Gold Phoenix Breeder: ‘We’re All Delighted – It’s A Good Advert For Irish Racing’

In becoming the latest Grade I-winning import for trainer Phil D'Amato at Santa Anita on Sunday, Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) advertised the quality Ireland has to offer the international buyers, according to the horse's breeder Jim Ryan of Milltown Stud. 

Gold Phoenix stormed to Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. glory for D'Amato, who has done similarly-well with Irish-breds Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in recent times.

It was the gelding's debut victory at Dundalk for Kieran Cotter in 2021 that caught the attention of his current connections, for which Gold Phoenix has gone from strength to strength, culminating with that $250,000 race success at Santa Anita.

Ryan said, “We're all delighted. It's great to see a horse that you bred go on and do well. He has a very nice full-brother yearling here, too, and he's very like Gold Phoenix. The mare [Magnifica (Mizzen Mast)] is in foal to Lucky Vega (Ire), which is great, because it's the same cross so we look forward to that. She is due to foal in the next few weeks.”

Gold Phoenix, who Ryan bred and raced in partnership with the late Dr. Kai Chah Tan, owner of Dragon Pulse (Ire), failed to sell at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale in 2019. Having picked up the mare almost 10 years ago at Keeneland for $70,000, Ryan was convinced her Belardo [who now stands at Bearstone Stud] yearling was better than the market gave him credit for and decided to place him in training, a decision that has been handsomely rewarded. 

Ryan recalled, “Time goes by quickly–I bought the mare at Keeneland nearly 10 years ago now and she has worked out to be lucky for us. I liked Mizzen Mast and she was a good-looking mare by him. She was also a winner and her own brother won the Hong Kong Derby. It's a great Juddmonte family and, with a Juddmonte family, anything can happen at any time. It's just a case of changing the matings up and sometimes that works. In this case, obviously it did.”

He added, “Gold Phoenix was always a very good-looking horse. He always looked like he would make a good racehorse and that's why we went back to Belardo again. We don't normally do that but, because Gold Phoenix was so nice, we did. 

“He was a lovely foal and a lovely yearling, very light on his feet and a great walker, but that's the way sales go-it's just fashion. We'd belief in him. If they are not making enough and we have faith in them, we don't mind bringing them home and putting a saddle on them. We are always prepared to do that.”

As well as signaling out D'Amato for high praise, Ryan pointed out that the victory advertised yet again Dundalk racecourse, and more importantly Irish racing as a whole, as being a proper nursery ground for future top-notchers. 

He said, “It's extraordinary how well Phil D'Amato has done with his European-bred horses and it's a great advert for Dundalk racecourse. For horses that can come out of there and run well all over the world, I think it's a great advertisement for the track and the people who are running it. “There will be more buyers for owners in Ireland now that people know that this sort of success can happen. It's a good advert for Irish racing.

“It was also Belardo's first Grade I winner, so you'd have to be delighted about that as well. Belardo is a lovely horse and represents more success for Ballylinch Stud and John O'Connor who bred him.”

Ocean Quest | Racingfotos.com

After Dr. Tan passed away, Ryan was bolstered by the support of long-time friend John Kirkland, who enjoyed notable success with homebreds Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) and Ocean Vision (Ire) (US Navy Flag) last year. In fact, Ocean Quest landed the first maiden of the year at the Curragh for Jessica Harrinton last term while Ocean Vision became Tim Donworth's first listed winner in France. Both horses spearhead what is said to be a promising string of about a half-dozen horses that Kirkland has in training in France and Ireland this year. 

Ryan said, “We bred Gold Phoenix on behalf of Dr. Tan, which is Mighty Universe, and raced him in partnership with him. Sadly, Dr. Tan passed away a year-and-a-half ago, and that was a very sad time for us. It was a shame that he wasn't alive to see what Gold Phoenix achieved. He had a lot of success, including with Dragon Pulse, and a lot of horses he bred here in Ireland went on and enjoyed success in Singapore for him. He was a great man and went way before his time.” 

He added, “John Kirkland owns Ocean Quest and Ocean Vision in partnership with me. He's been a big supporter of us over the past two years and is a great partner to have. John has been a friend for over 25 years and, when Dr Tan passed away, he decided to take up the mantle. 

“We have a half-dozen horses to look forward to this year and we'd be hoping that Ocean Quest could make up into a nice 3-year-old. She may even be a Commonwealth Cup type but she will start off in the Guineas Trial at Leopardstown first to see if she gets the seven furlongs. We'll play it by ear. 

“Ocean Vision was third in Doha over a mile last week. That was his first time over a mile and he stayed really well. John is enjoying it and has had great success already.

“Matilda Picotte (Ire) (Sioux Nation) was also bred here. It's funny, Ocean Quest and Matilda Picotte shared the same paddock when they were younger and, when they ran in the Ballyhane S. last year, they were drawn either side of the track and raced for different trainers but just a short-head separated them in the finish. It was quite extraordinary.”

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“You Live In Hope” – Retired Vet Bids to Build on Biggest Breeding Success

Fergus Cousins, the retired vet who bred GII San Clemente S. winner Bellabel (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}), described that Del Mar triumph as his best moment in racing.

