Ben Coen, Mike Sheehy Bolster New South Wales’ Jockey Ranks

Two of Ireland's leading jockeys–Ben Coen and Mike Sheehy–will be plying their trade in New South Wales, Australia for the next few months. Coen, who is the number one jockey for conditioner Johnny Murtagh, and last year won the G1 Irish St Leger aboard Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}), will spend his time in Sydney with the Chris Waller stable.

“This opportunity gives me the chance to experience another style of racing,” he said. “I've never ridden trackwork with times as well, so that's an experience and something you can obviously take across to help you when you're race riding. Racing in Australia is very tactical so having some experience down here will give me a few more tools in my toolbox. You can never learn enough.”

Mike Sheehy's apprenticeship with Joseph O'Brien ended earlier this year with 104 wins and he will be based at Warwick Farm with the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stables.

“I'm only young and I always wanted to spend a winter away from Ireland to help with my learning,” Sheehy said. “[Joseph O'Brien] advised me to come down to Australia. There have been a few riders from Ireland and England that have come to Australia, been successful and then gone back home more polished riders. Everyone tells me riding in Australia will sharpen me up as a jockey.”

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‘I Was Dreading Doing That Interview All Week’ – Big Day for Small Owner

When you have a limited number of bullets to fire, you can't expect to hit the target too often, let alone on Irish Oaks day at the Curragh, but Ronan Fitzpatrick, racing manager to Mark Dobbin, sensed something special was in the offing on Saturday.

So much so, Fitzpatrick, full sure that either Cairde Go Deo (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) or Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}) were going to do something special this weekend, had worked himself into a tizzy about doing a post-race interview with RTE's Brian Gleeson.

He needn't have fretted so much. Shortly after Ladies Church carried Dobbin's increasingly recognisable green silks to victory in the G2 Sapphire S. for Johnny Murtagh and Ben Coen, Fitzpatrick took to his media duties like a seasoned pro.

It was only after Cairde Go Deo earned Classic and Group 1 black type by rattling home for third in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks that Fitzpatrick could pause for breath but, even then, the achievements of his small but select owner had barely sunk in.

Fitzpatrick said, “I was dreading doing that interview with RTE all week. I said to my wife that, if they ask me, I am saying no. Brian Gleeson insisted so I'd no choice.

“I was expecting a big run from the fillies, more so from Cairde to be honest. Ladies Church was beaten in a handicap at Royal Ascot but Johnny said straight away afterwards that he'd aim her at the Sapphire and that she'd be better suited to a Group 2 than a handicap. I was thinking, 'how does that add up,' but he was right and I was wrong.”

An elated Fitzpatrick added, “I wasn't really expecting much from Ladies Church but Ger was really sweet on Cairde Go Deo. I was hoping that we'd be in the first three but then when Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) came out of the race yesterday I started to think it could happen for us.”

Dobbin, a native of County Down, who runs the Highline Construction company in New York, couldn't make it to the Curragh on Saturday. That's not to say he's not making his presence felt in Irish racing.

With a small but select approach to owning racehorses, he has quickly built up a talented team to go to war with, and the long-term dream of making the breakthrough at the highest level is fast becoming a reality.

Fitzpatrick explained, “I spoke to Mark and he's over the moon, he's absolutely delighted. When he got involved in racing back in 2017, he gave me a five-year plan, which was to win a Group 1 race within that time period. We have a Group 2 winner today and we have Group 1 and Classic black type now, so we're nearly there.

“He is from County Down and is big into his GAA. He was a very good footballer when he was in his early 20s and, when he went to New York, he captained them for five years.

“It was in 2017 when I got a phone call from a friend of his to say that he was interested in getting involved in horses. He asked me to get him a horse and luckily enough I had a store horse by Dubai Destination and I sold him that–didn't charge him enough, mind you! That horse turned out to do well for Joseph O'Brien.”

He added, “Mark's next idea was to buy foals. I went to the November Foal Sale at Goffs and, while he gave me a decent budget, I didn't buy anything for him. He was a bit annoyed about that and wanted me to go to Newmarket to buy a foal for him afterwards.

“I admired one particular bloodstock agent, Cathy Grassick, and always liked the horses that she bought, so I decided to give her a call. Cathy went to Newmarket and bought a New Approach (Ire) filly foal for 32,000gns and that turned out to be New York Girl (Ire) who won the G3 Weld Park S. here in 2019 before being sold.

