Tag: Kieran Lalor

Classic Hope Vespertilio Put Forward To Fill Jannah Rose Void By Al Shira’aa

Al Shira'aa boss Kieran Lalor has admitted that it will be hard to top last season's achievements in winning the G1 Prix Saint-Alary with Jannah Rose (Ire) but nominated the Willie McCreery-trained Group 2 scorer Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) as being the operation's best chance of delivering big-race riches in 2024. 

Meanwhile, the decision has been made to retire the powerful owner-breeder's flagship performer Jannah Rose, with a visit to superstar stallion Dubawi (Ire) pencilled in for the four-year-old this spring.

Lalor explained how retiring the Group 1-winning daughter of Frankel (GB) became one of the most difficult decisions he has faced as racing and bloodstock manager at Al Shira'aa but said the outfit still has so much to look forward to on the racetrack this season with Vespertilio primed to lead the team into battle. 

He said, “Jannah Rose has been retired. We made that decision in mid-January and I tell you, it was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make. Generally speaking, our fillies race on as four- and five-year-olds if they are sound but, aside from Mutamakina (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), she's our only Group 1 winner and is very important to us. 

“Not only that, but Dubawi is not getting any younger so we thought it was the right time to retire her. She's our first European Group 1 winner and has a very exciting future as a broodmare.”

Casting his mind back to that Saint-Alary victory, Lalor simply said, “Unbelievable. A day I will never forget. The fact that it was her first Group 1, it was very, very exciting. I remember being in Toronto for Mutamakina's EP Taylor. I was on my own and there wasn't another soul in the place because it took place during Covid. So, while that was our first Grade I, it was quite a lonesome celebration. We had some celebration after the Saint-Alary, though.”

Kieran Lalor with Jannah Rose's breeder John Hayes at Longchamp | Emma Berry

Vespertilio showed rare brilliance when coming from last to first in the matter of a few seconds to win the G2 Debutante S. at the Curragh last season. McCreery's ace performer followed up on that victory with a game second to Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the G1 Moyglare S. at the Irish Champions Festival, with the pair pulling well clear of their challengers. 

Lalor says that he is optimistic that Vespertilio can confirm herself a top-notch filly in the making this season and nominated the Irish 1,000 Guineas as her most likely destination before explaining why she may not need a prep for the race.

He said, “The way she won the Debutante was extremely impressive. She was so relaxed at the rear of the field and, without being insulting, made everything else in the race appear ordinary by the way that she quickened up past them in the finish.”

Lalor added, “She's so chilled out. Even in her training, she just drops her head and trucks along-she wouldn't jump out at you in her training. That's why we think she could go straight to a Guineas rather than taking in a trial. It will be ground depending. I think she likes a bit of fast ground, at least a bit of good anyway, so she could go straight to either the French or the Irish 1,000 Guineas. 

“She's obviously French-bred so there's definitely an attraction to that. But on the other hand, she loves the Curragh, and that would appear to be her main target at the moment. You know, that would be a safer bet as it's on home soil and it's essentially a trip across the road compared to travelling over to France.”

It is not the policy of the powerful owner-breeder Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan to race the colts that come through the system but, when Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) kicked a wall and was therefore forced to miss the Goffs Orby Sale in 2022, he was put into training with Joseph O'Brien. It has turned out to be for luck with the dual winner, including at Group 3 level, on course to take in the Irish or French 2,000 Guineas this season. 

Lalor said, “Atlantic Coast is doing great. He ran very well on Irish Champions Weekend when third behind Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}, who could be anything, before winning the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown. We're looking at either the French or Irish 2,000 Guineas and he can handle a bit of cut in the ground. He'll probably go for a prep beforehand.”

High-class older filly Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) looks set to be on her travels, with top-flight races in America pencilled in for the Group 3 winner, with Lalor explaining that there are 13 two-year-olds that will be added to the system this year.

He said, “Ocean Jewel could run on the opening day at the Curragh but Willie and I have spoken about racing her in America where you are guaranteed nice ground. She's developed into a lovely filly and is from a very good family. I think she will get the mile pretty easily and we'd love to win a Group 1 with her.”

On the youngsters, he added, “We have 13 two-year-olds and shopped the sales pretty hard last year. It was a very difficult sales season and we might have ended the year as the champion underbidder! We bought five lovely fillies who will add to the nice group of homebreds that we will be putting into training. We're trying mostly to focus on those Classic types and, while we haven't picked trainers for the youngsters yet, we have some lovely types. 

“We have the American Pharoah half-sister to Onesto (Ire), the Wootton Bassett (GB) out of a sister to Saxon Warrior (Jpn), the Siyouni (Fr) half-sister to Al Husn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Sea The Stars (Ire) filly out of Jumooh (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) and then we have a blast of our own homebreds who we are very excited about as well.”

