 8.3 7.5 7 6

1,479,054 1,144,082 1,137,387 1,030,423 991,380 915,318 776,104 739,125 720,267 687,219

LEADING SIRES OF 2YOS IN GB & IRE 2023 BY PRIZEMONEY Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No Nay Never Blue Point Kodiac Havana Grey Dubawi Too Darn Hot Gleneagles Frankel Night of Thunder Wootton Bassett

2011 2014 2001 2015 2002 2016 2012 2008 2011 2008

Scat Daddy Shamardal Danehill Havana Gold Dubai Millennium Dubawi Galileo Galileo Dubawi Iffraaj

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

58 89 77 65 42 55 27 40 58 20

24 35 32 31 18 20 10 10 27 5

183 299 326 267 100 162 65 83 151 48

31 47 46 41 27 26 11 15 30 9

6 3 4 3 5 3 0 4 3 2

11 6 9 5 11 5 3 4 5 4

193

YEATS down the general and two-year-old sire tables in recent years.

However, he is hammering home that he is an improving ingredient in a pedigree in the European broodmare sire table. He is out on his own at the top, with his maternal grandchildren’s progeny earnings of around €17m being more than double the next-best figure of €7.9m belonging to Oasis Dream.

Galileo’s tally of 42 black-type winners as damsire in 2023 was well clear of Oasis Dream’s mark of 18. His standouts in this department were Classic winners Auguste Rodin, Continuous and Marhaba Ya Sanafi, Group 1-winning two-year-olds City Of Troy and Henry Longfellow and leading sprinter Shaquille.

LEADING NATIONAL HUNT SIRES

On the National Hunt side, Castlehyde Stud’s legendary stayer Yeats was crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland in 2022/23 for the second season in a row, with €2.94m in progeny earnings.

Savills Chase winner Conflated was his marquee performer in the past 12 months.

The shortlived Fame And Glory, the source of last season’s Grade 1 winners Flame Bearer, Home By The Lee and Stage Star, was runner-up in the table for the second year running, having accumulated €2.67m.

Grange Stud’s blue-chip option Walk In The Park achieved his highest finish in the British and Irish jumps sire championship, coming third on €2.3m.

His best representatives – Ashroe Diamond, Facile Vega and Jonbon – stay in training and, along with his many unexposed younger offspring, they could

catapult him to the number one spot in 2023/24.

French sires Doctor Dino, Saddler Maker and Saint Des Saints stood out with black-type winners-to-runners strike rates between 14.63% and 10.77% last season, although it is important to remember that they have highly selected samples of runners competing on these shores.

The much-missed Jeremy, who always stood in Ireland and therefore has a more ‘warts-and-all’ representation, deserves extra credit for managing a 6.73% black-type winners-to-runners ratio.

French sires are now crucial to the commercial National Hunt market, of course, so it’s worth checking out who is doing well domestically.

Leading the way by prizemoney in France this year, up to November, was Cokoriko, with €2.21m. Big names Doctor Dino, Martaline and Kapgarde were fighting out the places on €1.99m, €1.97m and €1.84m respectively. Martinborough, a Japanese Grade 3 winner by Deep Impact and from the family of Singspiel, has smaller crops conceived in France – 51 five-year-olds and 38 four-year-olds – but he is responsible for an impressive 59% winners-to-runners strike rate in his adopted country.

By the more informative measure of black-type winners to runners, it is Haras de Beaumont-based Galiway who comes out best, on a remarkably high 14.29%. Willie Mullins sent out the sire’s best performer on home turf, with Gala Marceau running out a seven-length winner of the Prix Alain du Breil at Auteuil, a prestigious event for fouryear-olds.

The unique table of young National Hunt sires available on stallionguide.com is an invaluable tool for making breeding and buying decisions for a sector of the industry in which the time from production to racing takes so long, with sires often being advanced in years before being proven on the racecourse and making an impact on the main table.

Fame And Glory, who scrapes into the table as he conceived the first of his five crops in 2013, comes out on top by prizemoney from No Risk At All, who retired in the same year and had top-notchers Allaho, Allegorie De Vassy, Aucunrisque and Epatante batting for him in 2022/23.

The late German Derby winner Pastorius clocked in with a very decent 52% winners to runners that season, while Churchill’s emigrants from the flat sphere had real strength in depth, with two black-

LEADING BROODMARE IN EUROPE 2023 BY PRIZEMONEY Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

194

Galileo Oasis Dream Dansili Montjeu Pivotal Dubawi Shamardal Sea the Stars Invincible Spirit Danehill Dancer

1998 2000 1996 1996 1993 2002 2002 2006 1997 1993

Sadler's Wells Green Desert Danehill Sadler's Wells Polar Falcon Dubai Millennium Giant's Causeway Cape Cross Green Desert Danehill

716 511 461 293 433 372 391 204 520 301

303 219 187 107 174 166 176 80 196 117

3214 2774 2478 1395 2207 1985 2178 868 2876 1591

421 332 296 187 280 252 284 113 300 169

42 18 16 10 16 17 12 10 5 10

78 34 33 19 32 30 32 20 20 21

Group Wnrs

Group Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

22 13 9 9 7 6 6 5 3 7

53 20 22 14 21 18 17 16 11 13

42 43 41 37 40 45 45 39 38 39

5.87 3.52 3.47 3.41 3.7 4.57 3.07 4.9 0.96 3.32

9.3 8 9 9.8 8.3 9 7.8 8.8 8 9

16,949,803 7,889,295 7,409,294 7,191,246 6,460,653 6,245,533 6,128,404 5,899,887 5,116,956 4,361,871

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

LEADING SIRES

type winners from 17 runners giving him an impressive mark of 11.76%. Sea The Moon is another proven flat sire whose representatives at the horses-in-training sales must be worthy of jumps owners’ and trainers’ attention, as he delivered a 9.38% black-type winners-to-runners strike rate in the NH realm last season.

Cheltenham Diversity Mind you, for all the investigation and analysis we perform on sire tables, it’s worth remembering that the all-important action at the Cheltenham Festival, at which a winner is worth a thousand adverts for stud owners, showed us once again that we can obsess a little too much about the male line.

Only one sire over the four-day meeting put more than one winner on the board, and that was the late Burgage Stud stalwart Shantou, with two – Stay Away Fay in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and Impervious in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. The son of Alleged also got on the podium through Magical Zoe taking second in the Jack de Bromhead Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle and Monbeg Genius claiming third in the Ultima Handicap Chase.

Doctor Dino, who will stand at Haras du Mesnil at the lofty price of €22,000 next year, was on the mark with Boodles winner Jazzy Matty, and came close to another bullseye with two runners-up – State Man in the Champion Hurdle and Dinoblue in the Grand Annual.

Masked Marvel, Haras de la Tuilerie’s St Legerwinning son of Montjeu, confirmed himself one of the rising stars of the French national hunt stallion scene at the Cheltenham Festival by supplying Dinoblue’s Grand Annual conqueror Maskada and Stayers’ Hurdle third Teahupoo from just three representatives at the meeting. Willie Mullins has several exciting young horses by the sire, including Junta Marvel and Predators Gold. He’s one we should hear a lot more from in future.

Ocovango, who crossed the Irish Sea from The Beeches Stud to Dan and Grace Skelton’s Alne Park Stud in 2023, outdid his lowly stud fee of £3,000 at the festival by getting Dan Skelton’s Coral Cup victor Langer Dan and Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle third Champ Kiely from his three runners that week.

Boardsmill Stud’s evergreen affordable option Court Cave gave Bradley Gibbs his St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup winner Premier Magic. The

unraced Sadler’s Wells full brother to Beat Hollow has some festival record for a €4,000 stallion, having also delivered past Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle winners City Island and Willoughby Court.

Mahler, another long-serving, solid, lowermarket national hunt sire, got his name on the leaderboard at Cheltenham thanks to his popular son The Real Whacker making all and bravely holding on to win the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. The Group 3-winning son of Galileo, who stands at The Beeches Stud, was getting a deserved first big-race winner at the festival, with American Mike, Ms Parfois and Ok Corral having finished second in previous years.

Two of the most high-profile winners at Prestbury Park in March, Marine Nationale in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup, summed up why it pays to keep an open mind when it comes to stallions in the jumps game.

Marine Nationale, bred by Ballykelly Stud in County Tipperary, is one of 44 six-year-olds by French Navy, a Group 3-winning son of Shamardal who covered mainly flat mares for €4,000 under the Darley Club banner before his sale abroad three years ago, while French-bred Galopin Des Champs is one of just 14 seven-year-olds by Timos, a listedwinning son of Sholokhov who stood in total obscurity.

Blue Bresil might not have topped the Cheltenham Festival sire table, as he supplied one winner and no other placed runners at the meeting, but that one winner was potentially the best hurdler in decades. Constitution Hill sauntered to a nine-length victory over State Man in the Champion Hurdle to remain unbeaten in six starts under Rules. The Nicky Henderson-trained star, who finished second between the flags at Tipperary for Warren Ewing as a youngster, made it seven out of seven in the Aintree Hurdle in April.

Blue Bresil, a Group 2-placed son of Smadoun who was a complete unknown when he started out covering mares at €1,500 a go at Haras de la Croix-Sonnet, has grown to become one of the biggest forces in the British and Irish jumps stallion ranks. He has consistently covered large books chock-full of elite NH mares since being recruited

by Glenview Stud from Yorton Farm in 2020 and so should be challenging for champion sire honours in the future.

LEADING NH SIRES IN GB & IRE 2022-2023 BY PRIZEMONEY Sire Born Grandsire Rnrs Wnrs Runs Wins BT BT

Wnrs Horses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Yeats Fame and Glory Walk In The Park Getaway Shirocco Jeremy Westerner Mahler Milan Shantou

2001 2006 2002 2003 2001 2003 1999 2004 1998 1993

Sadler's Wells Montjeu Montjeu Monsun Monsun Danehill Dancer Danehill Galileo Sadler's Wells Alleged

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

243 276 222 330 246 104 212 246 221 174

98 1099 99 1155 90 896 106 1336 78 968 41 451 73 846 65 926 63 849 66 734

152 158 140 150 128 62 112 97 93 97

9 8 15 4 7 7 3 5 5 6

19 24 24 11 14 15 13 13 9 15

Grade Wnrs

Grade Horses

% w/r

% BT w/r

AWD (F)

Total €

6 5 12 3 4 5 0 4 5 4

14 18 20 8 12 11 9 11 8 13

40 36 41 32 32 39 34 26 29 38

3.7 2.9 6.76 1.21 2.85 6.73 1.42 2.03 2.26 3.45

21 20.3 18.5 19.8 20.5 20 19.8 20.5 21.5 20.8

2,936,264 2,674,666 2,295,785 2,219,169 2,063,858 1,786,817 1,652,555 1,655,709 1,639,045 1,617,037

195

King Pin? Words: LAURA JOY

After this year’s freshman sires delivered, what can we expect from the class of 2024?

T

welve months ago, the class of 2023 promised so much on paper and they delivered. Darley’s Too Darn Hot and Blue Point both struck at Group 1 level, the latter doubling his tally when Big Evs memorably scorched home at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Top-class two-year-olds themselves, Ten Sovereigns and Calyx did not disappoint with both well represented in group races and ample encouragement for their future at stud.

With that in mind, which of the class of 2024 are most likely to hit the turf running next spring?

There is a wide array of quality sires amongst the group but naturally some will have higher expectations for their juveniles than others. None more so than champion two-year-old PINATUBO (Shamardal) who earned the highest official rating for a juvenile since Celtic Swing (130 in 1994).

Pinatubo was awarded 128 at the conclusion of a remarkable six-race unblemished campaign that captured attention on these shores with an ‘I was there’ nine-length success in the G1 National Stakes at The Curragh. He concluded the yearling sales circuit at the top of the class by average (€163,000) and why wouldn’t he? He is out of the listedwinning mare Lava Flow (Dalakhani) and by a sire of sires who can no longer be considered emerging.

Not too dissimilar to his stallion barn mate Too Darn Hot, Pinatubo arguably held his form as a three-year-old rather than progressed and so anything less than a flying start with his first crop might be seen as a disappointment in our everunforgiving market.

Also standing under the Darley banner is another son of Shamardal with early expectations as G1 Prix Morny winner EARTHLIGHT (Shamardal) has enjoyed a fruitful first yearling sales campaign of

PINATUBO (Darley)

196

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

FIRST RUNNERS IN 2024

his own. Notorious for their early juveniles, Amo Racing combined with Ben McElroy to secure an Earthlight colt at Tattersalls Book Two for 325,000 guineas. His dam Dettoria is already responsible for the graded stakes winner Selenaia (Sea The Moon) and it would not be a daft ante-post selection to predict him carrying the purple and white Amo silks as early as Royal Ascot next June. Priced at €15,000 for 2024, Earthlight could be a calculated risk for shrewd breeders looking for an edge at a bargain that could well be a thing of the past in 12 months.

The rags-to-riches fairytale for Whitsbury Manor’s Havana Grey has only gathered momentum after Vandeek’s hoof-perfect two-year-old season.

It’s becoming a little bit of a theme now to see budget sires picked up by Ed Harper transform into G1 sires. Their latest recruit SERGEI PROKOFIEV (Scat Daddy) made a big splash at the 2022 foal sales to indicate he could be the next to add his name to a growing roll of honour that includes Showcasing. While his race record falls a little short of some of his rivals, his sire line couldn’t be hotter.

Carrying the same elite Scat Daddy genes that Justify, No Nay Never, Sioux Nation and Caravaggio are harnessing to conquer the global racing scene from Japan to Santa Anita and everywhere in between, breeders who used Sergei Prokofiev in his first season for £6,500 enjoyed a healthy foal sale average of £26,000 from 58 sold. His yearlings made a tempered rise to £37,000 but don’t be too discouraged by the apparent diminutive increase.

Of 83 offered, 78 found new homes and given the sire line and his own precocity, it wasn’t breaking news to find a number of esteemed breeze-up people, a cohort renowned for pursuing value, signing a lot of the dockets.

Back on Irish turf, Coventry Stakes winner ARIZONA (No Nay Never) could prove another bargain source of Scat Daddy blood on a budget.

GOLDEN HORDE (Lethal Force) is now in France.

He was two lengths behind Arizona in the Coventry Stakes. Time was on his side when he went on to add the G1 Commonwealth Cup to his record the following year. A remarkably consistent racehorse, being a grandson of Dark Angel will make him another feather in his great-grandsire Acclamation’s cap if he proves up to the task.

Proven sires of sires are a useful indicator and the exploits of Calyx from Kingman’s first crop lend great encouragement for his future sons at stud.

From the very same crop as Calyx came Kingman’s first Classic winner PERSIAN KING, who is set to unleash his first runners next year. Persian King was a G3 winner at two, Classic winner at three and added a pair of G1s to his record at four, the latter at the expense of Pinatubo in the Prix du Moulin.

He did most of his winning over a mile but proved his adaptability when running an excellent third to SOTTSASS (Siyouni) in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Renewing that rivalry again, if the yearling sales averages are a glimpse into the future, Persian King has some ground to make up. His yearling average of €60,000 is a respectable return on his opening €30,000 stud fee and a median of €52,000 will IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

ARIZONA (Coolmore) hopefully have kept most breeders satisfied.

Sottsass’ yearlings were warmly received with a very encouraging average of €100,000 from the same €30,000 initial outlay with a median of €65,000. His owner Peter Brant has not held back in stating his belief in and support for the horse and backed that up by paying €380,000 to secure a colt out of Ayelet (Hat Trick) at Arqana in August, the very sale he sourced Sottsass himself at for €340,000. From one of the first voices to get behind breed-shaper Mr Prospector, that’s probably a whisper worth listening to.

Only those depicted as ‘living under a rock’ will have missed the noise surrounding Darley’s latest Dubawi dynamo, with his imposing son GHAIYYATH continuing to raise his own bar ever since the day he conquered Enable in the 2020 Coral-Eclipse. He is yet another star bred on the Dubawi x Galileo cross and even boasts a Classicwinning dam in Nightime, the first of many Classic winners to come for the former and much-missed perennial champion Galileo. Since retiring to stud, his number of mares has risen. We can only assume his first foals were winning all the paddock races at Kildangan Stud.

Of 57 yearlings to sell bred off a €30,000 fee, 55 found homes for an average return of €146,000 and a median of €71,428. The average was undoubtedly boosted by the 1.05m guineas halfbrother to Breeders’ Cup victor Victoria Road (Saxon Warrior). His breeder Trevor Stewart is renowned for his humility but just one look at what his darling Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge) has 197

FIRST RUNNERS IN 2024

KAMEKO (Tweenhills)

achieved and connections of this expensive colt, and anyone else who has similarly put their confidence in Ghaiyyath, can be sitting a little more snugly than many as the winter approaches. With so many experienced stalwarts of the breeding industry putting their faith in the progressive fourtime Group 1 powerhouse, Ghaiyyath could be threatening Blue Point and Too Darn Hot for the gold star at Darley HQ next year.

A G1-winning juvenile who added the fastest 2000 Guineas ever to his record at three, KAMEKO has had a slightly less auspicious yearling sales campaign, but by no means void of promise. An opening fee of £25,000 set by Tweenhills Stud returned an average of £57,000 and a median of £42,000. Kameko is out of the Grade 3 winner Sweeter Still (Rock Of Gibraltar), who herself is a half-sister to Racing Post Trophy winner Kingsbarns (Galileo). Sweeter Still was less precocious than her accomplished son and brother but did finish fourth on debut as a two-year-old in the (then) Listed Flame Of Tara Stakes. Kameko has the desirable racing and pedigree credentials to make a significant mark with his first juveniles, while we can still expect reasonable progression from two to three from a son of dual US Champion Turf sire Kitten’s Joy. The same can be said for Shadwell’s latest son of Showcasing bidding to establish his sire potential.

