Joe Foley | Horse Racing Free Tips

Richest Race Ever Run at Gowran Park Headlines New Spring Series

A new Spring Series of median sires races has been added to the Irish Flat racing calendar for 2024 and beyond in what is a significant boost to the three-year-old programme for middle-distance horses. In an announcement made by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the Irish European Breeders' Fund (Irish EBF) and Gowran Park Racecourse on Monday, the Spring Series will conclude with the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic–the richest race ever held at Gowran Park–on Bank Holiday Monday, June 3.

Three-year-olds with a median price of no more than €75,000 will be able to take part in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic, with entries for the race, run over nine and a half furlongs, set to close on Wednesday, March 13. The winner will receive an automatic free entry into the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday, June 30. This applies to both colts and fillies.

Six races, each worth at least €25,000, make up the series which offers total prize-money of €330,000. The Curragh, Navan and Cork will host four maiden races between them–two for fillies only–and each of these races will be restricted to three-year-olds whose sires achieved a median price of not more than €50,000 in 2022.

A median price of €75,000 will apply to runners in the €30,000 Irish Stallions Farms EBF 3yo Spring Series Race held at Roscommon on Monday, May 13. The same median price restriction will apply to runners in the €200,000 series finale.

There will be free entry, sponsored by Irish Stallion Farms, for all racegoers at Gowran Park on Bank Holiday Monday, June 3 and the racecourse's manager, Eddie Scally, said, “Gowran Park are really excited to host the inaugural €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic, the region's richest Flat race.

“This race will form part of an action-packed day both on and off the track this June Bank Holiday Monday with live music and a massive family fun day. We hope the Gowran Classic will attract all the top trainers and riders from both Ireland and abroad and see for themselves the warm Kilkenny welcome.”

Joe Foley, chairman of the Irish EBF, added, “Irish Stallion Farms already sponsor two successful series for two-year-olds, the auction and median series with 27 races in each and a combined value of nearly €850,000.

“We felt it important to develop a similar series for later developing middle-distance three-year-olds; hence the Spring Series was initiated with the valuable €200,000 race at Gowran as its centrepiece. We look forward to seeing this three-year-old series grow and develop and are delighted to support Gowran Park racecourse in particular, who are investing heavily in their facilities.”

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Ballyhane Stalwart Dandy Man Dies at 20

Dandy Man (Ire), the classy sprinter from the sole crop of Mozart (Ire), has died at Ballyhane Stud at the age of 20.

As hardy as he was talented, Dandy Man was bred by Noel O'Callaghan at Mountarmstrong Stud from the G3 Molecomb S. winner Lady Alexander (Ire) (Night Shift), who is also the dam of G2 Queen Mary S. victrix Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). He raced for five seasons, winning six of his 30 starts, initially for Con Collins in Ireland, then for his daughter Tracey, before he was bought by Godolphin and continued his career under the care of Saeed Bin Suroor.

Already the winner of the G3 Palace House S. before switching to the Godolphin blue, Dandy Man added another Listed win to his two previous Listed victories in Ireland, and he was fourth, beaten a length, in the G1 King's Stand S. He had also been second in that same race behind Miss Andretti when trained by Tracey Collins, as well as finishing third in the G1 Nunthorpe S.

Dandy Man spent his entire stallion career at Joe Foley's Ballyhane Stud, and he has been represented by the Group/Grade 1 winner Peniaphobia (Ire), La Pelosa (Ire) and River Boyne (Ire). The latter now stands in Ireland at Tara Stud. Further group winners include Dandalla (Ire), Mooniesta (Ire) and this year's G3 Pride S. winner Novus (Ire).

Paying tribute to the horse who served 15 consecutive seasons on the Ballyhane roster, Foley said, “Dandy Man had been a great friend to so many people, starting with Con and Tracey Collins, and especially to all of us here at Ballyhane.

“It was very hard to say goodbye to him, and we are grateful for all that he has given us over the years he has been here with us. He was like a member of our family.

“I would also like to add a special word of gratitude to breeders who used him over the years.”

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Ballyhane Stud Adds Asymmetric To Roster For 2024

Group 2-winning two-year-old Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) has been retired to stand at Ballyhane Stud for 2024 and will command a fee of €7,000.

A high-class juvenile for Alan King, Asymmetric fetched a six-figure prize-tag at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale before landing the G2 Richmond S. in tremendous fashion.

That victory was described in the Sporting Life as “a highly impressive performance”, with Asymmetric accounting for a quality field, which included subsequent Group 1 winners Perfect Perfect and Ebro River, as well as the Flying Childers winner Caturra.

Jockey Martin Harley described Asymmetric to be in possession of an “incredible turn of foot”, which was evident when the colt ran a gallant race to finish third in the G1 Prix Morny S. in 2021.

Ballyhane Stud owner Joe Foley commented on his new acquisition, “With Soldier's Call joining Dullingham Park, we are delighted to welcome another son of Showcasing to Ballyhane. We've seen what they can do, with Soldier's Call's exciting first crop in 2023, and another son of Showcasing being responsible for the high-class sprinter Bradsell.

“Asymmetric is made very much in that mould, and is a tremendously good-looking colt. With his speed, class and pedigree I am confident that he will be a popular choice with breeders.”

Asymmetric added more black type to his record during a season in America before spending his four-year-old campaign in France. On a memorable day in Deauville in August, he won the Listed Prix du Cercle just half an hour before his younger half-brother Mill Stream won the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud. Mill Stream returned to France at the end of that month to win the Group 3 Prix de Meautry.

Asymmetric and Mill Stream are the first and second foals of their dam Swirral Edge, herself an extremely fast dual winner. The mare's Listed-winning half-sister Fashion Queen is already a black-type producer, and the strong sprinting elements of the pedigree are further enhanced by the presence in the family of Flying Childers and Molecomb Stakes winner Wunders Dream, herself now also a black-type producer.

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Fallen Angel Will Bypass Fillies’ Mile And Head “Straight For A Guineas”

Clipper Logistics' Group 1 winner Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) will not be seen on a racecourse again this season and instead will target a Guineas next spring, according to Joe Foley, racing manager for the owners.

The imposing three-for-four Karl Burke trainee won her Haydock debut in May, ran second at listed level at Sandown in July and then rattled off victories in August's G3 Sweet Solera S. and the G1 Moyglare Stud S. at the Curragh in September. She was under consideration for next week's G1 Fillies' Mile.

“I'd say she is unlikely to run again this year and will just head straight for a Guineas next year,” said Foley.

“We were always planning to give her just four runs this year. If she hadn't won the Moyglare we would have targeted the Fillies' Mile, but she's already a Group 1 winner at two now and she's a big filly with lots of scope for next year, so we don't want to interfere with that.

“We've decided to let her off and give her a break, so she's not going to run in the Fillies' Mile and she was never going to a Breeders' Cup this year.”

Burke will be in charge of determining if the filly will have a prep run before the 1000 Guineas.

Foley added, “We'll see how she goes [for a prep] and leave that to Karl. Going straight to the Newmarket Guineas was the original plan, but that could change.”

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