Bellabel, formally trained by Jessica Harrington in Ireland, won the Grade II contest on debut for Philip D'Amato, sparking hopes that bigger and better things could be coming in the sales ring for her breeder.

Cousins has four broodmares at his base in Dunshaughlin in County Meath. He bought Fashion Line (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), the dam of Bellabel, for €32,000 at the November Mares Sale at Goffs in 2017 off Darley.

He explained, “I have four mares at the moment. For some reason or another, I have had a lot more fillies than colts.

“I am a retired vet. I worked with the Department of Agriculture. We bought the farm in Dunshaughlin 30 years ago and I have been breeding for over 10 years now.”

He added, “This would be my biggest success and hopefully we can do even better with the mare's progeny. You live in hope.”

Peter Kelly of Ballybin Stud has consigned horses for Cousins for over 10 years. He recalls Bellabel being “big and backward” as a yearling and revealed how he couldn't help but smile to himself when he read her trainer's comments about the filly in the TDN last week.

He explained, “We've been selling for Fergus for over 10 years now. We've had some great days with him, in the ring and cheering on his stock on the track, but he hasn't enjoyed anything like what Bellabel achieved over the weekend. It was his best moment in racing.

“He bought the mare from Godolphin and we had Bellabel for the yearling sales. She was quite big and looked a bit backward. She was in a couple of sales but it was the time when some of them were moved to England so we threw her out into the field for six weeks and it was the best thing we ever did as she came back in and we went for the later sale–the Tattersalls Ireland Flat Breeding Stock Sale–in December.

“She bloomed and was a totally different filly for those extra six weeks or so that she got. We were expecting that she might stand out a little bit and she made €33,000, which wasn't a bad price, and Belardo had done well with his first crop at that stage so everything had fallen into place for her. She walked her way into a sale–she was a massive walker, quite typical of the mare actually.”

He added, “We were reading Phil D'Amato in the TDN last week. He was speaking about the European fillies that he bought and mentioned that he backed off Bellabel and gave her time. We were saying, 'that's the story of her life,' as she's a big filly and the bit of time has been her friend.”

 

Fashion Line has a Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) yearling filly (lot 424) and Profitable (Ire) filly foal that will soon go under the hammer. With the mare back in foal to Belardo, hopes are high that Bellabel's success can be built upon.

Kelly said, “There's a yearling half-sister by Holy Roman Emperor and she's going to Fairyhouse Part 1. She's a big mover, a similar type to the mare. She also has a Profitable filly foal and he went back to the well with Belardo as she's in foal to him. I'm delighted for Fergus.”

 

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Time Test Breeding Right Tops Goffs Online Sale

A breeding right to young National Stud stallion Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was last year's leading European first-season sire by black-type winners with four, topped the Goffs Online Sale of Stallion Breeding Rights when fetching a bid of £100,000 from Dash Grange Stud.

A breeding right to last year's champion European first-season sire Cotai Glory (GB) was purchased by Paul Harley Bloodstock for €40,000, while Joseph Burke purchased a breeding right to Profitable (Ire) for €35,000. Burke, who brokered the deal for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners to purchase Profitable's G2 Queen Mary S. winner Quick Suzy (Ire) last year, said, “All my clients and partners keep our mares at Oghill House Stud where Hugh Hyland has always been a big believer in Profitable. Sure enough, two of the sire's three stakes-winning 2-year-olds thus far have been produced at Oghill–Quick Suzy and Mr Professor– so we hope to emulate that success once again.

“I was fortunate enough to be able to secure Goffs graduate Quick Suzy privately on behalf of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners prior to her winning the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, a day we'll never forget, so I'm a big fan. Considering Profitable didn't win a group race until he was four, he has made a hugely encouraging start to his career and we think he has a very bright future.”

Breeding rights to Territories (Ire) and Belardo (Ire) sold for £18,000 and €16,500, respectively.

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “Today's online sale completes a successful week for Goffs and marks a first for the company–selling horses in a traditional, physical sale and also in an online only auction in the same week. It demonstrates the ever-growing capabilities and ongoing innovation of Goffs to be able to conduct auctions in both spheres and it has been very pleasing to see all five of the breeding rights sell. The sale has provided a solid platform on which we can grow and we look forward to expanding our online sales offer in the future.”

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Speed Sires In Bolger’s Plans For 2022

As he prepares his runners for the upcoming flat season, Jim Bolger is also keeping a watchful eye on his breeding stock. The master trainer may be juggling the education of his runners with the oversight of his broodmares and youngstock, but Bolger has proven mighty adept at this kind of multi-tasking in the past: as has been well-documented, Bolger breeds many of his own runners, often going back two or three generations on both the top and bottom of the pedigree. His 2021 G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. winner Poetic Flare (Ire) is by his homebred sire Dawn Approach (Ire) out of his homebred mare Maria Lee (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). He also trained Dawn Approach's sire, the Derby winner New Approach (Ire). New Approach sired Bolger's 2021 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney (Ire), who returns for a 4-year-old campaign this year. Bolger also bred Mac Swiney's damsire Teofilo (Ire) and Mac Swiney's first two dams.