“Cathy also bought a beautiful Champs Elysees (GB) filly, called Brook On Fifth (Ire), who won her maiden at the Curragh but got injured. So, from those two foals, Mark got two very smart horses and it took off from there.”

Fitzpatrick, whose late father John was a permit holder in Northern Ireland, enjoyed great days as an owner himself with Kempes (Ire) (Intikhab) before selling the horse to JP McManus.

Although there was a brief sabbatical when his brother Edward died in 1999, the self-labelled “small-time” estate agent returned to racing in 2005 and, through his association with Dobbin, has enjoyed some of his greatest days in the sport.

He said, “We spread them out between Ger Lyons, Johnny Murtagh and Joseph O'Brien and we also had a National Hunt filly, Lady Breffni (Ire) (Yeats {Ire}), who has done well with Willie Mullins. It's a very selective approach.”

Has there been a bad one?

“If there is a bad one, I usually blame the trainer! But, if we just stick to our plan and be selective–and Cathy has been a massive help–we can do well. I actually had a couple of question marks over Cairde Go Deo but Ger loved her so much that I said to go ahead and buy her. The same with Ladies Church, Johnny bought her for us as well, so sometimes trainers buy for us as well.”

He added, “Today has been an amazing day and hopefully there will be more to come. Johnny is always upbeat and he's looking at Group 1s for Ladies Church so maybe the Flying Five here on Irish Champions Weekend could suit. Ger absolutely loves Cairde. I've actually never seen a trainer love a horse as much as Ger loves Cairde. He thinks that she could be even better over further and may even be better next year. It's just an amazing team of people to be working with and it's great.”

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Churchill’s Ladies Church Snags G2 Sapphire S. On The Line

Mark Dobbin's 3-year-old filly Ladies Church (GB) (Churchill {Ire}–Rioticism {Fr}, by Rio De La Plata) saluted in last term's Listed Marwell S. and hit the board in three subsequent black-type starts. She went postward for Saturday's five-furlong G3 Barberstown Castle Sapphire S. at the Curragh as a 12-1 chance coming back off a close-up 10th in Royal Ascot's June 17 Palace of Holyroodhouse H. and secured a last-gasp win for a career high. Comfortable in mid division through halfway, the eventual winner had eased into contention when shaken up approaching the final furlong and was driven out late to supplant last year's winner Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) by a sliver on the line in a thriller.

“Ben [Coen] is a top-class rider and gave her a peach of a ride,” beamed trainer Johnny Murtagh. “We fancied her strongly in Ascot, but she probably could have done with one more run before that. We knew coming here today that she's a filly that shows plenty of pace. We had a hood on her before because she's keen, but the pace of the race was always going to help her settle today and Ben delivered her to perfection. When she relaxes she's got that turn of foot at the end. She's a huge filly and what she did at two is probably a bonus. She won her maiden and a Listed race and was always going to be better at three. She's learning how to sprint and we're going to be brave with her now for the rest of the season. She's won a Group 2, so it's Group 1s all the way now.”

Ladies Church, half-sister to a yearling colt by Le Brivido (Fr), is the first of two foals produced by Listed Prix des Reves d'Or victrix Rioticism (Fr) (Rio de la Plata), herself the leading performer out of a half-sister to G3 Somerville Tattersall S. and G3 Sirenia S. third Adventurous (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), G3 Marit Sveaas Minnelop second Crimson and Gold (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and Listed Derby du Midi placegetter Music House (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}). Descendants of her G1 Prix Saint-Alary-winning fourth dam Rosefinch (Blushing Groom {Fr}), herself a daughter of Britain's Triple Crown heroine Oh So Sharp (Ire) (Kris {GB}), include multiple stakes-winning G2 Dante S. placegetter True Story (GB) (Manduro {Ger}), stakes-winning G2 King Edward VII S. third Roscius (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), multiple stakes-winning G2 Bill Stutt S. third Jimando (Aus) (Commands {Aus}), G2 Dubai City of Gold third Gold Star (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Listed Churchill S. victor Team Talk (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
BARBERSTOWN CASTLE SAPPHIRE S.-G2, €120,000, Curragh, 7-16, 3yo/up, 5fT, 1:00.86, gd.
1–LADIES CHURCH (GB), 128, f, 3, by Churchill (Ire)
1st Dam: Rioticism (Fr) (SW-Fr, $101,570), by Rio de La Plata
2nd Dam: Romanticism (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rosia (Ire), by Mr. Prospector
1ST GROUP WIN. (62,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; £160,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR; £700,000 RNA HRA '22 GOFLON). O-Mark Dobbin; B-Dukes Stud & Overbury Stallions Ltd (GB); T-Johnny Murtagh; J-Ben Coen. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-1, $142,753. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mooneista (Ire), 132, f, 4, Dandy Man (Ire)–Moon Unit (Ire), by Intikhab. O-Mrs Paula Davison; B-Killarkin Stud (IRE); T-Jack Davison. €24,000.
3–Equilateral (GB), 135, g, 7, Equiano (Fr)–Tarentaise (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd. (GB); T-Charles Hills. €12,000.
Margins: SHD, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 12.00, 2.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Cadamosto (Ire), Castle Star (Ire), Brostaigh (Ire), Geocentric (Ire), Last Crusader (Ire), New York City (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Invincible Spirit’s Shartash Wins The Railway