MOHAATHER didn’t grace us with his brilliance very often and he made it very clear he didn’t enjoy the ground that blunted his exceptional turn of foot. However, when he showed up and the English summer obliged, his turn of foot 198

devastated any rival who attempted to go with him. His dramatic but ultimately snug Sussex Stakes success was a memorable one. Shortly after, Mohaather had succumbed to another setback and so it proved to be for the final time.

Injury plagued him in each of his three seasons but his talent and raw speed were undeniable.

Somewhat overlooked at the yearling sales, an opening fee of £20,000 yielded an average of £45,000 and a median of £39,500. Purchasers’ loss is this writer’s gain as Mohaather is thus a very easy selection for the Dark Horse of 2024. Showcasing has already proven his capabilities as a sire of sires and notably Mohaather is out of the listed-placed Roodeye (Inchinor). Roodeye is a granddaughter of the immensely influential sire Ahonoora. Despite lacking a standout heir today, Ahonoora’s influence through his daughters will be difficult to surpass.

From New Approach and Cape Cross to Acclamation, he has a habit of popping up somewhere in the background of a top stallion’s pedigree. Closer to home in his immediate family, Mohaather is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Prize Exhibit as well as the dams of G2 May Hill Stakes winner Polly Pott (Muhaarar) and G1 Queen Anne Stakes enigma Accidental Agent (Delegator).

It's old and it’s a simple one but never does a saying ring truer – if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Our stallion masters are some of the most knowledgeable horse people around and yet not one person can say with certainty which sire will make it and which will fall short. Good luck to all who have invested and as always, may the best horse win.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

The biggest names

in the business

2024 AT KILDANGAN STUD, IRELAND

€100,000 €60,000 €30,000 €25,000 €17,500 €16,000 €15,000 €10,000 €7,500

AT HARAS DU LOGIS, FRANCE VICTOR LUDORUM CLOTH OF STARS

€15,000 €5,000

DUBAWI TOO DARN HOT PALACE PIER PINATUBO NEW MODERN GAMES FARHH CRACKSMAN NEW TRIPLE TIME HARRY ANGEL IFFRAAJ MASAR PERFECT POWER TERRITORIES

£350,000 £65,000 £45,000 £35,000 £30,000 PRIVATE £17,500 £10,000 £10,000 £10,000 £10,000 £10,000 £10,000

Terms: Oct 1, SLF

NIGHT OF THUNDER BLUE POINT TEOFILO GHAIYYATH NEW NATIVE TRAIL SPACE BLUES EARTHLIGHT NAVAL CROWN RAVEN’S PASS

AT DALHAM HALL STUD, UK

+353 (0)45 527600 +44 (0)1638 730070 +33 (0)2 33 36 21 20 darleystallions.com DAR27883 EURO Irish Racing Yearbook Full Page Roster 12NOV23 _PRINT.indd 1

09/11/2023 09:41

Winning

NEW TO STUD

Words: DR SIEGLINDE MCGEE • Photos: CAROLINE NORRIS

TRAIL

The race to be champion freshman sire in 2027 promises to be intriguing

NATIVE TRAIL

AMHRAN NA BHFIANN (IRE)

2017 b Galileo – Alluring Park (Green Desert) RACE RECORD: 2 wins including G2 Curragh Cup Classic-placed Group 2-winning brother to Oaks heroine Was, he is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to juvenile champion, Derby hero and multiple Classic sire New Approach. Will stand as a NH sire.

Knockhouse Stud

BOUTTEMONT (IRE)

2018 b Acclamation - Basilia (Fastnet Rock) RACE RECORD: 6 wins including G3 Prix de Meautry Stakes winner at five and six furlongs and two-yearold winner over a mile, he joins his sire at Rathbarry.

Acclamation’s sons Aclaim, Dark Angel, Equiano, Harbour Watch and Mehmas have sired at least one Group 1 winner, so he will also attract attention. His winning dam is a half-sister to dual seven-furlong Group 3 scorer Baghadur (aka Joyful Trinity). Likely to get his best from five to nine furlongs.

Rathbarry Stud

CASTLE STAR (IRE)

2019 b Starspangledbanner - Awahaam (Iffraaj) RACE RECORD: 2 wins including G3 Marble Hill Stakes Juvenile sprinter by the sire of State of Rest (foals in 2024) and The Wow Signal (Classic winner Coeursamba), his dam is a dual seven-furlong winner from the family of star miler 200

Markofdistinction and 2023 Classic hero Chaldean.

Will likely get mostly sprinters and milers.

Capital Stud

CHALDEAN (GB)

2020 ch Frankel - Suelita (Dutch Art) RACE RECORD: 5 wins including G1 2000 Guineas, G1 Dewhurst Stakes Group 1 star at two and three, he is among a growing number of sons of the great Frankel at stud: the earliest feature Ace Impact’s sire Cracksman.

Suelita’s other sons include Group 2 sprint winner Alkumait (yearlings in 2024). Branches of his family include brilliant miler Markofdistinction and fellow 2024 recruit Castle Star. Potentially a leading sire.

Banstead Manor Stud (GB)

DRAGON SYMBOL (GB)

2018 gr Cable Bay - Arcamist (Arcano) RACE RECORD: 5 wins Unlucky to lose the G1 Commonwealth Cup in the stewards’ room, this grandson of influential Invincible Spirit is inbred 3x4 to Green Desert. His dam won over ten furlongs, is a half-sister to listed scorers over six and eight, and there are juvenile black-type winners in branches of the family. His seventh dam was champion two-year-old Star of India. Likely to get sprinters and milers.

Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB) IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

NEW TO STUD

DUBAI MILE (IRE)

2020 ch Roaring Lion – Beach Bunny (High Chaparral) RACE RECORD: 3 wins including G1 Criterium de SaintCloud Group 1 victor over ten furlongs at two, he was fifth in the 2000 Guineas and fourth in the Group 2 King Edward Stakes. The half-brother to two sprint stakes winners is out of a mare who was short-headed in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. She is out of a half-sister to Classic-winning miler Miss France and is a granddaughter of Classic-placed juvenile Group 1 scorer Miss Tahiti. Likely to get his best at seven furlongs and upwards.

Manton Park Stud (GB)

EL CABALLO (GB)

2019 b Havana Gold - Showstoppa (Showcasing) RACE RECORD: 6 wins including G2 Sandy Lane Stakes Winner of six of his ten starts and by the sire of the hugely popular Havana Grey, this Group 2-winning sprinter looks sure to be busy. His three-parts sister Symbology was third in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes, his dam is a winning half-sister to Group 2 scorer Temple Meads and he comes from the family of the talented Sapieha.

Culworth Grounds Farm (GB)

GOOD GUESS (GB)

2020 b Kodiac - Zykina (Pivotal) RACE RECORD: 4 wins including G1 Prix Jean Prat Early two-year-old winner who became a sevenfurlong Group 1 winner at three, he is by the sire of black-type sires Adaay, Ardad, Coulsty, Kessaar, Kodi Bear and Prince Of Lir, and will be popular. The halfbrother to seven-furlong Group 3 winner Spangled is a grandson of multiple Group 1 star Russian Rhythm, so he comes from a branch of the family of influential sire Cape Cross. Likely to get mostly sprinters and milers.

Tally-Ho Stud

HURRICANE LANE (IRE)

2018 ch Frankel – Gale Force (Shirocco) RACE RECORD: 7 wins including G1 Irish Derby, G1 St Leger Stakes, G1 Grand Prix de Paris Dual Classic star out of a stakes winner who stayed two miles. His dam’s half-sister Seal of Approval won the Group 1 Fillies & Mares Stakes. The family also features dual Derby hero Harzand. Hurricane Lane is being marketed to NH breeders.

Coolmore NH

KENWAY (FR)

2018 ch Galiway – Kendam (Kendargent) RACE RECORD: 6 wins including G3 Prix La Rochette Multiple Group 3-placed multiple stakes winner up to ten furlongs, he is by the sire of Sealiway (foals in 2024), Vauban and Gala Marceau and out of a sprint Group 1-placed, Group 3 scorer.

Coolagown Stud

LITTLE BIG BEAR (IRE)

2020 b No Nay Never – Adventure Seeker (Bering) RACE RECORD: 5 wins including G1 Phoenix Stakes €320,000 yearling and star two-year-old who became IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

LITTLE BIG BEAR a Group 1-placed Group 2 winner at three, he is likely to be busy. His sire’s initial sons include 2023 freshmen Ten Sovereigns (three stakes winners) and Land Force, plus Arizona (freshman in 2024) and Blackbeard (foals in 2024). Third dam is the outstanding All Along.

Potential leading freshman and source of sprinters and milers beyond that.

Coolmore Stud

MODERN GAMES (IRE)

2019 ch Dubawi – Modern Ideals (New Approach) RACE RECORD: 8 wins including G1 Lockinge Stakes, G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, G1 Woodbine Mile, G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Group 1 star at two, three and four, this top-class miler was placed in the Prix du Jockey Club over ten and a half furlongs. He’s by the sire of Group 1-winning Group 1 sires Makfi, New Bay, Night of Thunder, Poet’s Voice, Too Darn Hot and Zarak and is a half-brother to Classic star and nose Breeders’ Cup Mile second Mawj.

It’s a branch of the family of the Classic-winning siblings Bosra Sham, Hector Protector and Shanghai.

Potential Classic sire who could also be a leading freshman, with his best coming mostly at six to ten furlongs.

Dalham Hall Stud (GB)

MOJO STAR (IRE)

2018 b Sea The Stars - Galley (Zamindar) RACE RECORD: 1 win Dual Classic-placed son of Sea The Stars who was a half-length runner-up to Kyprios in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, this half-brother to Royal Hunt Cup victor Portage is standing as a NH stallion and looks sure to be popular.

Whytemount Stud

MOSTAHDAF (IRE)

2018 br Frankel - Handassa (Dubawi) RACE RECORD: 10 wins including G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, G1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes One of the world’s top-rated horses, this half-brother to dual mile Group 1 star Nazeef is a potential Classic sire. By the sire of Ace Impact’s sire Cracksman and notables in his family include the Group 1-winning sprinters and full brothers Goodricke and Pastoral Pursuits. He didn’t run at two (May foal) but should be capable of getting some smart autumn juveniles.

Beech House Stud (GB)

MUTASAABEQ (GB)

2018 br Invincible Spirit - Ghanaati (Giant’s Causeway) RACE RECORD: 7 wins including G2 Joel Stakes (twice), G2 bet365 Mile Unbeaten at two and a triple Group 2-winning miler at 201

NEW TO STUD

four and five, this son of Classic-winning miler Ghanaati is from the famous stallion-producing family of Nashwan, Nayef, Unfuwain and Deep Impact. His sire’s stallions feature the outstanding pair I Am Invincible and Kingman plus Group 1-siring Cable Bay, Charm Spirit, Lawman, Mayson, Shalaa and Territories.

Likely source of high-class performers in the five-toten-furlong range.

National Stud (GB)

PYLEDRIVER (GB)

NATIVE TRAIL (GB)

SHAQUILLE (GB)

PADDINGTON (GB)

SUBJECTIVIST (GB)

2019 b Oasis Dream - Needleleaf (Observatory) RACE RECORD: 6 wins including G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas, G1 Dewhurst Stakes, G1 National Stakes Undefeated juvenile champion and an Eclipse-placed Classic-winning miler at three, he is out of a sister to sprint Group 1 winner African Rose and Helleborine, the Group 3-winning dam of Group 2 scorer and successful 2023 freshman Calyx (2 Group winners). His sire’s Group 1-siring sons include Muhaarar, Power and Showcasing. Potentially a leading freshman whose long-term best results will come mostly in the five-toten-furlong range.

Kildangan Stud 2020 b Siyouni – Modern Eagle (Montjeu) RACE RECORD: 7 wins including G1 Sussex Stakes, G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes, G1 St James’s Palace Stakes, G1 Irish 2000 Guineas Seven-furlong juvenile winner who became a celebrity at three, this multiple Group 1 star is by sire of Sottsass (freshman in 2024) and St Mark’s Basilica (yearlings in 2024). He is out of a 12.5 furlong stakes-winning granddaughter of Group 1 scorer Moonlight Dance, that one a daughter of dual Classic star Madelia. Likely to get some smart autumn juveniles but best mostly later in the seven-to-twelve-furlong range.

Coolmore Stud

FRANCE ACE IMPACT (IRE) 2020 b Cracksman – Absolutly Me (Anabaa Blue) – G1 Haras de Beaumont ANGEL BLEU (FR) 2019 b Dark Angel – Cercle de La Vie (Galileo) – G1 Montfort et Preaux BELBEK (FR) 2020 b Showcasing – Bee Queen (Makfi) – G1 Montfort et Preaux EREVANN (FR) 2019 b Dubawi – Ervedya (Siyouni) – G2 Haras de Bonneval JIGME (IRE) 2020 b Motivator - Simawa (Anabaa) – NH G1 Haras du Huguenot LUSAIL (IRE) 2019 b Mehmas – Diaminda (Diamond Green) – G2 Haras de Bouquetot MISHRIFF (IRE) 2017 b Make Believe – Contradict (Raven’s Pass) – G1 Montfort et Preaux ONESTO (IRE) 2019 ch Frankel – Onshore (Sea The Stars) – G1 Haras d’Etreham PRETTY TIGER (IRE) 2018 b Sea The Moon – Fast And Pretty (Zamindar) – G2 Haras de la Tuilerie WONDERFUL MOON (GER) 2017 ch Sea The Moon - Wonderful Filly (Lomitas) – G2 Haras de Cercy VADENI (FR) 2019 b Churchill – Vaderana (Monsun) – G1 Haras de Bonneval

202

2017 b Harbour Watch – La Pyle (Le Havre) RACE RECORD: 8 wins including G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, G1 Coronation Cup Classic-placed middle-distance star by a late son of Acclamation, Pyledriver is related to Group 1 winners Mont Ormel and Linngari and is being aimed at the NH market.

Coolmore NH 2020 b Charm Spirit - Magic (Galileo) RACE RECORD: 7 wins including G1 July Cup, G1 Commonwealth Cup Winner of seven from nine starts, this grandson of Invincible Spirit is also a grandson of Group 2-winning sprinter Danehurst, which makes him inbred 4x4 Danzig, 4x3 Sadler’s Wells and 4x4 Miswaki. Relations also include Classic-placed juvenile Group 2 sprint winner Dazzle plus mile Grade 2 scorer Doneraile Court, a successful sire in North and South America. Should get sprinters, milers and juvenile winners.

Dullingham Park Stud (GB) 2017 b Teofilo - Reckoning (Danehill Dancer) RACE RECORD: 6 wins including G1 Gold Cup, G1 Prix Royal-Oak Standout stayer by classic sire Teofilo – behind only Frankel among stallion sons of the great Galileo – Subjectivist is being aimed at the NH market. He is a half-brother to Classic-placed Group 2 scorer Sir Ron Priestley (yearlings in 2024) and looks sure to be popular.

Alne Park Stud (GB)

THE ANTARCTIC (IRE)

2020 gr Dark Angel – Anna Law (Lawman) RACE RECORD: 4 wins including G3 Lacken Stakes, G3 Prix de Cabourg A full brother to the brilliant Battaash, this Group 1-placed dual six-furlong Group 3 scorer will surely be busy. Likely to get sprinters and milers.

Castlehyde Stud

TRIPLE TIME (IRE)

2019 b Frankel – Reem Three (Mark of Esteem) RACE RECORD: 4 wins including G1 Queen Anne Stakes Lightly raced Group 1-winning miler whose siblings include ten-furlong Group 1 heroine Ajman Princess, mile Group 2 scorer Ostilio and Group 3-winning sprinter Cape Byron. His fourth dam is French Classic star Dunette, the dam of Grade 1 victor French Glory.

Could get autumn black-type juveniles but his best results may come in the seven-to-fourteen-furlong range with three-year-olds and upwards.

Dalham Hall Stud (GB) *Dr Sieglinde McGee is a widely published thoroughbred pedigree analyst and author of the comprehensive Best Racehorse annuals that offer a comprehensive view of each racing year and are available to purchase online.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

BOBBY’S KITTEN SIRE OF MULTIPLE GROUP WINNER SANDRINE

• Winner of the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, beating NO NAY NEVER • Sire of: SANDRINE – Winner of 4 Group races, including Gr.2 Park Stakes (in 2023), Gr.2 Lennox Stakes, Gr.2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and Gr.3 Albany Stakes (also Gr.1-placed x2).

Now a Group winner at 2, 3 and 4; • Two year olds in 2023 include top-rated ALMOTAHED (GB) (in Saudi Arabia) and DARK BLUE SKY (IRE) (in Hungary).

Fee: £5,000

Outstanding lifetime winners to runners ratio

(1st October SLF)

SEA THE MOON

SIRE OF 4 GROUP 1 WINNERS • CHAMPION SIRE IN GERMANY A DUAL CLASSIC SIRE IN 2023 • Sire of 8 individual Group winners of 12 Group races in 2023 including: FANTASTIC MOON (Gr.1 German Derby, Gr.2 Prix Niel and Gr.3 Derby Trial) MUSKOKA (Gr.1 German Oaks, Gr.3 Brümmerhofer Stuten-Meile and Listed Henkel Stutenpreis).

WONDERFUL BOY (Gr.3 Grosser Preis der SWK AG by 10 lengths. A dual winner in 2023, he is the 2024 German Derby favourite).

