Willie Browne’s Unbeaten Port Augusta Sold For “Proper Money” To Hong Kong

Willie Browne's unbeaten Port Augusta (GB), who racked up wins over six and seven furlongs at Dundalk over the winter, has been sold for “proper money” to Hong Kong.

The legendary breeze-up handler has described his recent upsurge of form on the track as “a breath of fresh air” and, while the 77-year-old admitted to being sorry he couldn't hold on to a horse as talented as Port Augusta, he revealed the son of Zoustar (Aus) fulfilled what he was bought to do by getting sold. 

A 75,000gns Book 1 yearling, Port Augusta missed his engagement in last year's Craven Breeze-Up Sale back at Tattersalls after pulling out of the pre-breeze with a small splint. 

After being given the necessary time to recuperate, the colt went some way to proving his ability by landing back-to-back races at Dundalk, providing Browne with plenty of enjoyment in doing so. 

He explained, “I would think he will suit Hong Kong very well. He is a very sound horse and rattles off quick ground. He has a lot of pace and he stays. We haven't seen the best of this horse, not by a long way. I feel we have only been scratching the surface with him over six and seven furlongs at Dundalk and, if he got a fast pace to aim at over a mile, he could be a serious horse. He's out of a very good race mare [Ship Of Dreams (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire})] and he's very good-looking himself. 

“I thought I might be able to hold on to him and take him to Dubai but he wasn't bought for that and came to me to get sold rather than to race. I got my days in the sun with him and it's good money to get. Proper money.”

Browne added, “He went to the Craven and did the preliminary canter but was slightly lame that evening. We couldn't figure it out. We thought he had given himself a little twist or something. On the morning of the breeze proper, he was still a little off and we discovered that he had a tiny splint halfway down the inside of his shin. We had to withdraw him and give him time. It's probably been a blessing in disguise for this horse.”

Browne may be best known for his breeze-up exploits but his Tipperary stable has been represented by some classy performers in recent times. Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), winner of the Listed Star Appeal S. at Dundalk, famously took Browne to the Breeders' Cup in 2022 before transferring to Andre Fabre. In the past three seasons, Browne has sent out a hugely respectable tally of 15 winners domestically. 

“To say I am enjoying it would be putting it mildly now,” the veteran operator chuckled. “It's been a breath of fresh air. We've been terribly lucky to get a half dozen nice horses at the same time over the winter. Sure I didn't know myself. They've all done their job and the next trick is to try and replace a few of them, which isn't easy.”

Asked if would consider buying a few more yearlings specifically to race rather than to breeze, given how much he has enjoyed his trips to the races in recent times, Browne replied, “I'd say not, to be honest, and there's two reasons why. Number one, I am too old to start doing that and number two, it's very hard to separate the two in terms of deciding that this yearling is for racing and this one isn't. You would only complicate the thing too much and then you would become known as a trainer. It could affect the main business, which is the breeze-ups.

“No is the short answer. I wouldn't buy specifically to go down the road of racing but what I would love is for somebody else to send me a horse. But I'm not stupid enough to think that, at 77 years of age, there'll be a queue of people wanting to send me a horse. For me to go buying yearlings and start putting them into different boxes wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be good for business.”

At 77 years of age, Browne has made it clear that he is not going to go reinventing himself or anything crazy like that. But one thing's for sure, the man who has blooded many top-notchers under the banner of Mocklershill still gets as big a kick out of the game as ever before. 

He concluded, “It's not that easy to explain what the kick of training winners is because it's very different to breezing horses. Once you breeze them, okay you follow them for their new connections, but your input is finished. When you're training them and get them ready for a race and go out the next morning and look at them in the box and admire them, it's a great feeling. There's huge job satisfaction when you can prepare your horse to go and win a few nice races. That's my idea of heaven.”

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‘It’s Taken Its Toll’ – Sarah Lynam Forced To Press Pause On Training Career

Sarah Lynam has been forced to press pause on her training career after a number of serious falls and concussions has left her with no other option but to take time out from the profession in order to recuperate fully. 

