Month: September 2022

Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit Focused On Communication To Plan For HISA’s Anti-Doping And Medication Control Program

The following update on the activities of the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) was delivered to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's board of directors on September 26, 2022, by HIWU Executive Director Ben Mosier.

In May, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced that it had selected Drug Free Sport International, a global leader in the sport drug testing industry, to build HISA's independent Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) enforcement agency through the establishment of the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU).

Following HISA's submission of the rules for its ADMC Program to the Federal Trade Commission for approval and HIWU's announcement of key leadership hires in August, HIWU has been focused on five key areas in preparation for the implementation of HISA's ADMC Program on January 1, 2023:

Expanding the HIWU Team

This summer, HIWU hired Kate Mittelstadt and Michelle Pujals to serve as HIWU's chief of operations and general counsel, respectively. They both came to us with extensive backgrounds in sports and anti-doping matters, and we are already benefiting from their expertise within our rapidly growing unit. By the end of October, we expect to have a team of at least 20 full-time staff members. That group will include a chief of science, which is a critical leadership role for us. We aim to have approximately 35 full-time staff members by the end of 2022.

The new hires will primarily serve in roles focused on sample collection administration, testing operations, compliance, quality assurance, education and industry outreach, state racing commission relations, collaboration with laboratories, investigations, and technology.

State Racing Commission Outreach

Cooperation with state racing commissions will be central to our success. Since late August, we have initiated conversations with all 22 state racing commissions currently under HISA jurisdiction, with the objective of identifying ways we can best work together to implement the ADMC rules and protocols next year. The meetings have centered on the draft rules, sample collection personnel in the field, and support in the processes that the states may still oversee in consultation with HIWU, as well as enforcement mechanisms. Conversations will continue with state racing commissions in the coming weeks with the goal of reaching cooperative agreements with each.

Sample Collection Procedures

The ADMC Program cannot be effective without sound collection protocols and buy-in from sample collection personnel. Our goal is to maintain as much continuity as possible in terms of current staffing in this area. HIWU is finalizing documents and procedures for a paperless collection system to be used in the field, in nationwide test distribution planning, and for sample collection equipment. We will provide collection personnel across the country with the proper training and support to carry out the ADMC Program's sample collection regulations.

Accredited Laboratory Outreach

The laboratory accreditation protocols and standards outlined in the ADMC Program represent a comprehensive approach to ensuring sample integrity and accurate results. To ensure uniformity in the application of the new rules, laboratory procedures and testing standards must be harmonized across states and racing jurisdictions. To this end, HIWU is working to identify and build partnerships with the top laboratory facilities in the country to satisfy the sample analysis and reporting requirements of the ADMC Program. To date, we have been in communication with all nine laboratories accredited by the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium regarding the administration of HIWU's testing regime, and meetings will continue as we work toward the January 1, 2023, implementation date.

Industry Education

HIWU is developing education materials to help ensure all Thoroughbred racing participants, including state racing commissions, owners, jockeys, racetrack personnel, stewards, veterinarians, and other stakeholders, understand the ins and outs of the ADMC Program before it goes into effect. We recognize that robust education efforts that engage all relevant stakeholders will be instrumental in achieving a smooth and successful rollout in the new year. Our education approach will focus on ensuring each group of racing participants is well-versed in the information most relevant to their role in implementing and complying with the ADMC Program.

We are in the process of planning both virtual and in-person education sessions. Additionally, bilingual educational materials will be distributed to all relevant groups and housed on a new HIWU website that will be launched shortly.

As part of our efforts in the aforementioned focus areas, we have been utilizing the extensive knowledge of our five-person Advisory Council. Together, its members bring decades of anti-doping, equine, scientific, investigatory, and legal experience to the table, and their insights have been invaluable as the ADMC Program's launch date approaches. Besides monthly group calls with the Advisory Council, we have hosted one in-person workshop and intend to organize a second meeting before the end of the year. Additionally, we maintain frequent correspondence with each member individually to utilize respective skillsets.

As you know, this is a critical period for both HIWU and HISA as we prepare to execute the second of the Authority's two major programs, following the rollout of the Racetrack Safety Program this summer.

