Tag: Jessica Harrington

Dettori To Ride Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys In Coventry Stakes

Share prices in Jessica Harrington's Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), a leading G2 Coventry S. contender, took a spike on Thursday with the news that legendary jockey Frankie Dettori would take the ride on the colt at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Givemethebeatboys, a gritty winner of the G3 Marble Hill S. at the Curragh when last seen, will be offered up for sale by his owner Con Marnane at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of the race.

He is not the only horse that Marnane and Harrington will offer at the sale–Supersonic Man (Ire), another Bungle Inthejungle colt, who will be aimed at the Norfolk or Windsor Castle, will also go under the hammer. 

Both colts would have been ridden by Harrington's stable jockey Shane Foley had he not suffered a broken collarbone at Gowran Park earlier this month. 

Foley described himself as “gutted” when revealing that he was facing a six-week layoff due to the injury last week and, when relaying that Dettori had been booked to ride Givemethebeatboys on Thursday morning, Harrington acknowledged that missing one of the biggest meetings of the year would be a tough pill for her regular rider to swallow. 

Harrington said, “We've got Frankie to ride Givemethebeatboys. It's great. Listen, if he thinks the horse is good enough for him to ride in a race like the Coventry, that's absolutely fantastic news for us.”

She added, “It's going to be very tough for Shane. He's missed winners already and, you know, the first thing he said to me when he broke his collarbone was, 'there's my championship gone.' That was the first thing. 

“But look, it could have been a lot worse. He's doing well and he comes to see the horse work. I know that it must be very hard on him but he is great and is a key cog in the wheel. He's coming over for the sale on Monday.”

Marnane couldn't hide his delight about securing Dettori for the colt he sourced for just €11,000 at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. Speaking ahead of a feature interview with TDN Europe that will be published in Saturday's edition, Marnane labelled Givemethebeatboys as “a very special horse” and one who “has a serious chance” in the Coventry before echoing Harrington's sentiments about Foley.

He said, “We're delighted to have been able to secure Frankie–he knows a thing or two about Ascot, doesn't he? It's very tough on Shane, though, as he's been brilliant on the horse in his two starts to date. Let's hope we can provide everyone with something to shout about next week.”

Givemethebeatboys came through his final piece of work on Thursday morning with flying colours, according to Harrington, who revealed that she has a team of 10 or 12 horses to run next week. 

She said, “Givemethebeatboys worked this morning and he worked great. Couldn't be better. Everyone seems to be very happy with him. I think we've got 10 to 12 runners for Royal Ascot depending on who gets into what. That's a very big team for me.”

Asked to nominate what horses she was most looking forward to running along with Givemethebeatboys, Harrington, who will be in attendance, replied, “Well I'm looking forward to running Irish Lullaby if she gets into the Copper Horse Handicap. Then I've got Sounds Of Heaven and Village Voice at the end of the week, not to mention Ocean Quest. It's a nice team.

“I'm feeling great at the moment. Hopefully everything goes well and I will be there for the sale on Monday and for the racing on Tuesday. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. It all depends on how I am. It would be something else if the horse was to run a big race on Tuesday.”

 

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‘The Horse We’ve Been Waiting For’ – Sprewell’s Owner On Derby Claims

He may be one of the biggest supercar collectors in the world, but Sprewell's owner Mohamed Khalid Abdulrahim admits that it is the inability to predict what is underneath the bonnet of a racehorse that is the main lure for him to the sport. 

The 35-year-old is looking forward to his first Derby runner at Epsom on Saturday with the Jessica Harrington-trained Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). Bred by his father Khalid Abdul Rahaim, who also raced the dam Lahaleeb (Ire) (Redback {GB}), Sprewell has been described by the Bahraini-based owner as the horse his family have been waiting for ahead of Saturday's big race. 

“I'm very excited, trust me,” Abdulrahim said. “I have been waiting a long time for this horse. It is going to be a huge day for my father and I and, as I said, we have been looking forward for a really long time for a horse like Sprewell. We're very fortunate.”

He added, “Team Harrington keep telling us that Sprewell is probably the best colt that they have ever had over this distance, honestly. I mean, I couldn't believe it, but that's what Jessica thinks. 

“They have done a fantastic job with the horse and we're delighted, obviously. They are an amazing team and Jessica is obviously a super tough woman, which makes this story even better. I would be so happy for them if we can win the Derby, not just for my father and I, but for the Harringtons as well.”

Sprewell was bred at Friarstown Stud in Kildare, which is owned by Khalid Abdul Rahaim, who also has farms in the United Kingdom and on home shores in Bahrain. According to Abdulrahim, who runs the racing arm of the operation and has a penchant for fast cars as well as horses, the plan is to grow the ownership model in Europe. 