Yearlings sold in 2023 have made up to 575,000gns

Fee: £32,500 (1st October SLF)

STUDY OF MAN

SIRE OF A GROUP 2 WINNING 2YO FROM HIS FIRST CROP • A Leading European First crop sire in 2023 Sire of 9 winners of 11 races including DEEPONE (winner of 3 races including Gr.2 Beresford Stakes, The Curragh), GHORGAN (Gr.3 placed), ALACRITY, BIRTHE, FRANCOPHONE, JUBILEE WALK, LINGUA FRANCA, LOOK UPON and SONS AND LOVERS. • The only son of legendary DEEP IMPACT at stud in England, sire of AUGUSTE RODIN – winner of the Gr.1 Epsom Derby, Gr.1 Irish Derby, Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes & Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, in 2023.

Fee: £12,500 (1st October SLF)

info@lanwades.com

LANWADES

Yearlings sold in 2023 have made up to 220,000gns •

w w w. l a n w a d e s . c o m •

Te l : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 1 6 3 8 7 5 0 2 2 2

The independent option TM

STALLION FEES FOR 2024 A'ALI £5,000 ACCELERATE $10,000 ACCLAMATION €25,000 ACCON o/a ACE IMPACT €40,000 ACLAIM £8,000 ADAAY €5,000 ADVERTISE £10,000 AFFAIRE SOLITAIRE o/a AFFINISEA Private AGENT SECRET o/a AIR CHIEF MARSHAL o/a AIZAVOSKI o/a AL KAZEEM Private AL WUKAIR €5,000 o/a ALBAASIL ALBERT DOCK €5,000 ALHEBAYEB o/a ALIANTHUS o/a ALKUMAIT €5,000 ALMANZOR €10,000 ALMIGHWAR o/a ALSON €5,500 o/a ALTRUISTIC AMARILLO o/a AMARON €4,500 AMERICAN DEVIL o/a AMERICAN PHAROAH $50,000 AMERICANREVOLUTION $12,500 AMHRAN NA BHFIANN o/a ANGEL BLEU €9,000 ANJAAL o/a ANODIN €5,000 ARABIAN LION $30,000 ARCANGELO $35,000 ARCANO €4,000 ARCTIC COSMOS o/a ARDAD £12,500 ARIZONA €5,000 ARMOR €5,000 ARMY MULE $25,000 ARRIGO o/a ASK o/a ASYMMETRIC €7,000 AUDIBLE $15,000 AUSTRALIA €17,500 AUSTRIAN SCHOOL o/a AUTHENTIC $50,000 AWTAAD €5,000 BAAEED £80,000 BAMIYAN o/a BANDE €3,000 BANGKOK o/a BARASTRAIGHT o/a BARRAQUERO o/a £10,000 BATED BREATH BATHYRHON €6,000 BATTLE OF MARENGO €2,000 BAYSIDE BOY €15,000 BEAUMEC DE HOUELLE €6,000 BEHESHT o/a BELARDO £5,500 BELBEK €7,000 BERKSHIRE o/a BEST COMPANY o/a BEST SOLUTION €5,000 BIRCHWOOD €3,500 BIZ THE NURSE o/a BLACK HORUS o/a o/a BLACK MAMBAZO

204

BLACKBEARD BLAME BLEK BLU CONSTELLATION BLUE BRESIL BLUE POINT BOBBY'S KITTEN BOLT D'ORO BORN TO SEA BOUTTEMONT BRAMETOT BRAVE MANSONNIEN BRIAN BORU BUCK'S BOUM BULLET TRAIN BUNGLE INTHEJUNGLE BURMA GOLD BURWAAZ CAIRO PRINCE CALYX CAMELOT CAMERON HIGHLAND CANDY RIDE CANNOCK CHASE CAPPELLA SANSEVERO CAPRI CAPTAIN CHOP CARLOTAMIX CASHBAG CASTLE DU BERLAIS CASTLE STAR CATALINA CRUISER CATHOLIC BOY CATURRA CELTICUS CENTURY DREAM CHACHNAK CHALDEAN CHANDUCOQ CHARLATAN CHARM SPIRIT CHARMING THOUGHT CHASEDOWN CHEMICAL CHARGE CHESTNUT HONEY CHICHI CREASY CHOEUR DU NORD CHURCHILL CITY LIGHT CITY OF LIGHT CLOCKWINDER CLOTH OF STARS CLOVIS DU BERLAIS CODY'S WISH COKORIKO COLLECTED COMPLACENT COMPLEXITY CONNECT CONSTITUTION CORNICHE COTAI GLORY COULSTY COUNTERATTACK COUNTRY GRAMMER COURT CAVE CRACKSMAN CREACHADOIR CRYSTAL OCEAN CURLIN

€20,000 $25,000 o/a €2,500 o/a €60,000 £5,000 $60,000 €4,500 €5,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €7,500 o/a o/a $15,000 €12,500 €50,000 o/a $75,000 £2,000 o/a o/a Private o/a o/a €5,000 €5,000 $10,000 $10,000 £5,000 o/a £3,000 o/a £25,000 €2,500 $50,000 €5,000 £3,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €30,000 €7,000 $35,000 o/a €5,000 €3,000 $75,000 €12,000 $10,000 o/a $12,500 $15,000 $110,000 $25,000 €12,500 €5,500 o/a $10,000 o/a £17,500 o/a o/a $250,000

CURTAIN TIME o/a CYBERKNIFE $25,000 DABIRSIM €4,000 DADS CAPS $10,000 DALYAKAN o/a DANDY MAN €10,000 DAREDEVIL $15,000 DARIYAN o/a DARK ANGEL €60,000 DARTMOUTH £3,000 DAVE o/a DAVID DU BERLAIS €3,500 DAWN APPROACH €5,000 €3,000 DE TREVILLE DEE EX BEE o/a o/a DESINVOLTE DESTINO o/a DEVASTAR €1,500 o/a DEVILISH DIALED IN $15,000 DIAMOND BOY o/a DICAPRIO o/a DINK o/a DIPLOMAT £1,500 DIRK o/a DOCTOR DINO €22,000 DOGMA NOIR o/a DOHA DREAM €3,000 DONJUAN TRIUMPHANT €3,000 DOWSING Private DR SCHIVEL $12,500 DRAGON DANCER £1,500 DRAGON PULSE o/a DRAGON SYMBOL £8,000 DRAIN THE CLOCK $10,000 DREAM AHEAD £6,500 DREAM EATER o/a DSCHINGIS SECRET €4,000 DUBAI MILE £7,500 DUBAWI £350,000 DUBAWI LEGEND €6,000 EAGLES BY DAY o/a EARL OF TINSDAL o/a EARNSHAW o/a EARTHLIGHT €15,000 EASTERN ANTHEM o/a EBRO RIVER €3,000 ECOLO o/a ECTOT €2,800 EL CABALLO £6,000 EL KABEIR o/a ELECTRIC BEAT o/a ELIOT o/a ELITE POWER $50,000 ELLIPTIQUE o/a o/a ELM PARK ELUSIVE PIMPERNEL €2,000 €2,000 ELVSTROEM ELZAAM o/a EPICENTER $40,000 €2,000 EQUIANO EREVANN €8,000 o/a ESOPE ESSENTIAL QUALITY $65,000 FA UL SCIUR o/a FALCO o/a FAMOUS NAME o/a FANTASTIC MOON o/a FAQUIR o/a €5,000 FAR ABOVE

FARHH FAS FASCINATING ROCK FEEL LIKE DANCING FIFTY STARS FIGHTING IRISH FINSCEAL FIOR FIRST ELEVEN FLAG OF HONOUR FLAMEAWAY FLASH GORDON FLIGHTLINE FLINTSHIRE FLY WITH ME FOOT OF KING FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND FOREVER NOW FORTE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH FRAMMASSONE FRANKEL FRANKLINS GARDENS FREE EAGLE FREE PORT LUX FRENCH FIFTEEN FRONTIERSMAN FROSTED FUISSE FULL DRAGO GALIDON GALIKEO GALILEO CHROME GALILEO GOLD GALIWAY GAME WINNER GAMMARTH GAMUT GARY DU CHENET GENGIS GENIALE GENTLEWAVE GEORDIELAND GETAWAY GHAIYYATH GHOSTZAPPER GIRVIN GLADIATORUS GLENEAGLES GLOBAL CAMPAIGN GOKEN GOLD TAIL GOLDEN HORDE GOLDEN HORN GOLDEN LARIAT GOLDEN PAL GOLDENCENTS GOLIATH DU BERLAIS GOOD GUESS GOOD MAGIC GREAT PRETENDER GREGORIAN GRENDISAR GREY GREEZLY GUAPO GUENDALE'S STAR GUILIANI GUN RUNNER GUNITE GUSTAV KLIMT GUTAIFAN

Private o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a $20,000 o/a $150,000 €6,000 o/a o/a €8,000 o/a $50,000 o/a o/a £350,000 o/a o/a €2,500 o/a o/a $10,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €7,000 €30,000 $20,000 o/a o/a €2,500 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €25,000 $75,000 $30,000 o/a €17,500 $12,500 €15,000 o/a €6,000 £10,000 o/a $25,000 $10,000 €7,500 €17,500 $125,000 €8,000 €4,500 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a $250,000 $35,000 €3,500 €3,500

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

STALLION FEES FOR 2024 HAPPY SAVER $10,000 HARBOUR LAW o/a HARD SPUN $35,000 £10,000 HARRY ANGEL HARZAND o/a HAVANA GREY £55,000 HEADMAN €3,000 HELLO YOUMZAIN €22,500 o/a HELLVELYN HELMET o/a HENRY MOUTH o/a HERALD THE DAWN o/a HEY GAMAN o/a $10,000 HIGHER POWER HILLSTAR o/a HOLY BALLET o/a HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR €8,000 HONOLULU o/a HONOR A P $10,000 HOT STREAK o/a €3,500 HUNTER'S LIGHT HUNTING HORN o/a HURRICANE LANE o/a o/a HYDROGEN I'LL HAVE ANOTHER $10,000 IDAHO o/a IDOL $10,000 IFFRAAJ £10,000 ILARAAB o/a IMPERIAL MONARCH o/a IMPROBABLE $15,000 IN SWOOP o/a INDEPENDENCE HALL $10,000 INDIAN DAFFODIL o/a INDOMITO o/a INNS OF COURT €5,000 INTELLO €8,000 INTO MISCHIEF $250,000 INVINCIBLE ARMY €5,000 INVINCIBLE SPIRIT Private IQUITOS €6,000 ISFAHAN €7,500 IT'S GINO €3,800 ITO o/a IVANHOWE €4,000 IVAWOOD o/a JACK CHRISTOPHER $40,000 JACK HOBBS o/a JACKIE'S WARRIOR $45,000 JAPAN €9,500 JET AWAY o/a JEU ST ELOI o/a JIGME €8,000 JIMMY CREED $10,000 JIMMY TWO TIMES o/a JOHNNY RED KERR o/a JOSHUA TREE €5,000 JUKEBOX JURY o/a JUSTIFY $200,000 KAMEKO £15,000 €2,500 KAMSIN KANTHAROS $15,000 o/a KAP ROCK KAPGARDE €15,000 KARAKONTIE $15,000 KARAKTAR €12,000 KEIAI NAUTIQUE o/a KENDARGENT €15,000 KENWAY €3,000 o/a KESSAAR

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

KEW GARDENS KHALIFA SAT KHALKEVI KHAN KIKUJIROU KING EDWARD KING OF CHANGE KING'S TRAIL KINGFISHER KINGMAN KINGSFORT KINGSTON HILL KNICKS GO KNIGHT TO BEHOLD KODI BEAR KODIAC KOOL COMPANY KUROSHIO LACCARIO LAND FORCE LANGTANG LATROBE LAURO LAVELLO LAWMAN LE BRIVIDO LE CADRE NOIR LE VIE INFINITE LEADING LIGHT LEGENDS OF WAR LEGOLAS LETHAL FORCE LIAM'S MAP LIBANO LIBRANNO LIFE FORCE LIFE IS GOOD LIGHTNING SPEAR LINDA'S LAD LITTLE BIG BEAR LODOVICO IL MORO LOGICIAN LOHIT LOPE DE VEGA LOPE Y FERNANDEZ LORD CHAPARRAL LOVELACE LUCAYAN LUCK OF THE KITTEN LUCKY LION LUCKY SPEED LUCKY TEAM LUCKY VEGA LUSAIL MACHUCAMBO MACLEAN'S MUSIC MADHMOON MAGIC DREAM MAGNA GRECIA MAGNETICJIM MAHLER MAHSOOB MAKALOUN MAKE BELIEVE MALINAS MALOSSOL MAMOOL MANATEE MANDALOUN MARCEL

o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €5,000 o/a o/a £125,000 o/a £3,000 $15,000 o/a €15,000 €35,000 o/a €5,000 o/a £5,000 o/a €4,000 o/a €3,500 €4,000 €2,500 o/a o/a o/a £4,000 o/a o/a $40,000 o/a o/a o/a $85,000 £5,000 o/a €27,500 o/a £4,000 o/a €125,000 £8,500 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €1,000 €12,500 €6,000 o/a $40,000 o/a €3,500 €10,000 €2,200 o/a o/a o/a €10,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a $20,000 o/a

MARE AUSTRALIS MARIANAFOOT MARIE'S DIAMOND MARKAZ MARMELO MARTEL MARTINBOROUGH MASAR MASKED MARVEL MASSAAT MASTER CARPENTER MASTER'S SPIRIT MASTERFUL MASTEROFTHEHORSE MASTERSTROKE MATTMU MAXFIELD MAXIMUS MISCHIEF MAXIOS MAYSON MCKINZIE MEDAGLIA D'ORO MEDIA HYPE MEHMAS MEKHTAAL MENDELSSOHN MENDOCINO MIDNIGHT LUTE MIDNIGHT SANDS MIDNIGHTS LEGACY MIDSHIPMAN MILDENBERGER MILLOWITSCH MINESHAFT MINZAAL MIRAGE DANCER MISHRIFF MITOLE MIZZOU MKFANCY MO DONEGAL MODERN GAMES MODERNIST MOGUL MOHAATHER MOISES HAS MOJO STAR MONDIALISTE MONITOR CLOSELY MONTMARTRE MOOTAHARER MORANDI MORES WELLS MORPHEUS MOSTAHDAF MOTAMARRIS MOTIVATOR MOUNT EVEREST MR OWEN MR SCARAMANGA MR VEGAS MUHAARAR MUKHADRAM MUNNINGS MUTASAABEQ MY DREAM BOAT MYSTIC GUIDE NA HAS NANDO PARRADO NASHVILLE

€4,500 €2,200 €6,000 o/a £2,000 o/a €3,000 £10,000 €12,500 £3,500 £1,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a £2,000 $35,000 $25,000 o/a €4,250 $30,000 $75,000 o/a €50,000 o/a $15,000 €3,800 $10,000 £2,500 o/a $15,000 o/a o/a $10,000 €15,000 o/a €17,500 $15,000 o/a o/a $15,000 £30,000 $10,000 o/a £12,500 €4,500 €3,000 o/a o/a €3,700 o/a o/a o/a o/a £15,000 €2,000 €5,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a €14,000 €3,500 $75,000 £6,500 o/a $12,500 o/a €6,000 $15,000

NATHANIEL £17,500 NATIVE TRAIL €17,500 NAVAL CROWN €10,000 NEATICO o/a NEPHRITE o/a NERIK o/a NERIUM o/a NEW APPROACH o/a €75,000 NEW BAY NICARON o/a NIGHT OF THUNDER €100,000 NIGHT WISH o/a NIL DE LA o/a €6,500 NIRVANA DU BERLAIS NO NAY NEVER €150,000 NO RISK AT ALL €20,000 NOCTURNAL FOX o/a NOM DE D'LA €2,200 o/a NON RIEN DE RIEN NOOR AL HAWA €2,300 $150,000 NOT THIS TIME NUTAN o/a NYQUIST $85,000 OASIS DREAM £15,000 OCOVANGO o/a OL' MAN RIVER o/a OLD PERSIAN o/a OLDEN TIMES o/a OLYMPIAD $35,000 OLYMPIC GLORY €4,000 OMAHA BEACH $40,000 ON EST BIEN €2,500 ONESTO €12,500 ORDER OF ST GEORGE o/a OSCAR PERFORMANCE $25,000 OUTWORK $10,000 PADDINGTON €55,000 PALACE PIER £45,000 PALACE PRINCE o/a PALAMOSS o/a PALAVICINI o/a PAPPACAP $12,500 PARADISO €5,000 PARISH HALL Private PASSAGGIO o/a PASSING GLANCE £3,000 PEACE ENVOY o/a PEARL SECRET £2,000 PENNY'S PICNIC €3,000 PER UN DIXIR o/a PERFECT POWER £10,000 PERMESSO o/a PERSIAN FORCE €8,000 PERSIAN KING €25,000 PETHER'S MOON o/a PETILLO o/a PHELPS WIN o/a o/a PHENOMENA PHOENIX OF SPAIN €10,000 PHOENIX REACH o/a PILLAR CORAL o/a PINATUBO £35,000 o/a PLANTEUR POET'S WORD o/a POLARIX o/a POLICY MAKER o/a POLISH VULCANO o/a POMELLATO o/a PORTAGE o/a o/a POSEIDON ADVENTURE