I want to thank you for your support of HIWU and our mission to safeguard the integrity of this sport and the well-being of its athletes, both human and equine.

About the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) was established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International (DFSI) to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program. The ADMC Program, which will be effective as of January 1, 2023, will create a centralized testing and results management process and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the U.S. HIWU will oversee testing, educate stakeholders on the new program, accredit laboratories, investigate potential violations, and prosecute any such violations.

About the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)

HISA was established when the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into federal law in 2020 and is responsible for drafting and enforcing uniform safety, anti-doping and medication control rules in Thoroughbred racing in the U.S. Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission, HISA was created to implement, for the first time, a national, uniform set of rules applicable to every Thoroughbred racing participant and racetrack facility. HISA is composed of two programs: the Racetrack Safety Program, which went into effect on July 1, 2022; and the ADMC Program.

The post Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit Focused On Communication To Plan For HISA’s Anti-Doping And Medication Control Program appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Taking Stock: Dr. Settle’s Dream is a Winner

Was it divine intervention?

As the story goes, sometime in late 1923 or early 1924, a Kentucky pastor, Rev. Dr. Thomas Settle, convinced some state legislators in Frankfort not to end legalized gambling in Kentucky by repealing parimutuel wagering, much to the relief of the Kentucky Jockey Club and other concerned horsemen. Most ministers may have taken the opposite tack at the time, but not Dr. Settle, and this made him stand out. A well-travelled Englishman who'd found his way to a small congregation on Main St. and Bell Ct. in Lexington, Dr. Settle had loved horses from youth and worked at a track early in life, and he also had personal and practical experience with gambling (which he regretted). He argued that repealing the law that made wagering at the track legal would lead to the proliferation of unregulated and illegal gambling with bookmakers, which he considered a greater evil.

Apparently his Oscar-like performance swayed enough lawmakers to put the brakes on the Bennett Bill. Dr. Settle's delivery was compelling without being over the top, and it was characterized with such words as “voiced,” “spoken,” “tell it,” “preach,” and “narrate.” For his efforts, grateful horsemen in the state and from across the country who'd heard of his defense raised money to build him a new church in Lexington, and inscribed on a plaque within its tower walls is this poignant acknowledgement: “To the Glory of God This Church Is Given to Him by the Lovers of the Horse From All Over the Country As A Token of Appreciation of Their Father's Goodness to His Children – Man.” It's dated 1926.

Religion, politics, and money have long been historically intertwined in horse racing in Kentucky, and what's actually known nowadays as Historical Horse Racing (HHR), Kentucky's equivalent to the slots that has propped up racing and breeding in other states, is very much a part of the present landscape in a state that's the center of the breeding industry in the U.S. HHR games have fueled purse monies in Kentucky to such an extent that the recent Kentucky Downs meet, for example, featured $150,000 maiden races, $500,000 Listed races, and several $1 million Grade ll and Grade lll events. HHR, to understate it, has been a boon to Kentucky horsemen, but horsemen take nothing for granted now. They know winds can change path in a heartbeat, and they have organized groups like the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) to advocate for Kentucky's most famous industry. Several of the movers and shakers behind the scenes are the younger generation like Case Clay of Three Chimneys, the chairman of KEEP, and Price Bell of Mill Ridge, a board member.

Kentucky, let's face it, is a socially conservative state, and despite its starring role in the racing/breeding industry as the home of the Gl Kentucky Derby–the most famous race in the country–and of such outstanding stallions, among others, as Gainesway's Tapit, sire of the undefeated Flightline, widely considered the best horse in training on the planet at the moment; Spendthrift's Into Mischief, sire of Flightline's chief challenger, Life Is Good; and Three Chimneys's Gun Runner, who is represented so far by a jaw-dropping six Grade l winners from his first crop of 3-year-olds, including two Grade l winners and five overall stakes winners Saturday, there's still plenty of opposition to HHR from those who view it as nothing more than a game of chance that's a contributor to moral and societal decay.