It is rare that The Aga Khan's silks are at the forefront this early in the major two-year-old contests, but when they are it is always a good sign and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}–Shamreen {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) showed he had the precocity to go with his illustrious pedigree in Saturday's G2 GAIN Railway S. at The Curragh. Kept fresh by Johnny Murtagh following his Naas conditions win May 7, the son of the dual G2 Blandford S. winner was held up early as the Listed First Flier S. and G3 Marble Hill S. winner Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) set off in front. Needing the gaps late on, the 9-1 shot was produced in time by Ben Coen to oust the rallying 5-6 favourite by a short head, with 1 1/4 lengths back to Apache Outlaw (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in third. “This is where these colours should be on Irish Derby weekend and it's my job to get them there,” Murtagh said. “He's a Guineas type of horse to me, he's got that pace.”

The last juvenile that the owner-breeder enjoyed such early-season success with was the great Siyouni (Fr), so Shartash's every move from here on warrants the closest examination. Third on debut behind the subsequent Marble Hill runner-up Tough Talk (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and the Windsor Castle-winning TDN Rising Star Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) over this course and distance Apr. 10, the bay managed to edge out Age of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) at Naas before being held back from the demands of Royal Ascot. Rewarding that patience, he was able to subdue the more-experienced Blackbeard who was demonstrating his unquenchable appetite for the game by coming back at the line.

“He's improved and got a bit more streetwise–he was always sharp, but now he's relaxing and he showed a very good turn of foot today when he needed it,” Murtagh added. “Ben had to be brave there, but I have great confidence in him and a good horse is usually able to get you out of trouble. He's always had plenty of speed and when I entered him up in April, Pat Downes said 'are you sure?' but I knew that this is a real two-year-old. He's tough and hardy and the Phoenix is the next logical step. Maybe it will be the National Stakes later on–he has to get seven and that is not a guarantee at the moment, but he's starting to do it right now.”

There is no obvious reason why Shartash should not get at least seven furlongs on pedigree, with Shamreen at her best over a mile and a quarter as she showed when garnering her brace of Blandfords and also the G3 Royal Whip S. here. The second dam Shahreen (Ire) (Bahri) captured the G3 Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies' S. and also produced the GIII Singspiel S. winner Shahroze (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), while she is kin to the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. scorer Sharestan (Ire) (Shamardal). From the family of the 1986 Irish Derby hero Shahrastani, Shamreen's second foal and first winner Shartash is followed by a yearling colt by the aforementioned Siyouni.

Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
GAIN RAILWAY-G2, €142,800, Curragh, 6-25, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.44, gd.
1–SHARTASH (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
     1st Dam: Shamreen (Ire) (MGSW-Ire, $364,530), by Dubawi (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Shareen (Ire), by Bahri
     3rd Dam: Sharesha (Ire), by Ashkalani (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-H H Aga Khan; B-His Highness The Aga Khan's Studs S.C. (IRE); T-Johnny Murtagh; J-Ben Coen. €72,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $91,449. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Blackbeard (Ire), 131, c, 2, No Nay Never–Muirin (Ire), by Born To Sea (Ire). (270,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Newstead Breeding (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €24,000.
3–Apache Outlaw (Ire), 131, c, 2, Churchill (Ire)–Focus of Attention (Ire), by Intense Focus.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£21,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-E & S Racing; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €12,000.
Margins: SHD, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 9.00, 0.83, 22.00.
Also Ran: Age of Kings (Ire), Borletti (Ire), Crispy Cat (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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