Daughter of Eddie Lynam, who earned the nickname of 'Fast Eddie' through his handling of superstar sprinters Sole Power (GB), Slade Power (Ire) and more, Sarah took out her licence in 2017 and sent out 25 winners from the same Dunshaughlin base as her father. 

Winning a valuable Curragh handicap with Additional (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), owned by her uncle John Lynam, was put forward as a career highlight by Sarah, whose handling of Tyrconnell (Ire) (Bated Breath  {GB}) and Juyush (GB) (Frankel {GB}) also earned plenty of plaudits. 

Lynam said, “I don't really want to stop. I've had a good few concussions over the years and in 2023 alone I had three. I haven't been able to take time off to let the brain heal and, basically, I can't heal properly unless I take time out. A smaller operation like mine, I have to work all day every day in order to keep the whole thing going. I don't mind doing it but the neurologist told me that perhaps I should think about taking some time out. 

“I am lucky that I have the facilities here and Horse Racing Ireland have told me that the licence can lie dormant for up to three years should I decide to take it back out. I would have liked to have achieved more, and I hope I will still, but it's just been difficult recently.”

Additional bagged a €25,000 handicap at the Curragh on just his second start for Lynam while Juyush racked up a three-timer at Dundalk in the winter of 2020 and climbed 24lbs in the process. Stable stalwart Tyrconnell also flourished under the Lynam banner by winning six times at Dundalk and Laytown respectively. Nevertheless, Lynam says she feels as though she still has unfinished business as a trainer and is not ruling out a return to the game in time. 

She said, “I'm proud of what I did but nothing I did captured the imagination. Horses like Additional and Juyush, I got them from other yards and managed to sweeten them up a bit. Juyush won three-in-a-row and Additional won a premier handicap on his second start for me. It's a pity they didn't get a bit more attention at the time and I was hoping they might bring more people into the yard.

“I was always hoping to entice more young people to come and work for me because I had worked in so many other yards and had an idea of the kind of boss I wanted to be and the kind of atmosphere I wanted to create but it has been very hard to attract staff. It's understandable, a lot of the stable staff want to work in the bigger yards.”

She added, “Most of the time I have had the licence, I have been working by myself and that couldn't continue after I had the concussions. I suppose it's just taken its toll. I feel like I am still well able to do the job and it's still a huge passion of mine. It's going to be hard to see the horses on Dad's side of the yard but I will be keeping a close eye on them all and my owners have been very understanding about it.”

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Sister to Klimt Debuts at Dundalk

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. Friday's Observations features Manhattan Dreamer, a full-sister to GISW Klimt.

17.30 Dundalk, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, f, 6f (AWT)
MANHATTAN DREAMER (Quality Road) debuts belatedly for Amo Racing and the Adrian Murray stable, with her $420,000 Keeneland September tag making her one to note as well as the fact that she is a full-sister to the GI Del Mar Futurity-winning sire Klimt. Another pricey newcomer is John Oxley's €330,000 Goffs Orby purchase Beautiful Dawn (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), a Joseph O'Brien-trained relative of the G2 Brisbane Cup winner Irish Sequel (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

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Son of Six-Time Grade I Heroine Abel Tasman On Deck for Dundalk Bow

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. Wedneday's Observations features a son of six-time American Grade I winner Abel Tasman (Quality Road) at Dundalk

15.30 Dundalk, €15,000, Mdn, 2yo, 7f (AWT)
Aidan O'Brien trainee HALLOWED (Galileo {Ire}) is a son of six-time Grade I heroine Abel Tasman (Quality Road), who was knocked down for a sale-topping $5-million at Keeneland's 2019 January All-Aged sale. The April-foaled bay encounters a baker's dozen on debut, headed by twice-raced stablemate Greenfinch (Justify), who is kin to three-time Group 1 winners Roly Poly (War Front) and U S Navy Flag (War Front) out of four-time elite-level victrix Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Rivals also include Teme Valley Racing's hitherto untested Celestial Reighn (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who is a Joseph O'Brien-trained full-brother to G1 Gran Premio Del Jockey Club hero Ventura Storm (Ire).

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