He said, “I have been involved in racing for four years now but my father has been breeding and racing horses for over 30 years now. So I have been only four years in racing and I come across a horse like this. Talk about luck. My Dad does the breeding and I run the racing side of things. It's a good team and I am very fortunate that my father breeds horses.”

Abdulrahim added, “This is what makes it even better, to be honest. You could buy and breed a lot of horses and you may not come across a horse of the standard of Sprewell. Horse racing is a weird game. A lot of luck involved. But I love it and it is a part of us now.

“We own Friarstown Stud in Kildare. We have 15 mares there. We also have operations in the UK and in Bahrain as well. In Bahrain, we do the weekly races and use a stud farm over there, but we still haven't sold anything yet! I am trying to get that operation moving because, up until now, it has been used privately for us. 

“We just breed for ourselves and race the horses right now. But, in the coming years, we could race and sell. We have horses with Kevin Philippart de Foy, including El Habeeb (Ire) (Al Rifai {Ire}), another 110-rated performer, and three or four with team Harrington as well. I am thinking of doing more. That is going to grow.”

Abdulrahim races horses in Bahrain under the banner of MKAR Racing. Sprewell and El Habeeb, who is by the family's homebred stallion Al Rifai, have performed to a high level in Europe already and Abdul Rahim admits that the breeding-to-race aspect of the operation is what excites him most. 

He explained, “Lahaleeb raced in my father's colours. I can remember when he bought her, I was studying in the UK, and it was all over the news how much he paid for her at the sales. “Nowadays, what he paid for her [1,000,000gns], is not that much but I remember it caused a big stir at the time. Lahaleeb is the dam of Al Rifai, who is the sire of El Habeeb, but Sprewell is the best out of her for sure.”

Asked if the success with Sprewell is made more special given the pedigree has been nurtured by his father, Abdulrahim said, “It makes it the world more special, trust me. For us, breeding a horse makes it much better than buying one. All of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to produce a racehorse, all the trial and error that you go through in trying breed a superstar horse, it's all worth it. Hopefully we have found one now in Sprewell.

“The Derby is the biggest Classic there is. It's everyone's dream to win the Derby. The track is extremely tough and the horse needs to be tough to finish the race, not only to win, so we know how hard it is going to be. It is one of the biggest races for my father and I and we are very excited to have a runner.”

The post ‘The Horse We’ve Been Waiting For’ – Sprewell’s Owner On Derby Claims appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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‘My God They’re Racehorses’ – Bungle Inthejungle Colt Wins Marble Hill Stakes

Continuing the stellar form of the Jessie Harrington stable, Theresa Marnane's Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}–Dromana {Ire}, by Dutch Art {GB}) edged a thriller for Saturday's G3 GAIN Marble Hill S. at The Curragh. Off the mark a fortnight earlier at Navan, the 11-1 shot was towards the fore from the outset under Shane Foley before being left in front two out. Headed by TDN Rising Star and 13-8 favourite Noche Magica (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) a furlong later, the bay battled hard between that rival and Ballydoyle's Listed First Flier S. winner His Majesty (Ire) (No Nay Never) to get back up and beat Noche Magica by a head, with the same margin to His Majesty.

“He was very impressive when he won at Navan, a furlong down you'd think 'how is this horse going to win?' and he put his head down and galloped the whole way to the line,” Kate Harrington said of the winner, a bargain €11,000 Goffs Autumn Sale graduate. “He hated the ground that day and was green. He's learned an awful lot from that and will learn an awful lot from today, he'll be even more competitive the next day when we go to Ascot.”

Con Marnane added, “He was a cheap horse, Amy picked him out in Doncaster but he went lame, he got a foot abscess. I was gutted as he was my favourite horse at the sale, but we bought him at Goffs then in October. We've won all the good races at Ascot with horses we've sold, or whatever, but we haven't got the Coventry yet. This is our fella.”

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN MARBLE HILL S.-G3, €60,000, Curragh, 5-27, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.81, gd.
1–GIVEMETHEBEATBOYS (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Bungle Inthejungle (GB)
1st Dam: Dromana (Ire), by Dutch Art (GB)
2nd Dam: Tecla (Ire), by Whipper
3rd Dam: Mahalia (Ire), by Danehill
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€15,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1; €11,000 Ylg '22 GOAUYR). O-Mrs Theresa Marnane; B-Airlie Stud & Mrs S M Rogers (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €36,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $48,859. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Noche Magica (Ire), 131, c, 2, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Pious Alexander (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£230,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK). O-Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi; B-Mountarmstrong Stud & Alexander Bloodstock (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. €12,000.
3–His Majesty (Ire), 131, c, 2, No Nay Never–Czabo (GB), by Sixties Icon (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (325,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg & Brant; B-Newstead Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €6,000.
Margins: HD, HD, 2. Odds: 11.00, 1.63, 2.75.
Also Ran: Buyin Buyin (Ire), Valiant Force, Democracy (Ire).