This friction between anti-and pro-gambling forces in Kentucky has existed for more than a hundred years, and horsemen have walked a tightrope protecting their interests for just as long. They're just better organized now than during the time of Dr. Settle, but, ironically, a parimutuel issue was once again at the center of the most recent storm that could have had dire ramifications. In February of 2021, HHR, which has been around for a decade, had to be legally written into law as a parimutuel game by Kentucky legislators after the Kentucky Supreme Court said parts of it were not and were therefore potentially illegal. After heated debate, both the House and the Senate passed legislation that included HHR within the definition of parimutuel betting, and it was signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear on Feb. 22, 2021.

But Case Clay said it “came down to the wire,” and the final score–the votes to pass in both chambers were comfortable enough on the surface–didn't represent the closeness of the game.

“The HHR vote underlined the relevance of KEEP,” said Clay. “Relationship building with legislators is an important function of KEEP, and it's something we work on to advocate for the industry.”

Headley Bell, managing partner at Mill Ridge and Price Bell's father, understands relationship building. Mill Ridge threw a party on the Thursday evening after the first four days of selling at Keeneland, and guests included members of the Lexington community outside racing circles, as well as those within it. Linda Gorton, the mayor of Lexington, and Steve Kay, the vice-mayor, were also present, as were representatives of Horse Country Inc., a group of farms and businesses that provides educational tours “dedicated to sharing the stories of Kentucky's Horse Country.” Mill Ridge, with its storied history, is one of many destinations.

Dr. Settle's Dream

Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy) stands at Mill Ridge and occupies the same one-stall stallion barn that once housed the excellent sire Diesis (GB) years ago. Oscar got his 10th first-crop winner Friday when first-time starter Dr. Settle's Dream won a New York-bred maiden special on turf at Belmont-at-Aqueduct for Byron Nimocks's Circle N Thoroughbreds. The win was particularly satisfying for Headley Bell, not only as another winner for the farm's sire, but also because he'd bought the colt for new friend and client Nimocks at OBS June for $30,000 through his Nicoma agency. And how about this? Bell is a longtime member of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Main St. and Bell Ct. that Dr. Settle built, and Bell said that Nimocks's family “is very involved with the church” as well, hence the name of the colt.

Dr. Settle's Dream was bred by Scott Pierce in New York. His first two dams, Voiced, by War Front, and Spoken, by Unbridled's Song, respectively, haven't yet produced any stakes horses, but his Storm Cat third dam Tell It has a stakes winner to her credit, and his fourth dam is Preach, a Grade I winner by Mr. Prospector and the dam of the highly influential stallion Pulpit. The fifth dam is the Honest Pleasure mare Narrate. Not only that, the colt's first seven dams were bred by the Hancocks of Claiborne (the dam was bred by Claiborne in partnership with Adele B. Dilschneider), and Dr. Settle's Dream's seventh dam is Monarchy, a full-sister to Round Table. Bell was no doubt attracted to this long and deep line of Hancock mares, and perhaps their names elicited a smile when he'd zeroed in on the colt.

The gregarious Price Bell is general manager at Mill Ridge and runs the farm's day-to-day operations. I ran into him outside the Mill Ridge consignment on the Sunday before the Keeneland sale began, and we had a conversation about Mill Ridge's past. He reminded me that it was Bull Hancock who'd purchased Sir Ivor for Raymond Guest at the 1966 Keeneland summer sale, paying $42,000 for the future English Derby winner and European champion that Alice Chandler (as Mrs. Reynolds W. Bell), Headley's mother, had bred. Hal Price Headley, Alice Chandler's father, was one of the founders of Keeneland, and Bull Hancock's father, A. B. Hancock Sr., was one of its first trustees.

One thing led to another as we were discussing history and the relationships between the two families, and Price said he had an interesting article for me to read. From his phone he sent it to me right there. It was copy from the Indianapolis Sunday Star from Jan. 16, 1927, and it was about Rev. Dr. Thomas Settle and the church that he built after defending parimutuel wagering in Frankfort. Later that week when I spoke with  Headley and Price Bell at the Mill Ridge party, they convinced me to visit Dr. Settle's church the next day–on Friday, the dark day of selling. This was one week before the horse named after Dr. Settle won in New York.