205

STALLION FEES FOR 2024 POSTPONED POUNCED POUR MOI PRACTICAL JOKE PRESIDENCY PRETTY TIGER PRIMARY PRINCE GIBRALTAR PRINCE NOMAD PROTONICO PROXY PUIT D'OR Pyledriver QUALITY ROAD QUEST FOR PEACE QUICK MARTIN RACINGER RAGING BULL RAIL LINK RAJASINGHE RAJJ RAJSAMAN RANSOM HOPE RATTLE AND HUM RAVEN'S PASS RECHARGE RECOLETOS RECORDER RED MIST REFUSE TO BOBBIN REGAL APACHE REKINDLING REMUS DE LA TOUR RETIREMENT PLAN REVENTON RICH HISTORY RIP VAN LIPS RIVER BOYNE ROB ROY ROBIANO ROBIN DU NORD ROBIN OF NAVAN ROMAN CANDLE ROMANISED ROMANTIC WAVE ROSEMAN ROSS ROYAL LYTHAM RUBAIYAT RUBIS VENDOME RULER OF THE WORLD RUMBLE INTHEJUNGLE RUNHAPPY SADDEX SADDLER'S ROCK SAGEBURG SAINT BERNARD SAINT DES SAINTS SAINTGODREL SALFORD SECRET SALT LAKE CITY SAMYSILVER SANDMASON SANDS OF MALI SANS FRONTIERES SANTIAGO SAONOIS SASSOFORTINO SAVOIR VIVRE SAXON WARRIOR

206

o/a o/a €2,500 $45,000 o/a €4,000 o/a €4,500 o/a o/a $25,000 o/a o/a $200,000 o/a o/a o/a $10,000 o/a £3,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a €7,500 o/a €4,000 o/a o/a o/a €1,800 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €3,500 o/a o/a o/a €3,000 €2,800 €7,000 o/a £5,000 o/a o/a €4,500 €3,000 o/a £3,500 $10,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a €15,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €5,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €25,000

SCALO o/a SCHIAPARELLI o/a SCORPION o/a SEA MOON o/a SEA THE MOON £32,500 €200,000 SEA THE STARS SEABHAC €4,000 SEAHENGE €4,000 €12,000 SEALIWAY SEEKING FOR GARRY o/a £6,000 SERGEI PROKOFIEV SHAIBAN o/a SHALABINI o/a SHAMALGAN €2,000 SHAMAN €5,000 SHANTARAM o/a SHAQUILLE £15,000 SHAWEEL o/a SHIROCCO o/a SHOWCASING £45,000 SHREK o/a SILAS MARNER o/a SILENT NAME o/a $15,000 SILVER STATE SILVERWAVE o/a SIOUX NATION €27,500 SIR RON PRIESTLEY o/a SIXTIES ICON o/a SIYOUNI €200,000 SKY MESA $10,000 SLADE POWER o/a SMOOTH DADDY o/a SNOW SKY o/a SOFT LIGHT €5,000 SOLDIER HOLLOW o/a SOLDIER OF FORTUNE o/a SOLDIER'S CALL £8,500 SOMMERABEND o/a SORDINO o/a SOTTSASS €25,000 SOUTHERN HILLS £2,000 SPACE BLUES €16,000 SPACE TRAVELLER €6,500 SPANISH MOON o/a SPEAKER'S CORNER $17,500 SPEIGHTSTOWN $80,000 SPUN TO RUN $10,000 ST MARK'S BASILICA €50,000 ST PAUL HOUSE o/a STARMAN €10,000 STARSPANGLEDBANNER €45,000 STATE OF REST €20,000 STAY THIRSTY $15,000 STEELE TANGO o/a STELLAR MASS o/a STORM THE STARS €3,000 STORMY RIVER o/a STRADIVARIUS £10,000 STREET SENSE $60,000 STUDY OF MAN £12,500 €3,000 STUNNING SPIRIT SUBJECTIVIST £4,000 o/a SUCCESS DAYS SUMBAL o/a SUN CENTRAL o/a SUPREMACY €10,000 SWISS SPIRIT £2,000 o/a TAAREEF TACITUS $10,000 o/a TAI CHI

TAIBA TAJ MAHAL TAKE CHARGE INDY TAMATOA TAPIT TAU CETI TECHNICIAN TELECASTER TELESCOPE TEN SOVEREIGNS TEOFILO TERRITORIES TEXAS THE ANTARCTIC THE ANVIL THE FACTOR THE GREY GATSBY THE GURKHA THE IRISH ROVER THREAT THUNDER MOON TIBERIAN TIGER GROOM TIME TEST TIME TO CHOOSE TIN HORSE TIP TWO WIN TIRWANAKO TIZ THE LAW TONALIST TOO DARN HOT TOP TRIP TORNIBUSH TORQUATOR TASSO TOSEN STARDOM TOTXO TOUGH AS NAILS TOUT SEUL TRADE STORM TRIPLE THREAT TRIPLE TIME TUNIS TUSCAN GAZE TWILIGHT SON TWIRLING CANDY TWO PHIL'S UBETTABELIEVEIT ULTRA ULYSSES UNCLE MO UNFORTUNATELY UNION RAGS UNIVERSAL UP TO THE MARK UPSTART URBAN POET VADAMOS VADENI VALIRANN VAN BEETHOVEN VEKOMA VENDANGEUR VERBAL DEXTERITY VICTOR LUDORUM VICTOR'S CRY VICTORY SONG VIF MONSIEUR VINO ROSSO VIOLENCE VIRTUAL

$35,000 €3,000 $10,000 o/a $185,000 o/a £5,000 o/a £3,000 €17,500 €30,000 £10,000 €3,800 €6,000 o/a $10,000 €12,000 o/a o/a o/a €6,000 €1,500 o/a £8,500 o/a €2,500 £2,500 o/a $20,000 $10,000 £65,000 o/a o/a €20,000 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a £10,000 €4,000 o/a £6,000 $60,000 $12,500 £5,000 o/a £9,000 $150,000 €3,000 $15,000 o/a $25,000 $30,000 o/a o/a €18,000 o/a o/a $15,000 o/a o/a €15,000 Private o/a o/a $20,000 $60,000 o/a

VITA VENTURI VOCALISED VOILADENUO VOL DE NUIT VOLATILE VOLFANGO WALDGEIST WALDKONIG WALDPFAD WALK IN THE PARK WALZERTAKT WAR COMMAND WAR FRONT WAR OF WILL WAREED WASHINGTON DC WATAR WAY TO PARIS WELL CHOSEN WELLS FARHH GO WELTMEISTER WELTSTAR WESTERNER WHERE OR WHEN WHIPPER WIESENPFAD WILD CHIEF WILLYWELL WINDSTOSS WINGS OF EAGLES WINKER WATSON WITHOUT PAROLE WONDERFUL MOON WOODED WOOTTON BASSETT WOOTTON'S COLT WORKFORCE WUSOOL YAFTA YAUPON YEATS YORGUNNABELUCKY YOUMZAIN ZAMBEZI SUN ZANDON ZANZIBARI ZAPEL ZARAK ZASKAR ZELZAL

o/a Private €2,500 o/a $15,000 o/a €10,000 o/a €3,000 o/a o/a o/a $100,000 $25,000 o/a o/a o/a €3,500 o/a £2,500 o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a o/a €4,000 o/a o/a £8,000 €2,500 €10,000 €200,000 o/a o/a o/a €2,500 $25,000 o/a £2,500 o/a o/a $12,500 o/a o/a €60,000 €3,500 €10,000

Fee conditions are not included in this table, please contact the studs for further information.

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

2023 FLAT and NH

STATISTICS

Irish Flat Season

TOP FLAT TRAINERS (IN ORDER OF PRIZEMONEY WON) TRAINER

Runs

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Aidan O'Brien Joseph O'Brien Jessica Harrington Dermot Weld Paddy Twomey Ger Lyons Johnny Murtagh Ado McGuinness Noel Meade Willie McCreery Jim Bolger Donnacha O'Brien Ken Condon Roger Varian (in GB) Fozzy Stack

441 643 545 220 89 372 337 386 289 236 340 114 129 7 112

105 79 63 33 28 40 35 31 33 16 24 18 8 1 15

76 88 67 40 13 39 26 35 29 22 30 12 15 1 17

54 90 50 28 8 42 23 33 40 20 42 21 16 0 15

33 67 51 30 12 38 46 27 32 22 44 18 13 2 14

Win (€)

Place (€)

4,525,700 2,213,628 1,687,800 1,381,575 965,400 665,195 1,003,700 503,225 1,212,300 252,430 555,300 657,293 609,000 384,005 385,500 369,900 376,400 320,883 279,300 310,560 273,000 311,695 229,500 327,805 360,600 119,263 348,000 102,000 229,200 209,640

Total(€)

6,739,328 3,069,375 1,630,595 1,506,925 1,464,730 1,212,593 993,005 755,400 697,283 589,860 584,695 557,305 479,863 450,000 438,840

TOP FLAT JOCKEYS (IN ORDER OF WINNERS) JOCKEY

Runs

Colin Keane Billy Lee Dylan Browne McMonagle Gary Carroll Ben Coen Ryan Moore Ronan Whelan Seamie Heffernan Chris Hayes Shane Foley Gavin Ryan Declan McDonogh Jamie Powell Adam Caffrey Leigh Roche

677 577 503 493 558 130 448 439 581 456 316 405 294 258 322

1st

92 74 57 54 54 51 47 46 44 43 34 29 28 25 24

2nd

3rd

4th

92 81 64 41 34 27 33 48 64 53 19 43 23 23 20

79 60 60 39 46 12 44 37 69 50 34 45 23 21 22

78 61 44 42 59 11 46 29 57 51 27 40 32 16 20

Place (€)

Total(€)

1,367,700 1,060,813 2,158,500 893,030 929,400 700,735 657,300 449,770 824,600 403,375 3,659,300 615,020 485,100 502,458 646,800 955,130 1,169,600 604,950 755,100 539,430 350,400 402,485 489,000 779,135 289,800 274,293 218,400 155,780 212,400 230,675

Win (€)

2,428,513 3,051,530 1,630,135 1,107,070 1,227,975 4,274,320 987,558 1,601,930 1,774,550 1,294,530 752,885 1,268,135 564,093 374,180 443,075

TOP FLAT APPRENTICES (IN ORDER OF WINNERS) JOCKEY

Runs

Jamie Powell Adam Caffrey Conor Stone-Walsh Luke McAteer Joey Sheridan James Ryan Seán Bowen Ross Whearty Wayne Hassett Scott McCullagh Cian MacRedmond Wesley Joyce Jack Kearney Siobhan Rutledge Jake Coen

294 258 201 296 278 270 140 213 144 154 206 98 209 255 106

1st

28 25 24 23 20 19 19 19 19 11 11 11 10 9 8

2nd

3rd

4th

Win (€)

Place (€)

Total(€)

23 23 14 21 29 19 17 15 11 22 13 11 11 11 15

23 21 19 34 27 25 8 24 17 9 14 7 14 14 6

32 16 17 24 24 21 8 18 10 4 16 6 13 25 5

289,800 218,400 239,700 189,600 162,000 149,100 135,600 256,500 205,800 86,400 109,200 87,300 79,500 100,800 52,500

274,293 155,780 93,300 194,225 183,720 117,680 96,320 132,733 85,945 89,035 100,530 83,825 89,353 87,525 173,830

564,093 374,180 333,000 383,825 345,720 266,780 231,920 389,233 291,745 175,435 209,730 171,125 168,853 188,325 226,330

TOP FLAT OWNERS (IN ORDER OF PRIZEMONEY WON) OWNER

Runs

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Win (€)

Place (€)

Mrs John Magnier Michael Tabor Derrick Smith Westerberg Ireland HH Aga Khan Connolly Racing Syndicate Mrs Jim Bolger Moyglare Stud Farm Clipper Logistics KHK Racing Ltd JP McManus Ray Grehan Charlie Bit Me Syndicate Shamrock Thoroughbreds AMO Racing Limited

558 511 455 358 149 4 317 98 5 1 71 11 7 158 39

120 115 101 75 20 2 24 11 2 1 7 1 3 17 5

90 83 72 61 19 0 26 15 0 0 5 0 1 16 1

75 67 54 50 18 2 41 15 0 0 8 1 1 20 5

47 42 40 27 17 41 11 9 1 14 6

1,329,677 1,162,878 1,051,965 912,175 744,200 625,900 240,150 179,700 360,000 348,000 121,500 330,000 297,000 188,706 170,700

640,219 586,808 525,167 476,616 270,310 4,000 279,781 252,175 3,000 222,240 2,815 25,675 132,250 147,063

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Total(€)

1,969,896 1,749,687 1,577,132 1,388,791 1,014,510 629,900 519,931 431,875 363,000 348,000 343,740 332,815 322,675 320,956 317,763

FLAT & NH STATISTICS

Irish NH Season TOP NH TRAINER (IN ORDER OF PRIZEMONEY WON) TRAINER

Runs

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Willie Mullins Gordon Elliott Henry de Bromhead Gavin Cromwell Joseph O'Brien Noel Meade John McConnell Peter Fahey Tony Martin John Ryan Barry Connell John 'Shark' Hanlon Emmet Mullins Charles Byrnes Martin Brassil

831 237 1259 188 549 79 517 58 149 29 179 23 272 30 178 19 200 14 335 19 60 19 236 6 82 15 167 22 87 8

141 172 81 55 17 22 28 12 15 27 3 15 12 22 3

98 145 71 51 19 28 25 18 10 31 5 13 6 18 10

75 135 62 59 14 12 19 15 14 43 5 18 3 16 8

Win (€)

Place (€)

5,231,600 2,068,065 2,254,500 1,557,485 865,100 743,085 615,900 356,780 567,600 339,190 255,600 298,045 351,300 163,535 336,000 113,585 312,000 123,595 191,700 212,300 357,600 28,485 258,000 94,350 268,800 82,440 201,300 130,245 230,700 77,170

Total(€)

7,299,665 3,811,985 1,608,185 972,680 906,790 553,645 514,835 449,585 435,595 404,000 386,085 352,350 351,240 331,545 307,870

TOP NH JOCKEYS (IN ORDER OF WINNERS) JOCKEY

Runs

Paul Townend Jack Kennedy Rachael Blackmore Danny Mullins Keith Donoghue Mr Patrick Mullins Darragh O'Keeffe JJ Slevin Mark Walsh Davy Russell Michael O'Sullivan Jordan Gainford Philip Enright Bryan Cooper Sean O'Keeffe

276 320 425 469 374 136 600 395 230 164 316 339 493 209 405

1st

107 77 62 56 48 47 44 44 37 35 32 32 31 26 25

2nd

3rd

4th

Win (€)

Place (€)

Total(€)

47 47 67 55 33 33 58 30 25 36 35 30 31 23 38

40 30 51 40 42 13 65 30 30 25 32 31 38 33 36

13 35 51 35 29 13 71 26 15 20 22 32 41 21 27

3,143,600 961,800 766,100 931,700 548,700 501,900 414,900 829,500 549,300 504,300 543,300 516,000 289,500 291,900 341,400

633,390 302,785 657,520 775,465 276,525 340,305 418,405 306,100 313,800 307,080 213,370 236,585 367,995 276,810 332,095

3,776,990 1,264,585 1,423,620 1,707,165 825,225 842,205 833,305 1,135,600 863,100 811,380 756,670 752,585 657,495 568,710 673,495

TOP NH CLAIMING JOCKEYS (IN ORDER OF WINNERS) JOCKEY

Runs

Michael O'Sullivan Kieren Buckley Paddy O'Hanlon Cian Quirke Shane Fitzgerald Gary Noonan Aidan Kelly Pádraig Byrnes Kieran Callaghan Jack Foley Charlie O'Dwyer Richard Condon Mark McDonagh Daniel King Shane O'Callaghan

316 246 349 195 198 173 175 144 154 141 176 204 139 136 194

1st

32 20 20 16 15 14 14 14 13 13 12 11 10 10 9

2nd

3rd

4th

Win (€)

Place (€)

Total(€)

35 31 20 14 22 18 12 10 11 10 11 14 14 5 16

32 22 31 14 14 17 13 12 7 10 14 21 10 8 12

22 22 37 18 21 20 13 12 13 8 9 23 9 14 16

543,300 135,300 154,800 114,000 138,900 96,600 123,300 131,400 155,400 91,500 93,300 82,500 79,500 77,100 111,900

213,370 236,085 137,180 83,655 102,185 103,115 112,010 83,520 60,980 50,060 68,065 88,765 83,020 42,115 93,130

756,670 371,385 291,980 197,655 241,085 199,715 235,310 214,920 216,380 141,560 161,365 171,265 162,520 119,215 205,030

TOP NH QUALIFIED RIDERS (IN ORDER OF WINNERS) JOCKEY

Runs

Patrick Mullins Jamie Codd Jody Townend John Gleeson Harry Swan Ben Harvey Derek O'Connor Áine O'Connor Maxine O'Sullivan Barry O'Neill Pat Taaffe Adam Ryan Tom Harney Charlie Mullins Michael O'Sullivan

136 82 84 88 150 55 78 80 55 39 71 79 55 43 54

1st

47 21 18 18 16 15 12 12 9 7 7 6 6 5 4

2nd

3rd

4th

Win (€)

Place (€)

Total(€)

33 14 10 10 27 5 9 6 6 7 6 7 3 2 8

13 9 10 7 20 3 9 6 2 4 10 7 8 6 5

13 8 11 5 19 5 10 13 5 3 6 10 3 4 8

501,900 167,250 140,700 232,200 159,600 99,300 106,800 82,200 71,700 45,600 53,700 42,600 39,600 41,100 26,700

340,305 55,415 78,305 40,920 128,785 22,345 57,740 46,195 21,340 48,500 46,495 32,435 32,595 20,510 33,190

842,205 222,665 219,005 273,120 288,385 121,645 164,540 128,395 93,040 94,100 100,195 75,035 72,195 61,610 59,890

