Month: December 2022

‘Money Was Becoming Tight’ – Madden Happy With Australia Decision

Once viewed as one of the classiest riding prospects in Ireland, Tom 'Socks' Madden pointed to the harsh realities of competing in his home nation as the driving force behind him taking the plunge and bidding to emulate Declan Bates and Johnny Allen by turning to Australia in an effort to rejuvenate his career in the saddle. 

Just over a month after he upped sticks to Australia, Madden rode his first winner for new boss Leslie Smith aboard Glitter 'N' Gold (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), after which he credited fellow Irishman Shane Jackson for advising him to make the switch. 

Jackson made that same successful move a decade ago and left nothing to chance so that Tom, the son of trainer Niall 'Boots' Madden and brother to Grand National-winning pilot Niall 'Slippers' Madden, could hit the ground running down under.

The 25-year-old said, “I've been here just over a month so to mark it with my first winner in Australia was great. Things had dried up for me in Ireland so it made sense to give this a go and I am really enjoying it.”

Madden burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old back in 2013. He rode three winners in his debut season and confirmed himself one of the most promising apprentices in the country the following year by bagging 14 wins.

His best season came in 2019 when he rode 25 winners but it was in 2020 where he claimed his most memorable prizes given he partnered Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Zaffy's Pride (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) and Barrington Court (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) to listed race success for Jessica Harrington. 

Madden remained with Harrington, where he rode as second choice to Shane Foley, until he decided to leave for Australia and pointed to the fact that the rides had largely dried up as the main reason behind the switch. 

He explained, “Jessie wasn't running much towards the end of the season and, whatever she was running, Shane was riding so there weren't many rides to go around. Money was becoming tight because I wasn't getting many rides and all I was doing was riding out for people in the mornings. 

“My brother Niall is good friends with Shane Jackson, who has made a good career for himself here in Australia, and he has been on to me for a good few years to come down and give it a go. I shelved those plans when Covid hit but I'd no excuse not to take the opportunity this year now that the restrictions have eased.”

Madden added, “Shane and his wife Lorna have been very good to me and had everything organised for when I arrived. Not only did they line up a job and somewhere for me to stay, but they also organised banking and a car for me, so I am very lucky.

“Even in the smaller races down here, there is great prize-money on offer. Obviously the city meetings are where you want to be riding at but the country tracks offer fantastic prize-money as well and it goes right down to eighth and ninth position so, every time you go racing, you're picking up a cheque. 

“I was getting by without making a lot of money in Ireland. Prize-money at home is okay and the riding fees are fine but the riding fee is nearly double out here. It's just so competitive in Ireland. It was great when I had the claim as I could ride away in the apprentice races but, when you lose your claim, things become a lot harder and it's much tougher to compete. I just found that I was tipping away okay before Covid but never really got going after it.”

Madden is not the only Irishman to sample all that Australia has to offer. Ben Coen, Jamie Powell, Scott McCullagh and Mikey Sheehy are riding in Sydney this winter but Madden, whose agent is another Irish native Robbie Kingston, brother to trainer George Kingston, is open to an extended stay. 

He said, “I have a flight back to Ireland booked for the end of January but, if things keep going the way they are going and I am still enjoying it, I could stay. I'll take things as they come and hopefully everything will work out.”

 

The post ‘Money Was Becoming Tight’ – Madden Happy With Australia Decision appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Half-Brother To Group 2 Derby Italiano Hero Dylan Mouth Steps Out At Newcastle

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to an Italian Classic hero.

13.44 Newcastle, Nov, £6,800, 2yo, 8f 5y (AWT)
Hugo Palmer trainee IMPERIAL ACE (IRE) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a 125,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 son of G3 Premio Verziere victrix Cottonmouth (Ire) (Noverre), is kin to a trio of black-type winners headed by multiple Group 1-winning G2 Derby Italiano hero Dylan Mouth (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) and dual stakes-winning G2 Derby Italiano runner-up Henry Mouth (Ire) (Henrythenavigator). His nine rivals include Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa's once-raced 400,000gns Book 1 graduate Laser Guided (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who is out of a winning half-sister to multiple Group 1 scorer and sire Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), from the Simon and Ed Crisford stable.

The post Half-Brother To Group 2 Derby Italiano Hero Dylan Mouth Steps Out At Newcastle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Hackbarth’s ‘Pursuit Of Excellence’

When she wasn't busy writing news stories or adding content to our website, taking care of her horses every morning, or giving riding lessons on weekends, Paulick Report news editor Chelsea Hackbarth found the time over the last couple of years to research and write a book that tells the stories of the founding veterinarians and shareholders at the world-renowned Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.

The book, titled “In Pursuit of Excellence: The Stories of Rood & Riddle Veterinarians,” details the lives and professional experiences of some of the top equine practitioners in the world. It is available through Rood & Riddle's online pharmacy here.

Hackbarth, a master story-teller with hands-on experience working at the track and with her own horses, is this week's Friday Show guest, joining Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills to talk about the process of researching and writing “In Pursuit Of Excellence,” and what it was like to interview some of the equine world's most respected and knowledgeable veterinarians. She recounts a day spent watching Dr. Larry Bramlage conducting surgeries and then quickly adding meticulously detailed notes into a tape recorder. “'It blew my mind,” Hackbarth said.

This week's Friday Show, which coincides with closing weekend at our year-long sponsor Woodbine, will be our final episode of 2022. We greatly appreciate Woodbine's support throughout the year, the special guests who have joined us, and all of the viewers who have tuned in.