The Church

Dr. Settle's dream was to build a magnificent church in the English Gothic style, and he realized that dream through the largesse of horsemen, who'd originally offered the minister $50,000 to put toward a house and car after his performance in Frankfort. As the story goes, Dr. Settle demurred and instead asked for donations to build a church for his community, and industry members from Kentucky and across the country responded heartily. One report states that the Thoroughbred Horse Association–Hal Price Headley was the organization's first president–alone raised more than $180,000. A.B. Hancock, Sr. was a big contributor, as were Col. E.R. Bradley of Idle Hour, J.E. Widener of Elmendorf, H.P. Whitney, Max Hirsch, and Charles Berryman (manager of Elmendorf), among many others.

Dr. Settle's attention to detail is evident in the structure as it stands today. The stained glass windows, for instance, are intricate, ornate, and expensive, and the museum-grade wood carvings are from Oberammergau, Germany, which is noted for its highly skilled craftsmen. (The well-known Oberammergau Passion Play's star at the time was the potter Anton Lang, who played Christ in the 1922 production. Lang toured the U.S. in 1923–he was on the cover of Time magazine that year–and brought with him craftsmen from Oberammergau who exhibited their carvings. It's highly likely that Dr. Settle saw or read about this and commissioned expensive works for Good Shepherd subsequently.)

There's a cautionary aspect to the Dr. Settle story, too. In his quest to realize his dream, Dr. Settle spent more than he had, and by the time he left Good Shepherd in 1929, he left the church so heavily in debt that it took years for the congregation to get clear.

But his dream survives as a magnificent house of worship for newer generations of Lexingtonians, and that's what matters.

It matters, too, that horsemen played a role in realizing Dr. Settle's dream.

Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks.

The post Taking Stock: Dr. Settle’s Dream is a Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Blackbeard’s Sister Leads Vibrant Goffs Orby Sale at €2.6 Million

By Emma Berry and Brian Sheerin

KILDARE, Ireland–The victory of Blackbeard (Ire) in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. was really just gilding the lily of his sensational juvenile season which has also given a tremendous boost to his yearling sister, who topped the opening day of the Goffs Orby Sale at €2.6 million.

From a start to proceedings at Kildare Paddocks that could be described as relentlessly solid, the auditorium suddenly filled with people around lunchtime on Tuesday as the dark brown daughter of No Nay Never entered the ring to an almost instantaneous bidding frenzy fuelled by interested parties from China, America and Britain. In the end it was Richard Knight who prevailed, adding the smart filly to a swathe of choice individuals for an unnamed individual who, it is believed, is returning to the racing scene after a hiatus.

Even without the stellar start of her brother, whose near-faultless season for Aidan O'Brien has included victories in G1 Prix Morny, G2 Prix Robert Papin and G3 Marble Hill S., the filly was adjudged to be an appealing physical specimen. Add to that the excellent record this season of her sire, the decent page of her young dam–which could yet be enhanced by a potential trip to the Breeders' Cup for Blackbeard–and a buying bench packed with international visitors, and it was a safe bet that the Glenvale Stud-consigned filly would be the day's star attraction.

A number of parties made an attempt to secure the filly, including Michael Donohoe, Amanda Skiffington, and eventual underbidder Jacob West, but none had the staying power of Knight.

“I thought she was the absolute standout of the sale, even without her brother on the page,” said the agent, who bought five yearlings at Arqana for €1.98 million and then signed for another six at Keeneland for $4,875,000.

“Just as an individual, she had everything; a lovely size, lovely shape and a very athletic filly. Every time I went to see her, she came out and did exactly what I wanted. She had the brother, the sire and we're just delighted to get her.”

He added of her lofty price tag, “It was at the top of where we thought she'd be but we really wanted her. We didn't want to leave here without her. It's very exciting. She'll go back to the UK but a trainer hasn't been decided on.”

The filly (lot 93) is the second foal of the winning Born To Sea (Ire) mare Muirin (Ire), who was fourth in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. on just her second start for Robert Moran when trained by Eddie Lynam. Four years ago she passed through the same ring as a 3-year-old and was bought for €210,000 by Laurent Benoit's Broadhurst Agency for the partners in the Newstead Breeding syndicate. Muirin also has a colt foal by No Nay Never this year.

