Freedom Of Speech Makes €140K At The Goffs Champions Sale

Sophomore filly Freedom Of Speech (Ire) (Australia {GB}) (lot 3), a winner at two and third in the G3 Park Express S. this year, sold to Bobby O'Ryan for €140,000 during the Goffs Champions Sale on Saturday. Consigned by Jim Bolger's Glebe House Stables, the daughter of the winning Vocal Nation (Ire) was the only one of four catalogued lots to change hands prior to the start of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown. Her third dam is the stakes winner, GI Ladies' H. third and Grade I producer Six Crowns (Secretariat), who foaled American champion juvenile Chief's Crown (Danzig) and dual Grade I winner Classic Crown (Mr. Prospector).

O'Ryan said, “She is a lovely filly who already has black type and therefore has plenty of residual value. She has been bought for a new client and will stay in training in Ireland.”

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “The Goffs Champions Sale is part of our programme of boutique sales and, as such, it provides potential just before one of the great days of Irish racing whilst also adding a bit of theatre to the overall pre-race entertainment on track. Obviously we would have preferred to sell more of the catalogue but we believe that the concept has a future and wish the new connections of Freedom Of Speech the very best of luck.”

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‘We Know we are Succeeding Because John [O’Connor] is Laughing at us Less’

They have reached dizzy heights as breeders and now Gillian and Vimal Khosla are concentrating on achieving big-race success as owners with Fennela (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of their outstanding broodmare Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}), in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks.

The Khoslas know a thing or two about breeding top-notchers. Green Room is the dam of three Group 1 or Classic winners and the owner-breeders behind the 20-year-old blue hen are hoping there is still more to come. 

Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) was the first horse to put Green Room in lights. A high-class 2-year-old, he then went on to win the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly in 2009 before retiring to stud the following season. 

Then came Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who fetched €680,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2013 before going on to land the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket for Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore Stud. 

The Green Room secret was well and truly out by the time MV Magnier was forced to spend €900,000 on Together Forever's younger sister, Forever Together, at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2016. 

But it proved money well spent when, ridden by Donnacha O'Brien, Forever Together romped to Oaks glory at Epsom, again trained by Aidan O'Brien. 

Put mildly, Green Room has an outstanding track record of producing top-class racehorses and in Fennela, the only filly the Khoslas have kept out of their superstar broodmare, they are hoping that pedigree can shine through again at the Curragh on Saturday.

“The form says no but, as an owner and breeder, you couldn't do it without having hope and optimism, so we're optimistic about Saturday,” said Vimal with a heavy dollop of realism at Leopardstown on Thursday.

The Khoslas were back at Leopardstown for the first time in over two years on Thursday. It was an important visit, too, as they once again sponsored the G3 Green Room Meld S., and handed over the trophy to Jim and Jackie Bolger after Boundless Ocean (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) ran out an impressive winner.

The husband-and-wife owner-breeders will be hoping that the roles will be reversed on Saturday and that they will be collecting a trophy after the Irish Oaks but are by no means underestimating the task at hand. 

“We think she might want a mile-and-six-furlongs in time and she's only three so she may even do better next year. It's exciting to be a part of such a brilliant race and we're hopeful of a good run. Every position she finishes better than last will be a bonus.”

Asked to compare how the build-up to a Classic compares as an owner to a breeder, he added, “They're two totally different animals. I have never won a Group 1 and I would love to win one as an owner. I would feel like I have arrived if we managed to win the Oaks.”

The Khoslas made their fortune in the travel business and, with Green Room, they have been on the journey of a lifetime. 

On their star mare, Gillian said, “Green Room has a colt foal by Waldgeist (GB). It's obviously his first crop so that will be exciting. She's extremely well-looked after by everyone down in Ballylinch Stud–there were pictures taken of her recently and she still looks amazing at the age of 20. She had a couple of years off so the Waldgeist colt is all she has coming through.”

Asked why they chose to set up their breeding and racing enterprise in Ireland, she responded, “It's part of the culture over here. It's very professional but it's also very warm and comforting and people are happy to share. We've learned so much, particularly in Ireland.”

The Khoslas are learning from the best. Their seven-strong broodmare band is based at Ballylinch Stud, of which, John O'Connor has been a massive help to the couple, while Jessica Harrington has produced the goods on the track. 

“It has all happened by accident,” Vimal explains. “I bought a filly called Polly Perkins (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) back in 2004. She had won two listed races when I bought her and was shaping up to be something special but she damaged a stifle during the winter and couldn't race again. 