TOP FLAT OWNERS (IN ORDER OF PRIZEMONEY WON) OWNER

Runs

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Win (€)

Place (€)

JP McManus Gigginstown House Stud Susannah Ricci Mrs Joe Donnelly Robcour Caldwell Construction Ltd Isaac Souede Simon Munir Barry Connell Margaret Masterson Bective Stud Audrey Turley Kenneth Alexander John Breslin Tony Bloom

743 193 99 46 136 121 109 109 59 23 91 11 43 44 5

91 33 25 15 27 26 30 30 19 9 16 3 9 5 3

67 21 16 11 24 17 13 13 3 2 15 3 5 3 2

68 28 18 9 21 13 19 19 5 4 7 2 8 3 0

65 15 6 1 16 16 12 12 5 2 16 2 3 -

1,624,400 621,000 534,300 618,300 403,800 357,900 321,600 321,600 357,600 245,100 155,700 198,000 155,600 210,900 247,200

772,725 446,560 413,465 156,700 299,765 130,965 125,263 125,263 28,485 84,675 113,630 71,250 108,895 48,625 6,400

Total(€)

2,397,125 1,067,560 947,765 775,000 703,565 488,865 446,863 446,863 386,085 329,775 269,330 269,250 264,495 259,525 253,600

207

Irish NH WINNERS

MAJOR

(last 5 years)

Boylesports Irish Grand National Handicap Chase, Fairyhouse (3m 5f)

Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, Leopardstown (3m)

Year

Winner

Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

BURROWS SAINT cancelled due to Covid-19 FREEWHEELIN DYLAN LORD LARIAT I AM MAXIMUS

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

6, 10-8

W P Mullins

R Walsh

9, 10-8 7, 9-12 7, 11-1

D A McLoughlin D A McLoughlin W P Mullins

R A Doyle P J O’Hanlon P Townend

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

BATTLEOVERDOYEN ENVOI ALLEN BOB OLINGER GINTO CHAMP KIELY

6, 11-10 6, 11-10 6, 11-12 6, 11-12 7, 11-10

G Elliott G Elliott H de Bromhead G Elliott W P Mullins

J W Kennedy D N Russell R Blackmore J W Kennedy D E Mullins

Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase, Fairyhouse (2m 1f) Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

DUCA DE THAIX CHARLIE STOUT DALY TIGER DUNVEGAN REBEL GOLD

6, 11-1 9, 10-3 8, 11-2 9, 11-0 10, 10-4

G Elliott S Nolan N Meade P A Fahy P T Foley

D N Russell C P McNamara S W Flanagan B J Cooper D F O’Regan

Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase, Gowran Park (3m) Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

INVITATION ONLY TOTAL RECALL COKO BEACH LONGHOUSE POET CAREFULLY SELECTED

8, 11-6 11, 11-4 6, 10-6 8, 10-9 11, 11-8

W P Mullins W P Mullins G Elliott M Brassil W P Mullins

R Walsh D E Mullins J W Kennedy D J O’Keeffe P Townend

Nathaniel Lacy Solicitors Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown (2m 6f) Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2020 2021 2022 2023

LATEST EXHIBITION GAILLARD DU MESNIL MINELLA COCOONER GOOD LAND

7, 11-10 5, 11-10 6, 11-10 7, 11-10

P Nolan W P Mullins W P Mullins B Connell

B J Cooper P Townend D E Mullins M J M O’Sullivan

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

9,11-10 10, 11-12 7, 11-12

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

P Townend P Townend D E Mullins

2021 CHACUN POUR SOI 2022 CHACUN POUR SOI 2023 GENTLEMAN DE MEE

Goffs Irish Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup Novice Chase, Leopardstown (2m 1f) Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

LE RICHEBOURG NOTEBOOK ENERGUMENE BLUE LORD EL FABIOLO

6, 11-10 7, 11-10 7, 11-12 7, 11-12 6, 11-12

J P O’Brien H de Bromhead W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

M P Walsh R Blackmore P Townend P Townend D A Jacob

Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle, Leopardstown (2m) Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

APPLE’S JADE HONEYSUCKLE HONEYSUCKLE HONEYSUCKLE STATE MAN

7, 11-3 6, 11-3 7, 11-5 8, 11-5 6, 11-12

G Elliott H de Bromhead H de Bromhead H de Bromhead W P Mullins

J W Kennedy R Blackmore R Blackmore R Blackmore P Townend

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

9, 11-10 7, 11-10 9, 11-12 8, 11-10 7, 11-10

Trainer

W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins

Jockey

R Walsh J W Kennedy D E Mullins D N Russell P Townend

Winner

HONEYSUCKLE cancelled due to Covid-19 SKYACE BRANDY LOVE ASHROE DIAMOND

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

5, 11-7

H de Bromhead

R Blackmore

6, 11-9 6, 11-5 6, 11-5

J J Hanlon W P Mullins W P Mullins

J S McGarvey P Townend P Townend

WillowWarm Gold Cup Novice Chase, Fairyhouse (2m 4f) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

VOIX DU REVE cancelled due to Covid-19 JANIDIL GALOPIN DES CHAMPS FLAME BEARER

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

7, 11-10

W P Mullins

R Walsh

7, 11-12 6, 11-10 8, 11-10

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

J S McGarvey P Townend S F O’Keeffe

KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle, Punchestown (2m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

KLASSICAL DREAM cancelled due to Covid-19 ECHOES IN RAIN MIGHTY POTTER FACILE VEGA

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

5, 11-12

W P Mullins

R Walsh

5, 11 5, 11-12 6, 11-12

W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins

Mr P W Mullins J W Kennedy P Townend

William Hill Champion Chase, Punchestown (2m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Donohue Marquees Spring Juvenile Hurdle, Leopardstown (2m)

Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

UN DE SCEAUX cancelled due to Covid-19 CHACUN POUR SOI ENERGUMENE ENERGUMENE

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

9, 12-0 8, 11-12 9, 11-12

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

P Townend P Townend P Townend

11, 11-12

W P Mullins

P Townend

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

8, 11-5 6, 11-10 6, 11-10

W P Mullins W P Mullins E Mullins

D E Mullins M P Walsh D Meyler

6, 11-10

G Elliott

D N Russell

Winner

MINELLA INDO cancelled due to Covid-19 GALOPIN DES CHAMPS THE NICE GUY GAELIC WARRIOR

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

6, 11-10

H de Bromhead

R Blackmore

5, 11-11 7, 11-10 5, 11-10

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

P Townend P Townend P Townend

Winner

KEMBOY cancelled due to Covid-19 CLAN DES OBEAUX ALLAHO FASTORSLOW

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

9, 11-12 8, 11-10 7, 11-10

P Nicholls W P Mullins M Brassil

S Twiston-Davies P Townend J J Slevin

7, 11-10

W P Mullins

R Walsh

Race & Stay at Punchestown INH Flat Race, Punchestown (2m)

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

SIR EREC A WAVE OF THE SEA QUILIXIOS VAUBAN GALA MARCEAU

4, 11-0 4, 11-0 4, 11-2 4, 11-0 4, 10-7

J P O’Brien J P O’Brien G Elliott W P Mullins W P Mullins

M P Walsh B J Geraghty J W Kennedy P Townend D E Mullins

Year

Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

COLREEVY cancelled due to Covid-19 KILCRUIT FACILE VEGA A DREAM TO SHARE

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

6, 12-2 5, 12-0 5, 12-0

W P Mullins W P Mullins J E Kiely

Mr D O’Connor Mr P W Mullins Mr J L Gleeson

6,11-7

W P Mullins

Mr J J Codd

Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle, Punchestown (3m)

Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

KLASSICAL DREAM ASTERION FORLONGE APPRECIATE IT SIR GERHARD IL ETAIT TEMPS

5, 11-9 6, 11-10 7, 11-12 7, 11-12 5, 11-12

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

R Walsh D E Mullins P Townend P Townend D E Mullins

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Year

Ladbrokes Novice Chase, Leopardstown (2m 5f)

DELTA WORK cancelled due to Covid-19 COLREEVY CAPODANNO FERONILY

Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, Punchestown (3m 1f) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown (2m)

Winner

Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle, Punchestown (3m) Year

Year

Winner

UNOWHATIMEANHARRY cancelled due to Covid-19 KLASSICAL DREAM KLASSICAL DREAM KLASSICAL DREAM

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

7, 11-12 8, 11-10 9, 11-10

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

Mr P W Mullins P Townend P Townend

11, 11-10

H Fry

M P Walsh

Barberstown Castle Novice Chase, Punchestown (2m)

Year

Winner

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

LA BAGUE AU ROI FAUGHEEN MONKFISH GALOPIN DES CHAMPS MIGHTY POTTER

8, 11-3 12, 11-10 7, 11-12 6, 11-10 6, 11-10

W Greatrex W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins G Elliott

R Johnson P Townend P Townend P Townend D N Russell

208

Age/Wt

Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase, Punchestown (3m 120y)

Ladbrokes Dublin Chase (2m 1f) Winner

BELLSHILL DELTA WORK KEMBOY CONFLATED GALOPIN DES CHAMPS

Irish EBF Honeysuckle Mares’ Novice Hurdle, Fairyhouse (2m 4f)

Lawlor’s of Naas (Slaney) Novice Hurdle, Naas (2m 4f) Year

Year

Winner

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

CHACUN POUR SOI cancelled due to Covid-19 ENERGUMENE BLUE LORD EL FABIOLO

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

7, 11-10

W P Mullins

R M Power

7, 11-12 7, 11-12 6, 11-12

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

P Townend P Townend P Townend

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

MAJOR IRISH NH WINNERS Paddy Power Champion Hurdle, Punchestown (2m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

BUVEUR D’AIR cancelled due to Covid-19 HONEYSUCKLE HONEYSUCKLE STATE MAN

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

8, 11-12

N Henderson

D N Russell

7, 11-7 8, 11-5 6, 11-12

H de Bromhead H de Bromhead W P Mullins

R Blackmore R Blackmore P Townend

Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle, Punchestown (2m 4f) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

RESERVE TANK cancelled due to Covid-19 GAILLARD DU MESNIL STATE MAN IMPAIRE ET PASSE

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

5, 11-12 5, 11-10 5, 11-12

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

P Townend P Townend P Townend

5, 11-10

C Tizzard

R M Power

Coolmore Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle, Punchestown (2m 3f) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

BENIE DES DIEUX cancelled due to Covid-19 STORMY IRELAND MARIES ROCK ECHOES IN RAIN

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

7, 11-9 7, 11-5 7, 11-7

W P Mullins N J Henderson W P Mullins

D E Mullins N de Boinville P Townend

8, 11-7

W P Mullins

P Townend

Ballymore Champion 4-Y-O Hurdle, Punchestown (2m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

FUSIL RAFFLES cancelled due to Covid-19 JEFF KIDDER VAUBAN LOSSIEMOUTH

Age/Wt

Trainer

Jockey

11-0

N Henderson

D Jacob

4, 11-2 4, 11-0 4, 10-7

N Meade W P Mullins W P Mullins

S W Flanagan P Townend P Townend

Tote Galway Plate (Handicap Chase), Galway (2m 6f) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

BORICE EARLY DOORS ROYAL RENDEZVOUS HEWICK ASH TREE MEADOW

Age/Wt

8, 10-2 7, 10-5 9, 11-5 7, 11-7 7, 9-11

Trainer

G Elliott J P O’Brien W P Mullins John Joseph Hanlon G Elliott

Jockey

L P Dempsey M P Walsh P Townend J C Gainford D Gilligan

Guinness Galway (Handicap) Hurdle, Galway (2m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

TUDOR CITY ARAMON SALDIER TUDOR CITY ZARAK THE BRAVE

Age/Wt

7, 11-0 7, 11-10 7, 11-10 10, 10-11 4, 11-5

Trainer

A J Martin W P Mullins W P Mullins A J Martin W P Mullins

Jockey

R M Power Mr P W Mullins Mr P W Mullins L A McKenna P Townend

Guinness Kerry National (Handicap Chase), Listowel (3m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

POKER PARTY CABARET QUEEN ASSEMBLE BUSSELTON DESERTMORE HOUSE

Age/Wt

7, 10-5 8, 10-9 7, 10-10 5, 10-5 8, 10-6

Trainer

H de Bromhead W P Mullins J P O’Brien J P O’Brien M Brassil

Jockey

R Blackmore P Townend S Fitzgerald J J Slevin R A Doyle

JT McNamara Ladbrokes Munster National Handicap Chase, Limerick (3m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

CABARET QUEEN AFOREMENTIONED ONTHEROPES THE BIG DOG GEVREY

Age/Wt

7, 10-0 7, 9-12 7, 11-10 9, 11-4 7, 10-12

Trainer

W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins Peter Fahey G Elliott

Jockey

P Townend G P Brouder S F O’Keeffe K M Donoghue R A Doyle

Ladbrokes Champion Chase, Down Royal (3m) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

ROAD TO RESPECT THE STORYTELLER FRODON ENVOI ALLEN GERRI COLOMBE

Age/Wt

8, 11-10 9, 11-12 9, 11-12 8, 11-10 7, 11-10

Trainer

N Meade G Elliott P Nicholls H de Bromhead G Elliott

Jockey

S W Flanagan K M Donoghue B Frost R Blackmore J W Kennedy

Unibet Morgiana Hurdle, Punchestown (2m) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

SHARJAH SALDIER ABACADABRAS SHARJAH STATE MAN

Age/Wt

5, 11-10 5, 11-10 6, 11-12 8, 11-12 5, 11-12

Trainer

W P Mullins W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins W P Mullins

Jockey

P Townend D E Mullins J W Kennedy Mr P W Mullins P Townend

Bar One Racing Troytown Handicap Chase, Navan (3m) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

TOUT EST PERMIS CHRIS’S DREAM THE JAM MAN RUN WILD FRED THE BIG DOG COKO BEACH

Age/Wt

5, 10-12 7, 11-7 7, 10-6 7, 11-6 9, 11-10 8, 11-5

Trainer

N Meade H de Bromhead R M P McNally G Elliott P Fahey G Elliott

Jockey

S W Flanagan R M Power P Townend D N Russell K M Donoghue D J Gilligan

Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle, Fairyhouse (2m) Year

Winner

2018 QUICK GRABIM

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Age/Wt

6, 11-10

Trainer

W P Mullins

Jockey

2019 2020 2021 2022

ENVOI ALLEN BALLYADAM STATUAIRE MARINE NATIONALE

5, 11-10 5, 11-12 6, 11-5 5, 11-12

G Elliott G Elliott W P Mullins B Connell

D N Russell J W Kennedy D E Mullins M J M O’Sullivan

Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, Fairyhouse (2m 4f) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

APPLE’S JADE HONEYSUCKLE HONEYSUCKLE HONEYSUCKLE TEAHUPOO

Age/Wt

6, 11-3 5, 11-3 6, 11-5 7, 11-5 5, 11-10

Trainer

G Elliott H de Bromhead H de Bromhead H De Bromhead G Elliott

Jockey

J W Kennedy R Blackmore R Blackmore R Blackmore J W Kennedy

Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase, Fairyhouse (2m 4f) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

DELTA WORK FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES ENVOI ALLEN BEACON EDGE MIGHTY POTTER

Age/Wt

5, 11-10 4, 11-2 6, 11-2 7, 11-12 5, 11-12

Trainer

G Elliott J P O’Brien G Elliott N Meade G Elliott

Jockey

D N Russell M P Walsh J W Kennedy D F O’Regan J W Kennedy

John Durkan Memorial Chase, Punchestown (2m 4f) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

MIN MIN MIN ALLAHO GALOPIN DES CHAMPS

Age/Wt

7, 11-10 8,11-10 9,11-12 7, 11-12 7, 11-10

Trainer

W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

Jockey

R Walsh P Townend Mr P W Mullins Mr P W Mullins P Townend

Racing Post Novice Chase, Leopardstown (2m 1f) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

LE RICHEBOURG NOTEBOOK FRANCO DE PORT FERNY HOLLOW SAINT ROI

Age/Wt

5, 11-12 6, 11-12 5, 12-0 6, 12-0 7, 11-12

Trainer

J P O’Brien H de Bromhead W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

Jockey

M P Walsh R Blackmore B J Cooper P Townend M P Walsh

Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase, Limerick (2m 3f) Year

2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

FAUGHEEN COLREEVY MASTER MCSHEE GERRI COLOMBE

Age/Wt

11,11-10 7, 11-5 7, 11-12 6, 11-12

Trainer

W P Mullins W P Mullins P Corkery G Elliott

Jockey

Mr P W Mullins D E Mullins I J Power J C Gainford

Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase, Leopardstown (2m 1f) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

SIMPLY NED A PLUS TARD CHACUN POUR SOI ENVOI ALLEN BLUE LORD

Age/Wt

11, 11-12 5, 11-12 8, 12-0 7, 12-0 7, 11-12

Trainer

N Richards H de Bromhead W P Mullins H de Bromhead W P Mullins

Jockey

M P Walsh R Blackmore P Townend R Blackmore D A Jacob

Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown (2m) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

ARAMON ABACADABRAS APPRECIATE IT MIGHTY POTTER FACILE VEGA

Age/Wt

5, 11-10 5, 11-10 6, 11-12 4, 11-12 5, 11-12

Trainer

W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins

Jockey

R Walsh J W Kennedy P Townend J W Kennedy P Townend

Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle, Leopardstown (3m) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