Her consignor Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy of Glenvale Stud said, “You never expect that kind of return on any animal really. We expected her to sell very well, but we were a little more conservative in our expectation than what she made.”

He added, “Blackbeard has been a wonderful horse. He's  improved with every run and Aidan has done a very good job with him. [The filly] is quite similar [to him]; same physique, very strong, good limbs and a good mover.”

 

 

Rousing Start to the Orby

With a top price more than €1 million in excess of last year's sale-topper, the average for the first day of trade shot up by 25% to €129,269, but the market had plenty of depth to it as well, as the median of €100,000 (+33%) demonstrates. Turnover for the 208 yearlings sold from 237 offered (88%) weighed in at €26,888,000, a rise of 37%.

A total of 104 yearlings sold for six- or seven-figure sums on Tuesday compared to 139 across the whole of last year's Orby Sale.

Well-bred fillies were the order of the day and lot 215, a Galileo (Ire) daughter of Royal Ascot heroine Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}), proved predictably popular with Newtown Anner Stud coming out best at €750,000.

One of 11 Galileo yearlings in the sale, the daughter of the 2016 G2 Queen Mary winner attracted strong interest from Coolmore and Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, but it was PJ Colville, acting on behalf of Newtown Anner, who fought hardest.

He said, “She was our pick of the sale, we liked the cross, so let's hope she's lucky. Maurice [Regan] is trying to build a broodmare band. I'll break her in myself and we'll make a decision about where she's trained around Christmas time.”

The pedigree of last year's top lot was on display again in the catalogue and the sister to Starry Eyed (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was third on debut for Aidan O'Brien last Friday at Dundalk, took high order at Goffs when bought by Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland for €430,000. The agent declined to name his client, whom he described as an owner-breeder who races horses in Ireland.

Bred by Coolmore Stud and Phoenix Thoroughbreds, lot 111 is the second foal of the Grade I-winning juvenile Nickname (Scat Daddy) and was consigned by Baroda Stud.

 

Night's Good Day

Night Of Thunder (Ire) is currently responsible for the fastest filly in Europe in John Fairley's treble Group 1 winner Highfield Princess (Fr) and he featured prominently among the leading sires at the Orby. After signing for the Galileo filly, Michael Donohoe added Mountarmstrong's Night Of Thunder filly out of G1 Matron S. winner No Speak Alexander (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) to his list of purchases at €525,000.

Lot 164 is also entitled to be pretty fast when she hits the racetrack as she is a daughter of the Listed Prix La Flèche winner Rapacity Alexander (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), herself a full-sister to the G1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Peniaphobia (Ire).

Two years ago, Shadwell bought Zanbaq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from the Orby Sale for £450,000 and a timely update from that filly in Friday's Listed Rosemary S at Newmarket will have done no harm to her yearling half-sister by Night Of Thunder (Ire) who was bought by Mark McStay for €350,000 from her breeder Roundhill Stud.

For Roundhill's Bobby Donworth and Honora Corridan this is a family that just keeps giving. The filly's dam Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal) is a winning full-sister to Group 2 winners Puissance De Lune (Ire) and Queen Power (Ire), as well as being a three-quarter-sibling to G1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Another sister, Serena's Storm (Ire) (Statue Of Liberty), is the dam of dual Group 1 victrix Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and multiple group winner and Group 1 runner-up Summer Romance (Ire) (Kingman {GB}).

“You're talking to a very happy man. I thought she was gorgeous,” said McStay after signing for lot 147. “She's from an outstanding family and by a top-class sire. Hopefully she'll be a good racing prospect for her new owner, who is an international owner and races horses in England, and if that person wants to breed she's a foundation mare.”

McStay had earlier bought lot 75, the Sea The Stars (Ire) three-parts-brother to Mekhtaal (GB), who was a Group 1 winner by the same stallion, for Bon Ho. The colt's dam Miss Aiglonne (GB) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is also a half-sister to the group winners Democrate (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

The agent added, “Bon Ho loves Sea The Stars and he's had a great season with Deauville Legend and James Ferguson. Hopefully that will continue with Deauville Legend, who is by the same sire, heading to Australia next month for the Melbourne Cup.”