Watch this week's episode of the Friday Show below:

The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Hackbarth’s ‘Pursuit Of Excellence’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Airdrie-Bred Girvin Fillies Meet Again in Starlet

Born just a day apart in the same foaling barn, two daughters of Girvin once roamed the same Bluegrass fields in their early days at Airdrie Stud. On Saturday, the duo will meet again as 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza and stakes-placed Blessed Touch enter the starting gate for the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Race Course.

The Brereton C. Jones-bred fillies represent two of the 20 winners this year for fast-starting first-crop stallion Girvin, who has relocated from Ocala Stud to Airdrie for the 2023 breeding season. With four stakes winners including GII Saratoga Special-winning 'Rising Star' Damon's Mound already on his list of progeny, a Grade I score on Saturday could be the bow on top of a spectacular season for Girvin as the year comes to a close.

Faiza will be the clear favorite in this weekend's lone graded contest. The Bob Baffert-trained, Michael Lund Petersen-campaigned filly earned 'Rising Star' honors on debut last month at Del Mar going six furlongs.

Out of the Smart Strike mare Sweet Pistol, who is a half to MGSW and Spendthrift sire Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile), Faiza has improved at every step of her career. A shrewd $90,000 purchase for Bet Racing at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, she was sent to Paul Sharp and went on to fetch $725,000 at this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale.

“She was a beautiful filly from the start,” Airdrie's Bret Jones recalled. “We always thought she was right at the top of that foal crop and we had her in the July Sale to try and show off what the stallion was producing. Everyone who has ever had the filly has been pretty over-the-top with her. The reports along the way have been a lot of fun to hear about and then to see it all come to fruition in that first race had us really pumped. She has the look of a very special filly.”

Blessed Touch will be another top choice in the Starlet's field of seven. The elder of the two Girvin fillies by one day, she is out of the Street Boss mare Blushing Touch and is from the family of champion Left Bank (French Deputy). A $32,000 Keeneland September purchase for Julie Davies, Blessed Touch went on to sell for $140,000 at the OBS April Sale to Pierre and Leslie Amestoy and Roger Bersley.

Trained by Tim Yakteen, the bay broke her maiden at second asking by nearly nine lengths and then ran second to talented 'Rising Star' Justique (Justify) in the Desi Arnaz S.

“Unfortunately Blessed Touch's dam has passed away, but she left behind a very nice filly,” Jones said. “She ran a winning race in the Desi Arnaz and just ran into a really good filly that day. If she can take a step forward, she has the chance to be really competitive.”

In comparing Faiza and Blessed Touch, Jones said that the two juveniles share their sire's athleticism.

“When Girvin is on the shank, I think it's his athleticism that really stands out,” Jones explained. “Both of these fillies fit that same description when they were with us. They were really athletic types and looked like they could do the job.”

Girvin raced to three graded stakes victories, including the 2017 GI Haskell Invitational S., for Brad Grady before retiring to Ocala Stud. He stood his first four years there as property of Brad and Misty Grady's Grand Oaks Farm in partnership with Airdrie Stud.

“It was a partnership that was very attractive to us,” Jones said. “It was as much about who we were partnering with as it was the horse that we were partnering on. Brad has done everything he can to help the stallion and we have done our part by sending mares down to Florida every year. Ocala Stud did a remarkable job promoting him and making sure the horse had every opportunity.”

Girvin will stand for $25,000 in 2023 | EquiSport

Girvin stood for an introductory fee of $7,500 in Florida and bred 149 mares. When that first crop hit the racetrack this year, Jones said that Girvin didn't give his partnership much of a choice when it came to where he would stand in 2023.

“We've been run over by mare submissions and the horse is essentially full. He's now at a price point of $25,000, so the mare quality that he's getting is fantastic. These are some of the top breeders in the industry that want to send mares to him. We will be breeding some of the absolute best mares in our band and Brad Grady will be doing the same, just as he has from the start.”

Jones credits Girvin's early achievements at stud to the quality of mares his partners have supported him with and the athleticism the son of Tale of Ekati showed on the racetrack that he is now passing on to his offspring.

“He's this beautiful, talented and athletic horse that maybe didn't have the sire power that people perceived as being needed to stand initially in Kentucky,” he explained. “But if you go back now after the horse has had some success, it's not too hard to see why success was always possible.”

Girvin currently ranks a close seventh on the list of leading American first-crop sires by earnings. A productive turnout from his two Starlet-bound fillies could give him an extra boost before the end of the year.

“It's a loaded group of first-crop stallions this year,” Jones said. “When you come in with a $7,500 stallion, it's going to be a tough group to compete with. But if he could put up a Grade I winner and combine that with the body of work he already has, it would be the icing on the cake of a pretty phenomenal freshman season and hopefully a harbinger of some very special days ahead.”

Bob Baffert has won the last five editions of the Starlet, and his 7-5 morning line favorite Faiza will make her two-turn debut alongside stablemates Doinitthehardway (Street Sense), an improving maiden adding distance in her fourth start, and Fast and Shiny (Bernardini). The field also includes Repole Stable's Uncontrollable (Upstart), the runner-up in the GII Chandelier S., and Pride of the Nile (Pioneerof the Nile), who makes her main track debut after three promising starts on turf.

The post Airdrie-Bred Girvin Fillies Meet Again in Starlet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights