12 Questions: James McHale

First job in the Thoroughbred industry?

Pupil Assistant to Ian Williams.

Biggest influence on your career?

I've been lucky to get guidance and advice from many great people, Ian gave me a great chance at the start. More recently Joe Osborne and David Redvers have been great influences in different ways and I have to mention my colleague Nick Craven at Weatherbys. My family has also been very supportive of me working in racing.

Favourite racehorse of all time, and why?

Sea The Stars really was a huge favourite of mine and I saw him race a lot. On a more personal level I loved the tenacity of a filly my father raced, Law Of The Range, and she has done well at stud, as well.

Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023?

Ten Sovereigns has a good profile for that accolade.

Greatest race in the world?

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why?

Aidan O'Brien, I wanted to be a trainer!

Emerging talent in the industry (human)?

James Read is doing a really good job at Selwood Bloodstock in Somerset.

Name a horse TDN should have made a Rising Star, and didn't?

I've checked the list and you aren't missing much. Hopefully Ifach who my father bred and won two from three as a 2-year-old in France last year.

Under-the-radar stallion?

Rajasinghe has had a very high winners to runners ratio from his small first crop of 2-year-olds. Being a son of Choisir, if some of his progeny can be competitive at stakes level he could quickly become more commercially recognised.

Friday night treat?

Good Chinese meal with my wife.

Guilty pleasure outside racing?

Watching an unhealthy amount of Test Match Cricket.

Race I wish I'd been there for…

Either of the Gold Cup wins of Dawn Run or Desert Orchid would have been pretty good I reckon.

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New Award Announced for TBA Flat Breeders’ Awards

The European Breeders’ Fund Stallion Special Merit Award, developed by the trustees and sponsored by the British European Breeders’ Fund (British EBF), was announced by the EBF on Monday. Celebrating a British-based stallion who has made significant impact during the previous Flat season, the award is a new avenue through which the British EBF thank domestic stallion owners and celebrate the achievements of their horses.

“The award was specifically designed not to be just another statistic driven accolade,” said British EBF Trustee and selection committee member James McHale. “It means stallions covering smaller numbers of mares, standing at lower fees and producing fantastic results despite having fewer runners can get the recognition they deserve for their achievements.

“There are a huge number of sires in Great Britain that far out-perform their covering fee or sales average and given that “leading sire awards” tend to focus on winners or prize money totals, meaning horses with the highest number of runners in any one season are at a perpetual advantage, this new award is a great platform through which stallions with fewer runners can be recognised.”

The EBF Stallion Special Merit Award Short List for 2019 consists of: Cable Bay (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Due Diligence (War Front), Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the winner will be announced on the day of the virtual TBA Flat Celebration event.

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