A Night Of Thunder filly was also on the shopping list of Rabbah Bloodstock, which bought lot 220, Lodge Park Stud's first foal of the listed-placed Skill Set (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), for €340,000. The 10 Night Of Thunder yearlings sold during the first session returned an average price of €209,500.

 

Amo 'Branching Out' With Frankel Colt

Ross Doyle and Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing joined forces on the balcony to bid for lot 77, a colt by Frankel (GB) out of the G1 EP Taylor S winner Miss Keller (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), for €360,000. Bred by Paul Fudge's Waratah Thoroughbreds, the colt is a full-brother to New Horizons (Jpn), a four-time winner in Australia.

“His sire has done very well, the pedigree looks good, the mare is a bit older but she has produced some good horses in the past and we just liked the way he moved,” said Joorabchian. “He looked like he was gliding.”

Amo Racing bought the G2 July S winner and multiple Group 1-placed Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) at last year's Orby Sale for €225,000 through Peter and Ross Doyle.

Joorabchian continued, “We want to have all kinds [of horses]. We've had a lot of fast 2-year-olds but now we are branching out into the longer-term horses.

“We turned down a very big offer for Persian Force and he is a horse I think we will keep as a stallion. That's what we are trying to do, create our own stallions, and I think he will be one of the first. This sale has been very good for us.”

 

 

American Takeover at Goffs

The effort Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) puts in alongside Goffs to attract the American buyers looks to be paying off in spades with Jason Taylor, Mike Fowler and more contributing to the strong trade.

American agent Bo Bromagen, who described the Orby Sale on Monday as one of the highlights of his year, signed for a Churchill (Ire) filly (lot 22) for €110,000 while Ben McElroy, famed for finding Love Reigns (Ire) and Twilight Gleaming (Ire) at this sale, picked up a Gregorian (Ire) filly (lot 126) for €130,000.

ITM chief Charles O'Neill described the American buying bench to have taken over at Goffs on Tuesday and shared hopes that 60 yearlings would make their way back across the Atlantic Ocean when trade finished.

He said, “It's going really well so far. They have bought about 25 and I'm hoping that, by close of play tomorrow, they will have bought 60. That's the aim.”

O'Neill added, “Some of them got a shock today–there's a typhoon due to hit Florida so a lot of them are trying to get back or else they won't be able to get home for a while. Apart from that, it's been very promising and all the signs are good. They are after taking over.”

The Americans may have taken over but there was still room for other international players to get involved. Notable Australian-based trainer Ciaron Maher picked up one of the quirkiest entries in the sale, a Mastercraftsman (Ire) half-brother to dual Champion Chase winner Altior (Ire) (lot 86).

Consigned by Mark Dreeling's Coole House Farm, the late June-foaled colt was sold to Hamish Macauley and Maher for €150,000.

 

 

'Stars Align' For Lavery to Secure Half to Lady Kaya

As far as Sheila Lavery is concerned, there will never be another Lady Kaya (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), but her New Bay (GB) half-brother bore a striking resemblance to the G1 1000 Guineas runner-up, which is why the trainer went to €80,000 to secure the colt from Ballylinch Stud.

Lavery has had a productive sale season, picking up the highly sought after Footstepsinthesand (GB) half-brother to Erosandpsyche (Ire) (Sepoy {Aus}) at Tattersalls Ireland last week, and admitted at Goffs on Tuesday that she'd have bought more yearlings this autumn had it not been for the staffing crisis.

But lot 13 was never going to be left behind. The colt may not have been the best-looking horse at the Orby Sale, according to Lavery, but it was that striking resemblance to Lady Kaya that convinced the trainer that he was worth fighting for.

She said, “All the stars aligned. He didn't fall into everyone's category because he is narrow and maybe a little bit weak but, for me, he is very much like Lady Kaya. The physical is quite similar and Lady Kaya's racing weight was only ever 415kg. The full-sister who sold here last year [the unraced Lady Primrose (Ire)] was an out-and-out Dandy Man. This horse is more like Lady Kaya–even the walk is similar.”

