Feb_114_View_From_Ireland_v2_Owner Breeder 17/01/2014 16:11 Page 25
VIEW FROM IRELAND By JESSICA LAMB OF THE RACING POST
Dobbs spurred on by Tottenham’s star Wicklow-based handler on the up with exciting hurdler Romantic Fashion
ALAIN BARR
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rainer Prunella Dobbs’s double at Limerick’s Christmas meeting signalled her intent to restore the strength of her jumping team to the heights it reached when Our Girl Salley was in her prime. The Wicklow-based trainer has a small yard, backed heavily by neighbours Jim and Ann O’Neill, who owned the Grade 3-winning hurdler Our Girl Salley and Punchestown festival winner Our Gar. She sent out four winners from her last five runners of 2013 to bring the total across all codes to six. Dobbs has pledged to focus on the Flat in 2014 but craves more jumping success, buoyed by Limerick hurdle victories for Romantic Fashion and Windsor Queen. She said: “It was a great end to the year. I was really pleased with them both and what I really want this year is more like them. These days I have more Flat horses than ever and I would definitely like to build that up, but I
“It was a great end to the year. I was really pleased with both of them and I want more like them”
would also like to maintain the National Hunt side of the team too.” Since her recent peak with Our Girl Salley, Dobbs has put the finishing touches to her operation. As well as a testing hill gallop and round sand gallop, she now has the use of a
In Brief Ballydoyle interest increases Aidan O’Brien’s jumps team that burst back into life last February is continuing to grow. Last season he ran five horses in the colours of wife Annemarie and now JP McManus owns three of those – Carriganog, Draco and Shield – as well as a further five. At the time of writing he has run 12
THOROUGHBRED OWNER & BREEDER INC PACEMAKER
Kathryn Tottenham (centre) and Prunella Dobbs (left) with Romantic Fashion. Also pictured are Mick Tottenham (second left), Caroline Shortt and Charlie Tottenham
new gallop in nearby Ashford. She explained: “This has been such a help. It’s a straight gallop with an incline and is great for fine-tuning. It’s only 15 minutes away and means we don’t have to go to the Curragh for that kind of work any more, which was always a marathon and very costly.” Among the new owners already on her jumping roster is breeder Kathryn Tottenham, based in the nearby, historic Ballycurry House. The 1,300-acre property has been in her husband Charles’s family for more than 200 years and is key to Tottenham’s production of horses like Romantic Fashion. The breeder said: “I usually get somebody else to do the getting on and breaking bit, then I school them afterwards. We’ve a wonderful place here to ride. We have good woodland
horses this season and has five four-yearolds waiting in the wings that cost a total of €184,700 at the sales last summer. These include the €66,000 son of Milan, Aqua Traverse, and the €65,000 son of Scorpion, Lieutenant.
HRI moves to lessen the load Horse Racing Ireland has pledged to reduce its costs to owners and trainers by 10% this year.
with lots of paths and I find it is quite good for getting them going.” Tottenham has a background in eventing and breeding sport horses and ponies, but began buying thoroughbred foals in the late 2000s with a view to building a broodmare team. Romantic Fashion is likely to be the star of that after landing a bumper and maiden hurdle impressively. She is the first horse Tottenham has had in training with Dobbs and will not be the last. Tottenham added: “I’m forever going up to see Romantic Fashion on the gallops, even in the wind and the rain earlier in the year. Prunella has a good horse background; she’s been involved in eventing and hunting and a lot of the other equine industries, and I particularly like her attention to detail.”
It will drop prices for all services in a move it expects will save clients a total of €311,000 each year. In addition it will increase prize-money by 5%, making the total spend €48.5 million and the new minimum value for a race €7,500. HRI have also boosted its contribution to the Turf Club’s integrity services by €167,000 to assist with equine forensic testing in light of major doping issues that arose in Britain last year.
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