APPLE’S JADE APPLE’S JADE FLOORING PORTER KLASSICAL DREAM HOME BY THE LEE

Age/Wt

6, 11-3 7, 11-3 5, 11-12 7, 11-12 7, 11-10

Trainer

Jockey

G Elliott G Elliott G Cromwell W P Mullins J P O’Brien

J W Kennedy J W Kennedy J M Moore P Townend J J Slevin

Trainer

Jockey

Savills Chase, Leopardstown (3m) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

KEMBOY DELTA WORK A PLUS TARD GALVIN CONFLATED

Age/Wt

6, 11-10 6, 11-10 6, 11-12 7, 11-12 8, 11-10

W P Mullins G Elliott H de Bromhead G Elliott G Elliott

D J Mullins J W Kennedy D J O’Keeffe D N Russell J W Kennedy

Neville Hotels Novice Chase, Leopardstown (3m) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner

DELTA WORK BATTLEOVERDOYEN MONKFISH FURY ROAD GAILLARD DU MESNIL

Age/Wt

5, 11-10 6, 11-10 6, 11-12 7, 11-12 6, 11-10

Trainer

Jockey

G Elliott G Elliott W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins

D N Russell D N Russell P Townend J W Kennedy P Townend

Trainer W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins W P Mullins

Jockey Mr P W Mullins Mr P W Mullins Mr P W Mullins Mr P W Mullins P Townend

Matheson Hurdle, Leopardstown (2m) Year 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Winner SHARJAH SHARJAH SHARJAH SHARJAH STATE MAN

Age/Wt 5, 11-10 6, 11-10 7, 11-12 8, 11-12 5, 11-12

R Walsh

209

Irish TRAINED WINNERS

At the Cheltenham NH Festival & the Aintree Grand National (last 10 for championship races, last 5 otherwise as applicable) Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m 2½f)

Year

2005 2006 2014 2016 2017 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

Owner

Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f)

Trainer

KICKING KING Conor Clarkson T J Taaffe WAR OF ATTRITION Gigginstown House Stud M F Morris LORD WINDERMERE Dr R Lambe J H Culloty DON COSSACK Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott SIZING JOHN Ann & Alan Potts Mrs J Harrington AL BOUM PHOTO Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins AL BOUM PHOTO Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins MINELLA INDO B Moloney H de Bromhead A PLUS TARD Cheveley Park Stud H de Bromhead GALOPIN DES CHAMPS Mrs A Turley W P Mullins

Rider

B J Geraghty C O’Dwyer D N Russell B J Cooper R M Power P Townend P Townend J W Kennedy R Blackmore P Townend

Champion Hurdle (2m 110y) Year

2007 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2019 2021 2022

Winner

SUBLIMITY HURRICANE FLY HURRICANE FLY JEZKI FAUGHEEN ANNIE POWER ESPOIR D’ALLEN HONEYSUCKLE HONEYSUCKLE

Owner

W Hennessy G Creighton/R Boyd G Creigton J P McManus Mrs S Ricci Mrs S Ricci J P McManus K Alexander K Alexander

Trainer

J G Carr W.P. Mullins W P Mullins Mrs J Harrington W P Mullins W P Mullins G Cromwell H de Bromhead H de Bromhead

Rider

P A Carberry R Walsh R Walsh B J Geraghty R Walsh R Walsh M P Walsh R Blackmore R Blackmore

2005 2006 2010 2011 2017 2021 2022 2023

Winner

Owner

Trainer

MOSCOW FLYER B Kearney Mrs J Harrington NEWMILL Mrs M T Hayes J J Murphy BIG ZEB Patrick Joseph Redmond C A Murphy SIZING EUROPE Ann & Alan Potts H de Bromhead SPECIAL TIARA Mrs S Rowley-Williams H de Bromhead PUT THE KETTLE ON One For Luck Syndicate H de Bromhead ENERGUMENE T Bloom W P Mullins ENERGUMENE T Bloom W P Mullins

Rider

B J Geraghty A J McNamara B J Geraghty A E Lynch N D Fehily A Coleman P Townend P Townend

Stayers’ Hurdle (3m) Year

1990 1993 1995 2013 2017 2018 2021 2022 2023

Winner

TRAPPER JOHN SHUIL AR AGHAIDH DORANS PRIDE SOLWHIT NICHOLS CANYON PENHILL FLOORING PORTER FLOORING PORTER SIRE DU BERLAIS

Owner

Trainer

Mrs P F N Fanning M F Morris Mrs P Kiely P Kiely T Doran M Hourigan Top Of The Hill Syndicate D N Russell Andrea & Graham Wylie W P Mullins Tony Bloom W P Mullins Flooring Porter Syndicate G Cromwell Flooring Porter Syndicate G Cromwell J P McManus G Elliott

Rider

C F Swan C F Swan J P Broderick P Carberry R Walsh P Townend D E Mullins D E Mullins M P Walsh

Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m 110y) Year

2014 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023

Winner

Owner

Vautour Mrs S Ricci DOUVAN Mrs S Ricci LABAIK A J O’Ryan KLASSICAL DREAM Mrs Joanne Coleman APPRECIATE IT Miss M A Masterson MARINE NATIONALE B Connell

Trainer

W P Mullins W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins W P Mullins B Connell

Rider

R Walsh R Walsh J W Kennedy R Walsh P Townend M J M O’Sullivan

Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase (2m) Year Winner 2023 EL FABIOLO

Owner S Munir & I Souede

Trainer W P Mullins

Rider P Townend

David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle (2m 4f) Year 2017 2018 2020 2021 2023

Winner APPLE’S JADE BENIE DES DIEUX HONEYSUCKLE BLACK TEARS HONEYSUCKLE

Owner Trainer Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott Mrs S Ricci W P Mullins K Alexander H de Bromhead C Walsh/J Lightfoot Mrs D Foster K Alexander H de Bromhead

Rider B J Cooper R Walsh R Blackmore J W Kennedy R Blackmore

National Hunt Challenge Cup Chase (3m 6f) Year

2018 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

Owner

Trainer

RATHVINDEN Mr R A Bartlett W P Mullins RAVENHILL Try Ravenhill Syndicate G Elliott GALVIN R A Bartlett I R Ferguson STATTLER R A Bartlett W P Mullins GAILLARD DU MESNIL Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins

Rider

Mr P W Mullins Mr J J Codd J W Kennedy Mr P W Mullins Mr P W Mullins

Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m) Year 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023

210

Winner VENEER OF CHARM ARAMAX JEFF KIDDER BRAZIL JAZZY MATTY

Owner M J Wasylocha J P McManus A Dravins/E Scanlon J P McManus Caldwell Construction

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

CITY ISLAND ENVOI ALLEN BOB OLINGER SIR GERHARD IMPAIRE ET PASSE

Owner

Trainer

Rider

Owner

Trainer

Rider

Owner

Trainer

Rider

Trainer

Rider

Seán & Bernardine Mulryan M Brassil Cheveley Park Stud G Elliott Robcour H de Bromhead Cheveley Park Stud W P Mullins S Munir & I Souede W P Mullins

M P Walsh D N Russell R Blackmore P Townend P Townend

Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (3m 80y) Year

2011 2013 2015 2018 2021

Winner

BOSTONS ANGEL E Scouller Mrs J Harrington LORD WINDERMERE Dr R Lambe J H Culloty DON POLI Gigginstown House Stud W P Mullins PRESENTING PERCY Philip J Reynolds P G Kelly MONKFISH Mrs S Ricci W P Mullins

R M Power D N Russell B J Cooper D N Russell P Townend

Coral Cup (2m 5f) Year

2016 2017 2018 2021 2022

Winner

DIAMOND KING Mrs Diana L Whately Gordon Elliott SUPASUNDAE Ann & Alan Potts Mrs J Harrington BLEU BERRY Luke McMahon W P Mullins HEAVEN HELP US J Turner P Hennessy COMMANDER OF FLEET Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott

D N Russell R M Power M P Walsh R J Condon S Fitzgerald

Cross Country Handicap Chase (3m 6f)

Queen Mother Champion Chase (2m) Year

Year

Year

2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023

Rider J W Kennedy M P Walsh S W Flanagan M P Walsh M J M O’Sullivan

CAUSE OF CAUSES TIGER ROLL TIGER ROLL TIGER ROLL DELTA WORK DELTA WORK

Owner

John P McManus G Elliott Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott Gigginstown House Stud Mrs D Foster Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott

Mr J J Codd K M Donoghue K M Donoghue K M Donoghue J W Kennedy K M Donoghue

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup (2m) Year

Winner

Owner

Trainer

2008 TIGER CRY C Jones A L T Moore 2013 ALDERWOOD J P McManus T Mullins 2014 SAVELLO Gigginstown House Stud A J Martin 2017 ROCK THE WORLD John P McManus Mrs J Harrington 2020 CHOSEN MATE Northern Four Racing Partnership G Elliott 2023 MASKADA M K Mariga H de Bromhead

Rider

D N Russell A P McCoy D N Russell R M Power D N Russell D O’Keeffe

Champion Bumper (2m 87y) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

RELEGATE ENVOI ALLEN FERNY HOLLOW SIR GERHARD FACILE VEGA A DREAM TO SHARE

Owner

Paul McKeon Cheveley Park Stud Cheveley Park Stud Cheveley Park Stud Hammer & Trowel Syndicate J P McManus

Trainer

Rider

Trainer

Rider

W P Mullins G Elliott W P Mullins H de Bromhead W P Mullins J E Kiely

Ms K Walsh J J Codd P Townend R Blackmore Mr P W Mullins Mr J L Gleeson

Pertemps Network Final (3m) Year

2016 2017 2018 2020 2021 2023

Winner

MALL DINI PRESENTING PERCY DELTA WORK SIRE DU BERLAIS MRS MILNER GOOD TIME JONNY

Owner

Philip J Reynolds P G Kelly Philip J Reynolds P G Kelly Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott J P McManus G Elliott SoftCo P Nolan A Shiels/D Gavigan/NReilly A J Martin

D N Russell D N Russell D N Russell B J Geraghty B J Cooper L A McKenna

Turners Novices’ Chase (2m4f) Year Winner 2022 BOB OLINGER

Owner Robcour

Trainer H de Bromhead

Rider R Blackmore

Owner

Trainer

Rider

Ryanair Chase (2m 5f) Year

2017 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

UN DE SCEAUX BALKO DES FLOS MIN ALLAHO ALLAHO ENVOI ALLEN

E O’Connell W P Mullins Gigginstown House Stud H de Bromhead Mrs S Ricci W P Mullins Cheveley Park Stud W P Mullins Cheveley Park Stud W P Mullins Cheveley Park Stud H de Bromhead

R Walsh D N Russell P Townend R Blackmore P Townend R Blackmore

Festival Plate Handicap Chase (2m 5f) Year

Trainer G Ellott G Elliott N Meade P Roche G Elliott

Winner

1982 2016 2017 2018 2021 2023

Winner

DOUBLEUAGAIN EMPIRE OF DIRT ROAD TO RESPECT THE STORYTELLER THE SHUNTER SEDDON

Owner

Trainer

P J McBennett A Geraghty Gigginstown House Stud C A Murphy Gigginstown House Stud N Meade Mrs P Sloan G Elliott P Byrne E Mullins Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate J C McConnell

Rider

F Berry B J Cooper B J Cooper D N Russell J C Gainford B W Harvey

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

MAJOR IRISH NH WINNERS Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f) Year

Winner

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

LET’S DANCE Mrs S Ricci W P Mullins Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd W P Mullins LAURINA EGLANTINE DU SEUIL Sullivan Bloodstock Ltd W P Mullins CONCERTISTA S Munir & I Souede W P Mullins TELMESOMETHINGGIRL K Alexander H de Bromhead

Owner

Trainer

Rider

R Walsh P Townend N D Fehily D Jacob R Blackmore

Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Chase (3m 1½f) Year

Winner

2014 2016 2019 2020 2021 2023

SPRING HEELED Dr R Lambe J H Culloty CAUSE OF CAUSES John P McManus Gordon Elliott ANY SECOND NOW John P McManus T M Walsh MILAN NATIVE Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott MOUNT IDA KTDA Racing Mrs D Foster ANGELS DAWN A Sweetnam S Curling

Owner

Trainer

Rider

Mr R P McNamara Mr J J Codd Mr D O’Connor Mr R James J W Kennedy Mr P A King

Triumph Hurdle (2m 1f) Year

Winner

2014 2016 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023

TIGER ROLL Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott IVANOVICH GORBATOV John P McManus A P O’Brien Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott FARCLAS BURNING VICTORY Mrs A Turley W P Mullins QUILIXIOS Cheveley Park Stud H de Bromhead VAUBAN Mrs S Ricci W P Mullins LOSSIEMOUTH Mrs S Ricci W P Mullins

Owner

Trainer

Rider

D N Russell B J Geraghty J W Kennedy P Townend R Blackmore P Townend P Townend

County Hurdle (2m 1f) Year

Winner

Owner

2015 2017 2020 2021 2022

WICKLOW BRAVE ARCTIC FIRE SAINT ROI BELFAST BANTER STATE MAN

Wicklow Bloodstock (Ire) Ltd W P Mullins Wicklow Bloodstock (Ire) Ltd W P Mullins J P McManus W P Mullins Direct Bloodstock P Fahey Mrs J Donnelly W P Mullins

Trainer

Rider

P Townend P Townend B J Geraghty K C Sexton P Townend

Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m) Year

Winner

Owner

Trainer

Rider

2015 2019 2020 2021 2022

MARTELLO TOWER MINELLA INDO MONKFISH VANILLIER THE NICE GUY

Barry Connell Barry Maloney Mrs S Ricci Mrs H M Keaveney M C Denmark

Ms M Mullins H de Bromhead W P Mullins G Cromwell W P Mullins

A P Heskin R Blackmore P Townend M P Walsh S O’Keeffe

Foxhunter Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (3m 2½f) Year

Winner

Owner

Trainer

Rider

2014 2015 2016 2020 2022

TAMMYS HILL ON THE FRINGE ON THE FRINGE IT CAME TO PASS BILLAWAY

P J Smyth John P McManus John P McManus Mrs A O’Sullivan The Turner Family

L Lennon E Bolger E Bolger E M O’Sullivan W P Mullins

Mr J J Smyth Ms N Carberry Ms N Carberry Ms M O’Sullivan Mr P W Mullins

Owner Mrs N Flynn J P McManus J P McManus

Trainer W P Mullins W P Mullins C A Murphy

Rider P Townend M P Walsh B Hayes

FIXTURES

2024

Monday, 13th May, 2024 (E) Monday, 20th May, 2024 (E) Monday, 10th June, 2024 (E) Tuesday, 2nd July, 2024 (E) Monday, 8th July, 2024 (E) Tuesday, 6th August, 2024 (E) Tuesday, 20th August, 2024 (E) Monday, 2nd September, 2024 (E) Monday, 30th September, 2024 Monday, 14th October, 2024

Mares’ Chase (2m 5f) Year 2021 2022 2023

Winner COLREEVY ELIMAY IMPERVIOUS

Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle (2m 4½f) Year

Winner

2017 2018 2019 2021 2022

CHAMPAGNE CLASSIC Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott BLOW BY BLOW EARLY DOORS John P McManus J P O’Brien GALOPIN DES CHAMPS Mrs A Turley W P Mullins BANBRIDGE R A Bartlett J P O’Brien

Owner

Trainer

Rider

J J Slevin D Meyler J J O’Neill S F O’Keeffe M McDonagh

Irish-trained winners of the Grand National (Handicap Chase), Aintree (4m 4f) Year

Winner

Owner

Trainer

2000 PAPILLON Mrs J M Moran T M Walsh 2003 MONTY’S PASS Dee Racing Synd J J Mangan 2005 HEDGEHUNTER T Hemmings W P Mullins M Brassil 2006 NUMBERSIXVALVERDE O B P Carroll 2007 SILVER BIRCH B Walsh G Elliott Gigginstown House Stud M F Morris 2016 RULE THE WORLD Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott 2018 TIGER ROLL Gigginstown House Stud G Elliott 2019 TIGER ROLL 2021 MINELLA TIMES J P McManus H de Bromhead 2022 NOBLE YEATS R Waley-Cohen E Mullins

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Rider

R Walsh B Geraghty R Walsh N Madden R M Power D J Mullins D N Russell D N Russell R Blackmore S Waley-Cohen

Discount on Group Bookings contact 087 2203288 or contact@roscommonracecourse.ie 211

Irish CLASSIC WINNERS Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, The Curragh (1m)

Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

KINGMAN GLENEAGLES AWTAAD CHURCHILL ROMANISED PHOENIX OF SPAIN SISKIN MAC SWINEY NATIVE TRAIL PADDINGTON

Trainer

J Gosden A P O'Brien K Prendergast A P O’Brien K J Condon C Hills G M Lyons J S Bolger C Appleby A P O’Brien

Jockey

J Doyle R L Moore C D Hayes R L Moore S Foley J P Spencer C T Keane R P Cleary W Buick R L Moore

Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, The Curragh (1m) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

MARVELLOUS PLEASCACH JET SETTING WINTER ALPHA CENTAURI HERMOSA PEACEFUL EMPRESS JOSEPHINE HOMELESS SONGS TAHIYRA

Trainer

A P O’Brien J S Bolger A Keatley A P O’Brien Mrs J Harrington A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien D K Weld D K Weld

Jockey

R L Moore K J Manning S Foley R L Moore C O’Donoghue R L Moore J A Heffernan J A Heffernan C D Hayes C D Hayes

2014 2015 2016 2017

Winner

AUSTRALIA JACK HOBBS HARZAND CAPRI

Trainer

A P O’Brien J Gosden D K Weld A P O’Brien

LATROBE SOVEREIGN SANTIAGO HURRICANE LANE WESTOVER AUGUSTE RODIN

J P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien C Appleby R Beckett A P O’Brien