It is no surprise that New Approach and Dawn Approach, as well as Bolger's “favourite sire” Teofilo (Ire), will feature prominently in his 2022 mating plans. But Bolger is also mixing in some young, fast sires to inject some speed into his families.

Bolger, who on Christmas Day celebrated his 80th birthday, explained that while he “would have a good idea” at this point as to his mating plans, he doesn't set them in stone until after his mares foal.

“Because I have access to so many stallions, and some of them we would have used in the last covering season, we're waiting to have a look at the foals first,” he said.

Looking for “speed up to a mile”, Bolger said, he will send eight mares to leading third-crop sire Mehmas (Ire) in 2022. Also fitting that bill on his list are Profitable (Ire), Galileo Gold (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Belardo (Ire) and Space Blues (Ire).

“We used to be told–though I don't hear so much about it in recent years–that when you're breeding staying horses you need to go back to speed every now and then,” Bolger said. “It may not get you a great result in the first instance, but the progeny of the progeny of the speed attempt could be capable of getting you a Classic horse. In recent years some of the owner/breeders have been sending their Oaks winners to Derby winners and they seem to be making out alright. Whether that will continue now or not, I just don't know. I suspect that sometime in the future with those sorts of families that those breeders will be going back and trying to inject some speed.”

Darley's G1 King's Stand S. winner Profitable was fourth on last year's first-season sires' table and sired three stakes winners, including the G2 Queen Mary S. scorer Quick Suzy (Ire).

“Profitable doesn't have a terribly strong pedigree himself except that he's by a very good sire and a sire of sires,” Bolger said. “He's a gorgeous horse and a very good mover, and was a very good racehorse himself.”

G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Lockinge S. winner Belardo got off to a fast start in 2020, siring four first-crop stakes winners. The Kildangan Stud resident was quieter in 2021, with just one black-type winner, but the son of Lope De Vega has started 2022 on the right note with Bellabel (Ire) winning the Listed Blue Norther S. at Santa Anita.

“He's a nice horse,” Bolger said of Belardo. “I trained some of his family and I liked them. I felt he was a horse with a chance, so much so that I bought a share in him, and I'll continue to use the share.”

Another young Kildangan stallion that will get Bolger's support this year is the four-time middle-distance Group 1 winner and 2020 world's highest-rated horse Ghaiyyath (Ire). Bolger said he has selected the son of Dubawi (Ire) based on his racecourse merits, and also to save face with Ghaiyyath's breeder.

“He's a world champion, so why wouldn't you use him?” Bolger reasoned. “Plus, if I don't use him, Dermot Weld won't talk to me again.”

Bolger will also support a pair of young Newmarket-based stallions in Time Test (GB), the sire of four first-crop stakes winners last year, and Masar (Ire), the son of his Derby winner New Approach who has his first yearlings next year. Bolger said he has earmarked a mare by Sea The Stars he purchased at the December Sales for Time Test.

“I'm doing something that I don't tend to do, and I'm going with the mob,” Bolger said. “Time Test is one of the talking horses at the moment, and he has got off to a great start, so it would seem to be not a very big risk, and he's a great-looking horse.”

Masar won the G3 Solario S. at two and was a first Derby winner in the Godolphin blue at three, in addition to winning the G3 Craven S.

“He's a very good-looking horse himself and a very good-moving horse,” Bolger said. “You don't need me to tell you about his racing achievements, but I think he's a horse that could do very well. I'm very happy to use him; I'll be guaranteed to get horses that will be effective beyond a mile.”

Bolger will send 12 mares to his former star pupil New Approach, who like his son Masar resides at Dalham Hall Stud. Bolger is responsible for breeding and training New Approach's only two multiple Group 1 winners, Dawn Approach and Mac Swiney, and Dawn Approach, who started his stud career at Kildangan, was brought back to Bolger's Redmondstown Stud last year just months before Poetic Flare recorded his Group 1 double. Despite that, Bolger said there hasn't been much outside interest in Dawn Approach, a reality that suits him just fine.

“I don't know the reason for that, but I don't mind having the sole rights, so to speak,” he said. “It suits me fine to be able to send so many mares to him.” Bolger said he is expecting 2022 to be another good year for Dawn Approach; he has 12 to 15 homebred 2-year-olds by him in the yard, as well as others for clients. “I have a nice crop by him so I'm expecting him to do well,” he said.

The same goes for Teofilo, who will get 25 Bolger mares at Kildangan.

“He's given me two Classic winners already and I'm expecting to do well with his progeny this year,” Bolger said. “I have 2-year-olds by him and some 3-year-olds that didn't get the business done at two, so I'd be looking forward to a very good year with them.”

Bolger's stallion selections for 2022 are completed by Parish Hall (Ire), Vocalised and Verbal Dexterity (Ire), who stand at Redmondstown alongside Dawn Approach and will get “a few mares each.” And given Bolger's habit of drawing the very best from his stock as both a breeder and a trainer, any of them are fair game to produce the next big horse from Coolcullen.

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