“I hadn't a clue about racing at the time, had only been involved in the sport a few years but someone recommended that we breed from her. She did well as a broodmare and we actually kept one of her fillies and had our first foal from her this year.”

The Khoslas describe Ballylinch Stud, based in the picturesque countryside of County Kilkenny, as an idyllic place for their broodmares to be based and O'Connor's expertise and knowledge about breeding comes in for special recognition from Gillian.

She said, “Particularly the expertise of John O'Connor and all the team at Ballylinch, the knowledge they have about breeding, and they are so good at sharing it.”

Vimal is in agreement, and adds, “John is a wonderful teacher. Of course, we take for granted that he is a wonderful horseman with tremendous knowledge but he is very generous with his knowledge and is a wonderful teacher. We wanted to learn the business and he has taught us and continues to teach us to this day. That's the main thing.”

There are plenty of wealthy businessmen and women who get involved in racing purely for the entertainment factor that goes with a good day out at the races. Not the Khoslas. They have adopted a hands-on approach to their operation and it's working.

Vimal joked, “We know we are succeeding because John is laughing at us less and less. I used to send all the mating plans to John and he'd fall around the place laughing. He would do it very kindly I must say,” to which Gillian admitted, “We still go a big rogue sometimes.”

Asked to explain, Vimal said, “We bought a Sea The Stars (Ire) mare called Compostela (GB) a few years ago. She never raced, but is a tank of a filly, and so far she has bred a Group 3 winner [Stela Star (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus})] and her other two foals of racing age have won as well. She's on the up.

“We like being quirky with sense. We're not into mini-skirts or fashion and don't pick a stallion because he's in fashion. We chose a stallion and a mare if we think we can breed something decent.

“In the early days, we went for first-season sires and made a lot of mistakes. Shamardal worked for a lot of people. He didn't work for us. The same with Duke Of Marmalade (Ire). He worked for a lot of people and was a tremendous racehorse but he just didn't work for us. 

“We went for them because the fees were relatively low, but also because they were tremendous racehorses on the track. But, you learn.”

The Khoslas have learned alright. Now it's over to Fennela to teach her rivals a thing or two on Saturday and continue the trend of Green Room's progeny hitting the heights on the racecourse. 

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Hurling for Cancer Research Charity Match Attracts Stellar Cast

The Hurling for Cancer charity match, the brainchild of legendary trainer Jim Bolger, will return to St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, County Kildare on August 16, with a number of sporting and television stars committed to play in the tenth renewal.

Bolger and dual Aintree Grand National-winning jockey Davy Russell will bring a host of household names together to take part in the celebrity hurling match, all in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. 

Kilkenny's TJ Reid, Richie Hogan and Tommy Walsh, Limerick brothers Tom and Dan Morrissey, Wexford's Damien Fitzhenry and Lee Chin, Cork's Ashling Thompson and her partner, Limerick's Darragh O'Donovan and Clare's Peter Duggan and Ryan Taylor will be among the hurling and camogie stars taking part. 

Also joining the teams will be former Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt and comedy duo, The 2 Johnnies. 

Russell will be joined by some of his racing colleagues with Rachael Blackmore, Ruby Walsh, Colin Keane, Paul Townend, Shane Foley, Danny Mullins, Kevin Manning, Gordon Elliott, Jack Kennedy, Ger Lyons, Jamie Codd and former Kildare footballer turned racehorse trainer Willie McCreery all signed up for the match.

Brian Cody and Liam Griffin will come on board as team managers while Paul McGrath, Ursula Jacob, Bernard Dunne, Ted Walsh, Miriam O'Callaghan, Anne Doyle and Dublin's John Small are among the many stars set to lend a hand as side-line officials and umpires. 

Jim Bolger's stars have come out on top four times, while Davy Russell's best have tasted victory twice, with the other three matches ending in draws. 

To date, the event has raised €1,000,000 to fund the Irish Cancer Society's innovative cancer research projects.

Bolger said, “After a two-year break, it's great to have Hurling for Cancer Research back at St Conleth's Park in Newbridge. It is a special night with a brilliant atmosphere and the players give it their all. There will be a lot of All-Ireland winners and All-Stars on the pitch, so we are in for an excellent game of hurling, for a cause that has unfortunately touched lots of families around Ireland.”

There is free car parking at Whitewater Shopping Centre on production of your Hurling for Cancer Research ticket. There is additional parking in Newbridge College grounds.