Lavery added, “I didn't think I'd be able to get him but he wasn't everybody's cup of tea. I didn't mind the fact that he was a bit small and narrow because I knew what Lady Kaya was.”

Lavery's New Energy (Ire), another son of Ballylinch's hugely popular stallion New Bay, has put the stable in lights this season by finishing second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

Despite this, the trainer stated that she is not coloured by sires and puts much more emphasis on broodmare sires when it comes to stocking up at the yearling sales.

She said, “I have a certain criteria. I wouldn't follow a stallion. There are a few that I am partial to, say for example Dandy Man has been very lucky for me, but when I am looking at stallions, the broodmare sire means more to me. I'd put more importance on that. There are a few sires that I would knock off, but not many.”

New Energy, last seen finishing second in a Group 2 at Doncaster, is on course to tackle the G1 Prix de la Foret and is not for sale at any price.

On future plans for her stable star and sharing how the sale circuit has gone to date, Lavery said, “Trade has been strong. I bought one at Doncaster, an Acclamation (GB) filly who I saw as a foal and really liked so I went back in and bought her there. We got a Footstepsinthesand at Fairyhouse and a very nice Dandy Man filly from Ringfort Stud.

“There is a great appetite for horses out there, which is great to see, and I'd buy more if I could get staff. That's the big problem for us and it's not getting any better. It's not just our industry, either. We're not alone in that and, given my staff work extremely hard, I'm not going to make them work any harder. I try to keep my number of horses to about 36.”

She added, “John [Lavery, the trainer's brother] could have sold New Energy multiple times but he is in it for the racing and has no interest in selling. He's seen the downside of this game with Lady Kaya, he was there the day she broke her leg, so he knows the risk he's taking. But he just loves racing and loves being at the top table.

“He'll run in the Foret and, I don't know if many people will rate him for that as maybe they see him as a miler but, after his performance at Doncaster, I think he deserves to take his chance. He's improving with every start–mentally and physically–so the best may yet be to come.”

 

Hugh Hyland Remembered at Goffs

Amid a buoyant day of trade, there was a note of sadness at Goffs at the news of the passing of Hugh Hyland of nearby Oghill House Stud.

An immensely popular man, Hyland died on Monday. With his late brother Pat, who died in February 2021, and his son John, he ran the successful Kildare-based family farm. Hyland's brothers David and Paul are also involved in the business and are the breeders, respectively, of G1 Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) and Washington DC (Ire), both of whom are now at stud. Washington DC was bred in partnership with friends and clients Chris and James McHale.

Other notable Oghill House Stud graduates include the Cambridgeshire winner Third Time Lucky (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) and the multiple Group 3 winner Rose Of Kildare (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), whose Fastnet Rock (Aus) half-sister sells on Wednesday as lot 411. John Hyland is overseeing the Oghill House draft for the Orby and Sportsman's Sales.

Paying tribute to Hugh Hyland on Tuesday, Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby said, “Oghill House Stud, Hugh and Pat, have been stalwart supporters of the Goffs sales, particularly of the foal sales, and both of them were a joy to deal with. Hugh was a lovely man with a great sense of humour. He was very patient and kind, and we enjoyed our business, which was mutually beneficial. With Hugh and Pat gone it is the end of an era but John is carrying on the mantle and doing a great job.”

Hyland is survived by his wife Miriam, daughter Barbara Ann and son John, grandchildren Hugh, Honor, Flora and Nicholas, and siblings Stephanie, James, Phil, Vonie, David and Paul. A Requiem Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday in St Peter & Paul's Church, Monasterevin.

Added James McHale, “Hugh was a special man, he was always warm and kind and in over twenty years of knowing him there was never a cross word between us. He taught myself and others so much about young stock and breeding. He loved horses, racing, sports and spending time with friends and family. Always good company socially, we will all remember him through many fun stories, and happy times. Deepest sympathies to Miriam, Johnny, Barbara Ann and the wider Hyland family.”

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