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

BRACELET COVERT LOVE SEVENTH HEAVEN ENABLE SEA THE CLASS STAR CATCHER EVEN SO SNOWFALL MAGICAL LAGOON SAVETHELASTDANCE

Trainer

A P O’Brien H Palmer A P O’Brien J Gosden W Haggas J Gosden G M Lyons A P O’Brien Mrs J Harrington A P O’Brien

Winner

Age/Wt

J P O’Brien W Buick P J Smullen J A Heffernan

6, 9-11 3, 9-11 7, 9-11 7, 9-11 3, 9-1 3, 8-11 4, 9-8 4, 9-11 4, 9-11 4, 9-11

Jockey

2021 NO SPEAK ALEXANDER 2022 PEARLS GALORE 2023 TAHIYRA

3, 9-2 5, 9-7 3, 9-7

Irish G1 FLAT RACE WINNER Yulong Pretty Polly Stakes, The Curragh (1m 2f)

Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

THISTLE BIRD DIAMONDSANDRUBIES MINDING NEZWAAH URBAN FOX IRIDESSA MAGICAL THUNDERING NIGHTS LA PETITE COCO VIA SISTINA

Age/Wt

6, 9-10 3, 8-12 3, 8-12 4, 9-8 4, 9-8 3, 8-12 5, 9-12 4, 9-12 4, 9-12 5, 9-10

Trainer

R Charlton A P O'Brien A P O'Brien R Varian W Haggas J P O’Brien A P O’Brien J P O’Brien P Twomey G Boughey

G Baker J A Heffernan R L Moore A Atzeni D Tudhope D O’Brien J A Heffernan S Crosse W J Lee J P Spencer

Tattersalls Gold Cup, The Curragh (1m 2f 110yds) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

NOBLE MISSION AL KAZEEM FASCINATING ROCK DECORATED KNIGHT LANCASTER BOMBER MAGICAL MAGICAL HELVIC DREAM ALENQUER LUXEMBOURG

Age/Wt

5, 9-3 7, 9-3 4, 9-3 5, 9-3 4, 9-3 4, 9-3 5, 9-9 4, 9-5 4, 9-5 4, 9-5

Trainer

Lady J Cecil R Charlton D K Weld R Charlton A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien N Meade W Haggas A P O’Brien

Jockey

J Doyle J Doyle​ P J Smullen A Atzeni J A Heffernan R L Moore W M Lordan C T Keane T Marquand R L Moore

Keeneland Phoenix 2yo Stakes, The Curragh (6f) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

DICK WHITTINGTON AIR FORCE ONE CARAVAGGIO SIOUX NATION ADVERTISE SISKIN LUCKY VEGA EBRO RIVER LITTLE BIG BEAR BUCANERO FUERTE

Wt

9-3 9-3 9-3 9-3 9-3 9-3 9-5 9-5 9-5 9-5

Trainer

A P O’Brien A P O'Brien A P O'Brien A P O'Brien M Meade G M Lyons Mrs J Harrington H Palmer A P O’Brien A Murray

Jockey

J P O’Brien J P O'Brien J A Heffernan R L Moore L Dettori C T Keane S Foley S Foley R L Moore K Stott

Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes, Leopardstown (1m) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

212

Winner

FIESOLANA LEGATISSIMO ALICE SPRINGS HYDRANGEA LAURENS IRIDESSA CHAMPERS ELYSEES

Age/Wt

5, 9-5 3, 9-0 3, 9-0 3, 9-0 3, 9-0 3, 9-0 3, 9-2

Trainer

W McCreery D Wachman A P O’Brien A P O’Brien K R Burke J P O’Brien J P Murtagh

Jockey

W J Lee W M Lordan R L Moore W M Lordan D Tudhope D O’Brien C T Keane

Jockey

C O’Donoghue P J Smullen J A Heffernan L Dettori J Doyle L Dettori C T Keane R L Moore S Foley R L Moore

Comer Group International Irish St Leger, The Curragh (1m 6f) Year

BROWN PANTHER ORDER OF ST GEORGE WICKLOW BRAVE ORDER OF ST GEORGE FLAG OF HONOUR SEARCH FOR A SONG SEARCH FOR A SONG SONNYBOYLISTON KYPRIOS ELDAR ELDAROV

Jockey

D O’Brien P Beggy J A Heffernan W Buick C T Keane R L Moore

Juddmonte Irish Oaks, The Curragh (1m 4f) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, The Curragh (1m 4f) Year

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

(last 10 years)

Trainer

T Dascombe A P O'Brien W P Mullins A P O’Brien A P O’Brien D K Weld D K Weld J P Murtagh A P O’Brien R Varian

Jockey

R Kingscote J P O'Brien L Dettori R L Moore R L Moore C D Hayes O J Orr B Coen R L Moore D Egan

(last 10 years) Mrs J Harrington P Twomey D K Weld

S Foley W J Lee C D Hayes

Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown (1m 2f)

Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

THE GREY GATSBY GOLDEN HORN ALMANZOR DECORATED KNIGHT ROARING LION MAGICAL MAGICAL ST MARK’S BASILICA LUXEMBOURG AUGUSTE RODIN

Age/Wt

3, 9-0 3, 9-0 3, 9-0 5, 9-7 3, 9-1 4, 9-4 5, 9-6 3, 9-3 3, 9-3 3, 9-3

Trainer

K Ryan J Gosden J C Rouget R Charlton J Gosden A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

Jockey

R L Moore L Dettori C Soumillon A Atzeni O Murphy R L Moore J A Heffernan R L Moore R L Moore R L Moore

Goffs Vincent O’Brien National 2yo Stakes, The Curragh (7f) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

GLENEAGLES AIR FORCE ONE CHURCHILL VERBAL DEXTERITY QUORTO PINATUBO THUNDER MOON NATIVE TRAIL AL RIFFA HENRY LONGFELLOW

Wt

9-3 9-3 9-3 9-1 9-3 9-3 9-5 9-5 9-5 9-5

Trainer

A P O’Brien A P O'Brien A P O'Brien J S Bolger C Appleby C Appleby J P O’Brien C Appleby J P O’Brien A P O’Brien

Jockey

J P O’Brien J P O'Brien R L Moore K J Manning W Buick W Buick D P McDonogh W Buick D B McMonagle R L Moore

Moyglare Stud 2yo Fillies Stakes, The Curragh (7f) Year

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

CURSORY GLANCE MINDING INTRICATELY HAPPILY SKITTER SCATTER LOVE SHALE DISCOVERIES TAHIYRA FALLEN ANGEL

Wt

9-0 9-0 9-0 9-0 9-0 9-0 9-2 9-2 9-2 9-2

Trainer

R Varian A P O'Brien J P O'Brien A P O'Brien P J Prendergast A P O’Brien A O’Brien Mrs J Harrington D K Weld K R Burke

Jockey

A Atzeni J A Heffernan D O’Brien D O’Brien R P Whelan R L Moore R L Moore S Foley C D Hayes D Tudhope

Al Basti Equiworld Flying Five Stakes, The Curragh (5f) Year

2020 2021 2022 2023

Winner

GLASS SLIPPERS ROMANTIC PROPOSAL HIGHFIELD PRINCESS MOSS TUCKER

Wt

4, 9-3 5, 9-3 5, 9-3 5, 9-6

Trainer

K A Ryan E Lynam J J Quinn K J Condon

Jockey

T Eaves C D Hayes Jason Hart W J Lee

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Irish TROYAL RAINEDASCOT WINNERS AT

(last 5 years if applicable)

Albany Stakes (6f)

Year Winner

2022 MEDITATE 2023 PORTA FORTUNA

Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (1m 4f)

Owner

Trainer

Tabor/Smith/Magnier/Westerberg A P O’Brien Reeves/Fowler/Barry/Medallion/Parkland D A O’Brien

Rider

R L Moore L Dettori

Ascot Gold Cup (2m 4f) Year Winner

2010 RITE OF PASSAGE 2011 FAME AND GLORY 2014 LEADING LIGHT 2016 ORDER OF ST GEORGE 2022 KYPRIOS

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

DOMINATION CLONDAW WARRIOR JENNIES JEWEL THOMAS HOBSON LAGOSTOVEGAS

Owner

Dr R Lambe Hay/Smith/Magnier/Tabor D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor Williams/Magnier/Tabor/Smith Moyglare/Magnier/Tabor/ Smith/Westerberg

Trainer

D K Weld A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

Rider

P J Smullen J P Spencer J P O’Brien R L Moore R L Moore

Owner

Ms C Cleary Act D Wagg Syndicate A N McIntyre Mrs S Ricci RG & JD Partnership

1955 JASPE

Owner

Lady Ursula Vernon

2013 ROCA TUMU 2015 WAR ENVOY

Owner

Roca Tumu Syndicate Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Allen

Trainer

C Byrnes W P Mullins J P Fahey W P Mullins W P Mullins

Rider

F M Berry R L Moore R P Whelan R L Moore A Atzeni

Trainer

J Lenehan

Rider

W R Johnstone

Trainer

Ms J Morgan A P O'Brien

Rider

W J Lee R L Moore

Chesham Stakes (7f) Year Winner

2016 CHURCHILL 2017 SEPTEMBER 2020 BATTLEGROUND 2021 POINT LONSDALE 2023 SNELLEN

Owner

Tabor/Smith/Magnier Magnier/Tabor/Smith Tabor/Smith/Magnier Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Westerberg L Laroche

Trainer

A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien G Cromwell

Rider

R L Moore R L Moore R L Moore R L Moore G F Carroll

Churchill Stakes (Royal Ascot, 1m 4f) Year Winner

1948 HERON BRIDGE

Owner

J S Davies

Trainer

D Rogers

Rider

T Burns

Churchill Stakes (Ascot Heath, 1m 4f) Year Winner

1960 1975 1977 1978 1984

SUNNY COURT GUILLAUME TELL TRANSWORLD NOBLE QUILLO THE MILLER

Owner

W F Pinnington Mrs W Haefner Simon Fraser Mrs W Haefner S S Niarchos

Trainer

J M Rogers M V O’Brien M V O’Brien M V O’Brien M V O’Brien

Rider

W Carr L Piggott L Piggott L Piggott L Piggott

Commonwealth Cup (6f) Year Winner

2017 CARAVAGGIO

Owner

Magnier/Tabor/Smith

Trainer

Rider

A P O’Brien

R L Moore

Trainer

Rider

Copper Horse Handicap (1m 6f) Year Winner

2023 VAUBAN

Owner

Mrs S Ricci

W P Mullins

R L Moore

Coronation Stakes (1m) Year Winner

2010 LILLIE LANGTRY 2017 WINTER 2018 ALPHA CENTAURI 2020 ALPINE STAR 2023 TAHIYRA

Owner

Trainer

M Tabor Magnier/Tabor/Smith Niarchos Family Niarchos Family H H Aga Khan

A P O’Brien A P O’Brien Mrs J Harrington Mrs J Harrington D K Weld

Owner

Trainer

Rider

J P Murtagh R L Moore C O’Donoghue L Dettori C D Hayes

Coventry Stakes (6f) Year Winner

2012 2013 2016 2019 2023

DAWN APPROACH WAR COMMAND CARAVAGGIO ARIZONA RIVER TIBER

Mrs J S Bolger/J P Spain J S Bolger J Allen A P O’Brien Magnier/Tabor/Smith A P O’Brien Magnier/Tabor/Smith A P O’Brien Tabor/Smith/Magnier/Westerberg/Brant A P O’Brien

1987 1993 2010 2014 2018

Owner

BIG SHUFFLE Moyglare Stud Farm COLLEGE CHAPEL Mrs M V O’Brien STARAPANGLEDBANNER M Tabor SLADE POWER Mrs S Power MERCHANT NAVY Merchant Navy Syndicate

Rider

2013 DUNTLE

Owner

Flaxman Stables

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Rider

R L Moore

Trainer

M V O’Brien M Cunningham

Rider

A Breasley L Piggott

Fenwolf Stakes (Ascot Heath, 5f) Year Winner

Owner

1975 SCATTERED SCARLET (DH) Col Sir D Clague

2004 MOSCOW BALLET 2005 INDIGO CAT 2018 HUNTING HORN 2020 RUSSIAN EMPEROR

Trainer

C Magnier

Rider

B Raymond

Owner

Trainer

M Tabor/Mrs J Magnier Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor Magnier/Tabor/Smith Macri/Magnier et al

A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

Owner

Trainer

Owner

Trainer

Rider

J P Spencer K Fallon R L Moore R L Moore

Hardwicke Stakes (1m 4f) Year Winner

1996 OSCAR SCHINDLER 2008 MACARTHUR 2011 AWAIT THE DAWN 2017 IDAHO 2022 BROOME

O Lehane K Prendergast D Smith A P O’Brien Tabor/Magnier A P O’Brien Tabor/Smith/Magnier A P O’Brien Matsushima/Magnier/Tabor/Smith A P O’Brien

Rider

M J Kinane J P Murtagh R L Moore J A Heffernan R L Moore

Jersey Stakes (7f) Year Winner

2001 2012 2013 2014 2023

MOZART ISHVANA GALE FORCE TEN MUSTAJEEB AGE OF KINGS

M Tabor A P O’Brien Mrs A M O’Brien A P O’Brien Tabor/Smith/Magnier A P O’Brien H Al Maktoum D K Weld Westerberg/Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Bryant A P O’Brien

Rider

M J Kinane S Heffernan J P O’Brien P J Smullen W M Lordan

King Edward V Stakes (1m 4f) Year Winner

2019 SOUTH PACIFIC

Owner

Smith/Magnier/Tabor

Trainer

Rider

A P O’Brien

J A Heffernan

Trainer

Rider

Kensington Palace Stakes (7f 213y) Year Winner

2023 VILLANOVA QUEEN

Owner

W Crager

Mrs J Harrington C T Keane

King Edward VII Stakes (1m 4f) Year Winner

Owner

1971 SEAFRIEND Mrs J R Mullion 1973 KLAIRVIMY Mrs B Allen-Jones 2004 FIVE DYNASTIES Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor Smith/Magnier/Tabor 2019 JAPAN 2022 CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD Westerberg/MagnierTabor/Smith

Trainer

P J Prendergast D K Weld A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

Rider

J Mercer R F Parnell J P Spencer R L Moore R L Moore

King’s Stand Stakes (5f) Year Winner

1977 1978 1987 2013 2014

GODSWALK SOLINUS BLUEBIRD SOLE POWER SOLE POWER

Owner

R E Sangster D Schwartz R E Sangster Mrs S Power Mrs S Power

Trainer

M V O’Brien M V O’Brien M V O’Brien E Lynam E Lynam

Rider

L Piggott L Piggott C Asmussen J P Murtagh R Hughes

Norfolk Stakes (5f) Year Winner

1984 2001 2015 2017 2023

MAGIC MIRROR JOHANNESBURG WATERLOO BRIDGE SIOUX NATION VALIANT FORCE

Owner

S S Niarchos M Tabor Smith/Magnier/Tabor Tabor/Smith/Magnier Amo Racing

Trainer

M V O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O'Brien A P O’Brien A Murray

Rider

L Piggott M J Kinane R L Moore R L Moore R Ryan

Prince of Wales’s Stakes (1m 2f) 2015 2017 2021 2022

Rider

Year Winner

Year Winner

FREE EAGLE HIGHLAND REEL LOVE STATE OF REST

Owner

Moyglare Stud Farm Smith/ Magnier/Tabor Tabor/Smith/Magnier State of Rest Partnership

Trainer

D K Weld A P O’Brien A P O’Brien J P O’Brien

Rider

P J Smullen R L Moore R L Moore S M Crosse

Queen Alexandra Stakes (2m 6f) Trainer

D K Weld M V O’Brien A P O’Brien E Lynam A P O’Brien

M J Kinane L Piggott J P Murtagh W M Lordan R L Moore

2016 2018 2021 2022 2023

Trainer

Rider

Year Winner

Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (1m) Year Winner

Owner

1961 GUSTAVE DORE Mrs E B H Portman 1982 GORMANSTOWN PRINCE M Heaslip

K J Manning J A Heffernan R L Moore R L Moore R L Moore

Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6f) Year Winner

Trainer

J P O’Brien

Hampton Court Stakes (1m 2f)

Britannia Stakes (1m) Year Winner

Owner

T Matsumoto

Erroll Stakes (Ascot Heath, 5f)

Year Winner

Blacknest Stakes (Ascot Heath, 1m 4f) Year Winner

2023 OKITA SOUSHI Year Winner

Ascot Stakes (2m 4f) Year Winner

Year Winner

COMMISSIONED PALLASATOR STRATUM STRATUM DAWN RISING

Owner

Nick Bradley Racing Qatar Racing Tony Bloom T Bloom J P McManus

Trainer

Gordon Elliott G Elliott W P Mullins W P Mullins J P O’Brien

Rider

A Kirby J P Spencer R L Moore William Buick R L Moore

Queen Anne Stakes (1m) D Wachman

W Lordan

1975 IMPERIAL MARCH 2006 AD VALOREM

Owner

W F Mullady Mrs J Magnier

Trainer

M V O’Brien A P O’Brien

Rider

G Dettori K Fallon

213

WINNERS AT ROYAL ASCOT

2008 HARADASUN F Tagg et al 2013 DECLARATION OF WAR Magnier/Tabor/Smith/Allen 2020 CIRCUS MAXIMUS Flaxman/Magnier/Tabor/Smith

A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

J P Murtagh J P O’Brien R L Moore

Queen Mary Stakes (5f) Year Winner

1988 GLORIELLA 2004 DAMSON 2007 ELLETELLE 2014 ANTHEM ALEXANDER 2021 QUICK SUZY

Owner

Trainer

John J McLoughlin Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor Jesse Club Syndicate N O’Callaghan Eclipse Thoroughbred