Gates open at 4:30pm with pre-match entertainment and refreshments before throw-in at 6pm. 

Tickets costing €10 for adults and €15 for families are currently on sale at www.HurlingForCancer.ie. Tickets will also be on sale at the gate on the night. 

Russell said, “I can't wait for Hurling for Cancer Research on August 16. The hurling championship will be over, so we will have a lot more hurlers available for selection. This could be the most competitive game yet in our 10-year history and reputations will certainly be on the line. I am working hard with my selectors to try get one over on Jim Bolger's team.”

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Bolger Sends ‘Safe Hands’ Prendergast a Filly to Train

Two legends of Irish racing will join forces for the first time this season after Jim Bolger revealed that he has a 2-year-old filly by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) in training with Kevin Prendergast.

Bolger gave €31,000 for the recently named Roman Moon (Ire) after Prendergast recommended the filly at the Goffs Orby Sale last September and she is set to break new ground by becoming his first runner with the Friarstown operator.

Roman Moon will carry the white and purple colours of Bolger's wife Jackie, once carried to major glories by Teofilo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and more recently Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), when she hits the track this summer.

Speaking about the reasoning in sending the filly to the 89-year-old handler, Bolger told TDN Europe, “It was Kevin who suggested that we buy the filly and, when we did, we said that we would leave her with him knowing that she would be in safe hands.

“If I remember correctly, I was sitting beside Kevin when she walked into the ring and he told me that he was thinking of buying her on spec. Clare Manning [Bolger's granddaughter] also liked her and, when what she told me was confirmed by Kevin, I told her to go ahead and buy the filly.

“I decided there and then that, if Kevin was interested in training her for me, he could have her. She cost €35,000 so is qualified for all of those auction races and will carry Jackie's colours.”

Bolger added: “Kevin is very happy with her. You could say that Kevin is a victim of his age, and I suppose myself to a lesser extent, as not too many people want to send a man in his late 80s a racehorse. But, as far as Kevin is concerned, there are few better than him at his craft.”

Prendergast outlined his ambition to continue training “until the man upstairs calls it all to a halt” to the TDN Europe last week and Bolger's Roman Moon will form part of a 15-horse string.

Bolger's numbers are understood to be closer to 100 or more, the majority of which are owned by himself, with the wheels of his famous Coolcullen-based training establishment kept turning by the trainer's breeding arm of the operation.

It is a truly unique way of running things, with Bolger deriving just as much interest from breeding winners as he does in training them.

“One is dependent on the other but, as far as enjoyment is concerned, I suppose it would be 50-50. I have 80 broodmares and I would need 60-70 of those to go in foal every year in order to keep the wheel turning as I own 95% of the horses I train,” he explained.

“The majority of my mares will go to my own stallions but we use outside stallions as well. We could send up to 20 mares to outside stallions every year and the dam [Halla Na Saoire (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})] of Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) has been covered by Mehmas (Ire). She also has a yearling by Make Believe (GB).”

Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), best known for getting the better of his stablemate Poetic Flare in a gripping Irish 2,000 Guineas last May, has been kept in training as a 4-year-old.

Just under 12 months on from that heroic display at the Curragh, Bolger recalls of how he wasn't best pleased to see his better-fancied Poetic Flare beaten but, any pain felt in the defeat soon disappeared when he realised he had the dam (Halla Na Saoire) standing out in the field.

“I was disappointed initially when Mac Swiney beat Poetic Flare in the Irish 2,000 Guineas last year but, when I realised that I had the dam of the winner standing out in a paddock, it made it a bit easier,” he said, before sharing details on some of stallions he supported this year.

“Along with Make Believe and Mehmas, we sent mares to Profitable (Ire), Blue Point (Ire) and Belardo (Ire). I sent 25 mares to Teofilo, about a dozen to New Approach and we supported Dawn Approach as well.”

Mac Swiney may be the best older horse Bolger has in training and is firmly on course to kick-start his 4-year-old campaign in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh later this month but the trainer has Classic aspirations for TDN Rising Star Wexford Native and Boundless Ocean.

He said, “Good ground will make a huge difference to Wexford Native (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and if we get good ground in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, he could go there. His proper trip will end up being 10f or 1m4f–he could stay the Irish Derby trip.”

Bolger added, “Boundless Ocean (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) was too keen [when 13th in the 2,000 Guineas] at Newmarket but we think we've got him settled at home now and will pick a race for him soon. He could go for the Irish 2000 Guineas but I would be in no rush to run the two of them against each other.”

 

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