 

Givemethebeatboys was named after the famous Uncle Kracker song, and after giving those in attendance a little taster in the Curragh parade ring, Marnane promised to give a full rendition of his favourite tune at Ascot should he win the Coventry. 

“I am emotional,” he added. “This little horse, I have been so lucky with Bungle Inthejungle. I had a very good filly by him last year, Funny Money Honey (Ire), and another very good one in Blame Thechampagne (Ire). 

“This horse had problems when we bought him. The poor lads that I bought him off, there's nothing I could do about it, but I basically got him at half price. They are great operators, the Brickley brothers, and they run a good ship at Ard Erin Stud. They will rightly get their name in lights because of this and they deserve it.  I hope they are here–they're probably in the bar and I'll be with them in a minute!”

The success of Givemethebeatboys was very much a family one with Marnane's daughter Amy picking the horse out at the sales and other daughter Olivia riding him out every day at Harrington's yard. 

As well as looking forward to Royal Ascot with Givemethebeatboys, Amy reflected on an “up and down year” at the breeze-ups, and explained how with a little bit of outside the box thinking, the family have a genuine Royal Ascot contender on their hands. 

She said, “I think he's a very good horse. He showed a lot of promise from very early on. We've only ever had two Bungles before this. One is a stakes winner in Doha and Funny Money Honey is the other. Mrs Harrington had her last year and here we go again with Givemethebeatboys. “We're going to go to the Coventry and try to do what we did with Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) [won the Albany S. at Royal Ascot in 2017].”

She added, “It's really difficult to get a Bungle Inthejungle into a breeze-up sale because they don't walk. They are not sales horses but my God they are racehorses.

“It has been an up and down year for us with the breezers. The buyers are gone so dependent on that clock and it makes it really difficult. Let's say this horse for example, if we sent him to a breeze-up sale he wouldn't have clocked. It's really difficult and some of the horses in the breeze-ups, their sale date is the Derby. We train these horses ourselves so, if we don't make the breeze-up sale, we can race them.”

The post ‘My God They’re Racehorses’ – Bungle Inthejungle Colt Wins Marble Hill Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Harrington: Horses Have Been “The Best Therapy” During Breast Cancer Battle

Jessica Harrington, who will bid to win her first Betfred Derby with Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), has described working with horses as “the best therapy” in her breast cancer battle. 

Sprewell was an impressive winner of a Group 3 Derby trial at Leopardstown earlier this month and the 76-year-old trainer believes the colt has what it takes to provide her with a breakthrough victory in the Epsom Classic. 

Speaking on a Zoom call organised by The Jockey Club, Harrington said, “I've been delighted with him. We knew he'd come on over the winter and he's run two good, solid races.

“He's come out of the Leopardstown run very well and we were delighted with him. He definitely stepped forward from there again and we're looking forward to Saturday week.”

Harrington added on the general 12-1 chance for the Derby, “I think the step up to a-mile-and-a-half will suit him–he ran through the line very strong (at Leopardstown) and he's a very strong and relaxed horse, which is the main thing. 

“Nothing seems to faze him and I think going the mile-and-a-half will suit him because I think he'll settle well, which he had done in both of his races this year.”

Harrington was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year. The dual Classic-winning trainer has spoken about how working in a busy yard has been a therapy during her recuperation and described her daughters Emma [Galway] and Kate as a massive help in ensuring the smooth running of the yard during that time.

She explained, “Things are great and I'm lucky enough to have finished the worst part of it now that the chemo is done. We're moving on to the next stage now and it'll take a bit longer, but I hope that I'll be out and about again very shortly. 

“The horses really have been a massive help to me and I'm really lucky to have a massive support team here.”

She added, “My daughters Kate and Emma and my son-in-law [Richie Galway] have been around all winter keeping things going and I did my best to get out every single day that I could to look at the horses, because that was the best therapy that I reckoned I had. 

“I went racing last Friday to Leopardstown. I didn't actually go on Sunday, but I go when it's nice and near and when I can. I'd be most likely to watch the Derby from home, but I'll see how I get on.”

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