J J McLoughlin D Wachman G Lyons E Lynam G Cromwell

Rider

J Reid J P Spencer J P Murtagh P J Smullen G F Carroll

2013 LEADING LIGHT 2015 ALOFT 2016 SWORD FIGHTER 2018 KEW GARDENS 2020 SANTIAGO

2015 2016 2018 2022 2023

CURVY EVEN SONG MAGIC WAND MAGICAL LAGOON WARM HEART

1966 CONTINUATION 2016 PORTAGE 2018 SETTLE FOR BAY

A P O’Brien A P O'Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

J P O’Brien R L Moore C O’Donoghue R L Moore R L Moore

Owner

Trainer

Rider

Year Winner

W Lordan B Coen

Owner

Trainer

Godolphin J S Bolger Tabor/Smith/Magnier A P O'Brien Flaxman/Magnier/Tabor/Smith A P O’Brien Mrs J S Bolger J S Bolger Tabor/Smith/Magnier/Westerberg/Brant A P O’Brien

Rider

K J Manning R L Moore R L Moore K J Manning R L Moore

Owner

Mrs M Kauntze Myles O’Malley Magnier/Tabor/Smith Magnier/Tabor/Smith Smith/Magnier/ Tabor/Westerberg

Trainer

M Kauntze P Prendergast jun A P O'Brien A P O’Brien A P O’Brien

Rider

W Carson G McGrath R L Moore R L Moore R L Moore

Windsor Forest Stakes (1m) Magnier/Tabor/Smith Mrs John Magnier Tabor/Smith/Magnier Z Yuesheng Westerbert/Magnier/Tabor/Smith

David Wachman A P O’Brien A P O’Brien Mrs J Harrington A P O’Brien

R L Moore R L Moore R L Moore S Foley R L Moore

Owner

S McGrath Godolphin McGettigans Mgt Services JLT

Trainer

S McGrath M Halford D Marnane

Rider

J Roe J Doyle W J Lee

Sandringham Handicap (1m) Year Winner

D Wachman J P Murtagh

Windsor Castle Stakes (5f)

Smith/Magnier/Tabor Smith/Magnier/Tabor Tabor/Smith/Magnier Smith/Magnier/Tabor Tabor/Smith/Magnier

Rider

Royal Hunt Cup Handicap (1m) Year Winner

DAWN APPROACH GLENEAGLES CIRCUS MAXIMUS POETIC FLARE PADDINGTON

1977 TARDOT 1980 COOLINEY PRINCE 2015 WASHINGTON DC 2019 SOUTHERN HILLS 2022 LITTLE BIG BEAR

Trainer

Ribblesdale Stakes (1m 4f) Year Winner

2013 2015 2019 2021 2023

Year Winner

Owner

Niarchos Family RacehorseClub

St James’s Palace Stakes (1m) Year Winner

Queen’s Vase (2m) Year Winner

2012 DUNTLE 2021 CREATE BELIEF

Owner

2005 BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST Neil Jones

2011 LOLLY FOR DOLLY

J M Oxx

Rider

M J Kinane

Trainer

T Stack

Rider

W M Lordan

Wokingham Handicap Year Winner

1975 BOONE’S CABIN 1985 TIME MACHINE

Owner

R E Sangster T Harty

Trainer

M V O’Brien P Hughes

Rider

L Piggott W Carson

Wokingham Stakes (6f) Year Winner

2012 DANDY BOY

Owner

Malih L Al Basti

Trainer

D Marnane

Rider

P Dobbs

Wolferton Handicap (1m 2f) Year Winner

Trainer

Owner

D Keoghan

2003 IN TIME’S EYE 2016 SIR ISAAC NEWTON

Owner

Moyglare Stud Farm Smith/Magnier/Tabor

Trainer

D K Weld A P O’Brien

Rider

P J Smullen R L Moore

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214

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Iri sh JANUARY Mon Mon Sat Sun Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Thu Fri Sat Sun Tue Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon

1 1 6 7 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 23 25 26 27 28 29

Fairyhouse Tramore Cork Naas Clonmel Dundalk (e) Fairyhouse Punchestown Punchestown Dundalk Fairyhouse Dundalk (e) Navan Thurles Down Royal Gowran Park Dundalk (e) Fairyhouse Naas Punchestown

FEBRUARY Fri Sat Sun Mon Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Thu

2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 29

MARCH Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Fri Sat Sun Sun Fri Sat Sun Sun Mon Thu Fri Sat Sun Sun Tue Thu Sat Sat Sun

1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 10 15 16 17 17 18 21 22 23 24 24 26 28 30 30 31

APRIL Mon Mon Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sun Sun Tue Wed

1 1 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 9 10

Dundalk (e) Leopardstown Leopardstown Punchestown Fairyhouse Thurles Dundalk (e) Naas Navan Dundalk Clonmel Dundalk (e) Gowran Park Punchestown Punchestown Thurles Dundalk (e) Fairyhouse Naas Clonmel

Dundalk (e) Navan Leopardstown Leopardstown Thurles Dundalk (e) Gowran Park Limerick Naas Dundalk (e) Thurles Down Royal Wexford Curragh Cork Dundalk (e) Navan Limerick Naas Dundalk (e) Clonmel (e) Cork Fairyhouse Fairyhouse

Cork Fairyhouse Gowran Park (e) Naas Wexford (e) Dundalk (e) Curragh Leopardstown Downpatrick Navan Leopardstown

Thu Fri Sat Sun Sun Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sun Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Mon Tue

MAY Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Sun Mon Mon Tue Wed Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri

JUNE Sat Sat Sun Sun Mon Mon Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

IRISH FIXTURES FOR 2024

FIXTURES FOR 2024

11 12 13 14 14 17 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 26 27 29 30

Limerick Dundalk (e) Bellewstown Bellewstown Down Royal Gowran Park Clonmel (e) Ballinrobe (e) Limerick (e) Limerick Curragh Tramore Tramore (e) Tipperary Gowran Park (e) Tipperary (e) Kilbeggan (e) Kilbeggan (e) Cork Navan Naas (e) Punchestown (e)

1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 17 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 25 26 27 28 28 29 30 30 31 31

Punchestown (e) Punchestown (e) Punchestown (e) Punchestown Sligo Curragh Down Royal Ballinrobe (e) Gowran Park (e) Tipperary (e) Downpatrick (e) Cork (e) Cork Naas Killarney Leopardstown Roscommon (e) Killarney (e) Killarney (e) Tipperary (e) Sligo (e) Clonmel (e) Kilbeggan (e) Leopardstown (e) Navan Wexford Naas Roscommon (e) Cork (e) Gowran Park (e) Limerick (e) Downpatrick (e) Curragh (e) Curragh Curragh Ballinrobe (e) Ballinrobe (e) Tipperary (e) Wexford (e) Fairyhouse (e) Limerick (e) Down Royal (e) Tramore (e)

1 1 2 2 3 3 5 6 7 7 8 8 9

Tramore (e) Listowel Listowel Kilbeggan Gowran Park Listowel Curragh (e) Leopardstown (e) Clonmel (e) Fairyhouse (e) Navan Punchestown Punchestown

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sun Sun Mon Thu Fri Sat Sat Mon Wed Fri Sat Sun

JULY Tue Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Mon Mon Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Mon Tue Wed

10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 20 21 22 22 24 26 28 29 30

Roscommon (e) Sligo (e) Limerick (e) Leopardstown (e) Cork (e) Fairyhouse (e) Downpatrick Downpatrick Gowran Park Kilbeggan (e) Leopardstown (e) Down Royal (e) Down Royal Limerick Ballinrobe (e) Naas (e) Curragh (e) Curragh Curragh

2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 13 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 29 30 31

Roscommon (e) Tipperary Tipperary (e) Tipperary (e) Bellewstown (e) Bellewstown (e) Cork (e) Bellewstown (e) Naas Limerick Sligo Roscommon (e) Tramore (e) Fairyhouse (e) Leopardstown (e) Kilbeggan (e) Dundalk Wexford Navan Downpatrick Killarney (e) Killarney (e) Killarney (e) Killarney (e) Leopardstown (e) Killarney Down Royal (e) Curragh Curragh Ballinrobe (e) Ballinrobe (e) Naas (e) Wexford Wexford (e) Leopardstown (e) Kilbeggan (e) Cork (e) Gowran Park Galway (e) Galway (e) Galway (e)

AUGUST Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Mon Tue Wed Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Mon Wed

1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 12 14

Galway Galway (e) Galway Galway Cork Naas Roscommon (e) Wexford (e) Sligo (e) Sligo (e) Leopardstown (e) Wexford (e) Tipperary (e) Curragh Kilbeggan (e) Downpatrick Ballinrobe (e) Gowran Park (e)

Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Mon Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat

15 15 16 16 17 17 18 20 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 30 31

Dundalk Tramore (e) Tramore (e) Cork (e) Curragh Tramore (e) Tramore Roscommon (e) Sligo (e) Leopardstown (e) Killarney (e) Killarney (e) Kilbeggan (e) Curragh Killarney Naas Downpatrick Ballinrobe (e) Bellewstown (e) Bellewstown (e) Navan Down Royal (e) Wexford (e) Curragh (e)

SEPTEMBER Sun Mon Tue Thu Fri Fri Sat Mon Tue Wed Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Mon Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Mon Mon

1 2 3 5 6 6 7 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 20 21 21 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 29 30 30

Tipperary Roscommon (e) Gowran Park Clonmel (e) Kilbeggan (e) Down Royal (e) Navan Galway (e) Galway (e) Cork (e) Ballinrobe (e) Leopardstown Curragh Laytown (e) Punchestown Naas Dundalk (e) Downpatrick Gowran Park Navan Listowel Fairyhouse (e) Listowel Listowel Listowel Listowel Dundalk (e) Listowel Listowel Curragh Curragh Roscommon Down Royal

OCTOBER Tue Wed Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Sun Mon Mon Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat

1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12

Cork Sligo Bellewstown Bellewstown Clonmel Dundalk (e) Gowran Park Gowran Park Curragh Tipperary Killarney Killarney Fairyhouse Galway Navan Thurles Tramore Dundalk (e) Downpatrick Fairyhouse Naas

Sun Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Thu Fri Sat Sat Sun Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Fri Sat Sun Sun Mon Mon Wed Thu

13 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 27 28 28 30 31

Naas Cork Roscommon Punchestown Punchestown Thurles Curragh Dundalk (e) Leopardstown Limerick Leopardstown Limerick Gowran Park Curragh Navan Clonmel Dundalk (e) Sligo Galway Galway Wexford Wexford Galway Dundalk Thurles

NOVEMBER

Fri Fri Sat Sun Sun Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Sun Tue Wed Thu Fri

1 1 2 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 26 27 28 29

Dundalk (e) Down Royal Down Royal Cork Curragh Fairyhouse Dundalk Clonmel Dundalk (e) Gowran Park Naas Fairyhouse Dundalk Punchestown Dundalk (e) Navan Navan Limerick Dundalk Thurles Dundalk (e) Punchestown Punchestown Cork Tramore Dundalk Thurles Dundalk (e)

DECEMBER Sun Tue Wed Fri Sat Sun Tue Wed Fri Sat Sun Mon Wed Fri Sat Thu Thu Thu Fri Fri Sat Sat Sun Sun Tue

1 3 4 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 20 21 26 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 31

Fairyhouse Clonmel Dundalk Dundalk (e) Navan Cork Punchestown Dundalk Dundalk (e) Fairyhouse Navan Naas Dundalk (e) Dundalk (e) Thurles Down Royal Leopardstown Limerick Leopardstown Limerick Leopardstown Limerick Leopardstown Limerick Punchestow

215

Point-to-Point POINT-TO-POINT

FIXTURES

DECEMBER 2 0 2 3 – MAY 2 0 2 4

December 2023

Sun 17 North Kilkenny (F) - Ballyragget

Sat 30 Duhallow (F) Kanturk - Dromahane.

Sat 23 Route (H) - Portrush

January 2024

Sun 24 Duhallow (F) Liscarroll - Liscarroll

Sun 7 Shillelagh & District (F) - Tinahely Sun 7 United (F) Lisgoold - Ballindenisk Sun 14 Clonmel (H) - Turtulla Sun 14 Muskerry (F) - Aghabullogue Sun 21 Ballinagore (H) - Ballycrystal

Sun 24 Galway Blazers (F) - Loughrea Sun 24 Tipperary (F) - Lisronagh Wed 27 Killeagh (H) Inch - Ballyknock Sat 30 East Antrim (H) - Loughanmore

Sun 21 Killeagh (H) - Carrigarostig

April 2024

Sat 27 East Down (F) - Tyrella

Mon 1 East Antrim (H) - Loughanmore

Sun 28 Lismore (H) Dungarvan - Dungarvan

Sat 16 Newry (H) - Taylorstown

Sun 28 Stonehall (H) - Cragmore

Sun 7 Co. Limerick (F) Athlacca - Rathcannon Sun 7 Louth (F) - Tattersalls

February 2024 Sun 4 Co Clare (H) - Bellharbour Sun 4 United Hunt (F) Carrigtwohill - Ballyvodock Sun 4 Wexford (F) - Ballinaboola Sat 10 North Down (F) - Kirkistown Sun 11 Scarteen (F) - Comea Sun 11 West Waterford (F) Tallow - Tallow Sat 17 Ward Union (S) - Oldtown Sun 18 Avondhu (F) - Knockanard Sun 18 Bray (H) - Tinahely Sun 18 North Tipperary (F) - Nenagh Sat 24 Kildare (F) - Punchestown Sat 24 Tynan & Armagh (F) - Farmacaffley Sun 25 Duhallow (F) Kildorrery - Kildorrery Sun 25 Tipperary (F) - Lisronagh

March 2024 Sat

2 East Down (F) - Tyrella

Sun 3 Carbery (F) - Bandon Sun 3 Carlow Farmers (F) - Borris House Sun 3 Limerick (H) - Ballycahane Sat

9 North Down (F) - Kirkistown

Sun 10 Killinick (H) - Lingstown Sun 10 North Galway (F) - Belclare Sun 10 West Waterford (F) Lismore - Castlelands Sat 16 Streamstown (H) - Durrow

Sat 13 United Hunt (F) Ballynoe - Ballynoe Sun 14 Island Hunt (F) - Peppards Castle Sun 14 Duhallow (F) Dromahane - Dromahane Sun 14 Laois (F) - Stradbally Sun 14 Westmeath (F) - Castletown-Geoghegan Sat 20 Co. Down (S) - Moira Sat 20 North Kerry (H) - Tralee Sun 21 Ballymacad (F) - Oldcastle Sun 21 Doneraile (H) - Dromahane Sun 28 Bree (F) - Monksgrange Sun 28 Killeady (H) - Dromahane Sun 28 Meath (F) & Tara (H) - Fairyhouse Sun 28 Stonehall (H) Ballysteen - Ballysteen

May 2024 Fri 3 Fermanagh (H) - Necarne Sat 4 Fermanagh (H) - Necarne Sun 5 East Galway (F) - Stowlin Sun 5 Muskerry (F) - Dromahane Mon 6 Muskerry (F) Dawstown - Dawstown Sat 11 Mid Antrim (H) - Toomebridge Sun 12 United Hunt (F) Bartlemy - Bartlemy Sun 19 Laois (F) - Stradbally Sun 19 United Hunt (F) - Ballindenisk Sat 25 Ormond (F) - Ballingarry Sun 26 Carberry (F) Clonakilty - Inchydoney Sun 26 Ormond (F) - Ballingarry

Sun 17 Kilworth & Araglen (H) - Knockanohill 216

IRISH RACING YEARBOOK 2024

Fee Private

Fee €12,500 (1st Oct terms)

Fee €10,000 (1st Oct terms)

Fee €6,000 (1st Oct terms)

Fee €2,000 (in advance of covering)

Fee €2,000 (in advance of covering)

Contact: Cathal Beale, Gary Swift +353 (0)86 6031979, Conor Hyland +353 (0)85 1299236 Tel: +353 (0)45 521251 @IrishNatStud irishnationalstudandgardens www.irishnationalstud.ie

A4-2024-Roster.indd 1

09/11/2023 15:05

2024 MAJOR FESTIVALS LEOPARDSTOWN Dublin Racing Festival 3 - 4 February

CURRAGH Irish Derby Festival 28 - 30 June

LEOPARDSTOWN & CURRAGH Irish Champions Festival 14 - 15 September

CORK Easter Festival 30 March – 1 April

BELLEWSTOWN Summer Festival 4 - 6 July

LISTOWEL Harvest Festival 22 - 28 September

FAIRYHOUSE Easter Festival 30 March – 1 April

KILLARNEY July Festival 15 - 19 July

DOWN ROYAL National Hunt Festival 1 - 2 November

PUNCHESTOWN Festival of Racing 30 April - 4 May

CURRAGH Irish Oaks Festival 20 - 21 July

NAVAN Racing Festival 16 - 17 November

KILLARNEY Spring Festival 12 – 14 May

GALWAY Summer Festival 29 July – 4 August

PUNCHESTOWN Winter Festival 23 - 24 November

CURRAGH Irish Guineas Festival 24 - 26 May

TRAMORE August Festival 15 - 18 August

FAIRYHOUSE Winter Festival 30 November – 1 December

LISTOWEL Whit Weekend Festival 1 - 3 June

KILLARNEY August Festival 22 - 24 August

LEOPARDSTOWN Christmas Festival 26 – 29 December

DOWN ROYAL Ulster Derby 21 - 22 June

LIMERICK Christmas Festival 26 – 29 December