Al Shira'aa has quickly established itself as a leading international player. The modus operandi is quality over quantity and, in a week where a host of Classic plans have been hatched for some of the less-exposed fillies in training in France and decisions made to send some of the more ground-dependant runners to continue their careers stateside, there seems to be unparalleled levels of excitement building for the upcoming campaign even in the absence of the star performer Jannah Rose. 

Lalor said, “We've Saadiyat (Ire), a lovely Lope De Vega (Ire) filly who is a sister to Broome (Ire), Point Lonsdale (Ire) and Diego Velazquez, who was with Carlos Laffon-Parias last year. She is going to head out to America this year to Christophe Clement. Foxtrot Zulu (Ire), a Saxon Warrior half-sister to Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), is going to join Christophe as well. I think they will prefer the ground out there.”

He added, “And then we have Rumi's sister Jannah Pearl (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}) who is entered for the French Oaks. She is yet to run but we're not too far away with her. The Siyouni (Fr) half-sister to Native Trail (GB), named Native Pearl (Fr), is actually a very good filly. We ran her once last year on bottomless ground and that was a mistake. She is a much better filly than that and will be entered in the French 1,000 Guineas and the French Oaks. 

“A filly we have a lot of hope for this year is [Waldgeist's half-sister] Caelestis (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). She's a filly who has just taken a bit of time mentally but she's won her maiden we're hoping for some good black-type from her this year. It's going to be very hard to match the achievements of last year but God loves a dreamer.”

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Vespertilio Al Shira’aa’s ‘Best Chance’ At Irish Champions Festival

Al Shira'aa's Kieran Lalor has nominated Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) as the operation's best chance of a winner at the Irish Champions Festival where the rapidly-progressive filly lines out in Sunday's G1 Moyglare S. at the Curragh. 

Vespertilio forms part of a three-pronged attack on Ireland's flagship Flat festival that features homebred Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in Saturday's G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. at Leopardstown and Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation) in the Matron S. on the same card. 

“We've six horses in training in Ireland and three of them are competing at the Irish Champions Festival, so we need to keep pinching ourselves,” racing and bloodstock manager Lalor said on Friday. 

The black and red silks of Al Shira'aa has already enjoyed top-level triumphs with Mutamakina (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in America and Jannah Rose in France (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Lalor has talked up the chances of Vespertilio in Sunday's eagerly-anticipated Moyglare. 

Vespertilio comes into that race off the back of a wildly impressive display in the G2 Debutante S. over the same course and distance and, while Lalor is respectful of the opposition with G3 Silver Flash S. conqueror Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) heading the market, he is expecting a bold show.

He said, “Vespertilio is getting better and better with experience. She had a fantastic run in the Debutante, showing a tremendous turn of foot to come from last under Billy [Lee] and I don't think he had to ride her too hard to do that, either. I'd say if she had been closer to Ylang Ylang in the Silver Flash, I think she would have been right there at the line. She's only a May foal so is developing and growing all the time.”

Lalor added, “She's just getting better and better with racing. It's a tough task and to have a runner in the Moyglare is very special for us. We're going in there with a lot of confidence but obviously it's Group 1 and anything can happen. We're very excited. She's our best chance of the weekend and it's great for Willie [McCreery, trainer], who is a big part of our operation. He's a top-class trainer–he was a bloody good footballer but some would argue he's an even better trainer and he's hugely important to us.”

Atlantic Coast has the unwanted task of staring down the barrel of another Ballydoyle big gun in Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at Leopardstown. 

Trained by Joseph O'Brien, the homebred colt made a fine start to his career when winning a Curragh maiden in good fashion, and Lalor is expecting more to come.

He said, “This is actually a good story because we usually sell all of our colts but the day before the Orby, David Cox of Baroda Stud called to say that this lad had kicked a wall and that he had to be scratched. Thank God he did! 

“Now, he probably would have made three or four hundred grand because he's such a beautiful-looking colt, but it's very special for everyone on the farm to have a homebred running in a Group 2 at the Irish Champions Festival.”

Lalor added, “It's a big step up from a maiden into a Group 2 but Joseph has done a brilliant job with him and I don't think stepping up to a mile will be an issue for him either. It's a good race, with Deepone and Formal Display in there, but it seems as though we all have to beat Diego Velazquez.”

Should Diego Velazquez justify his short price in the betting, it wouldn't be all that bad for Al Shira'aa, the emerging bloodstock force of Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Lalor wisely secured Saadiyat (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a half-sister to Diego Velazquez, at Book 1 at Tattersalls in 2021 and the page has gone from strength to strength ever since. 

Saadiyat, like the majority of the Al Shira'aa string, will return to the farm just off the Curragh at Maddenstown and join the broodmare band when her career is over. 

The small but select approach to one of the newest owner-breeding operations in Ireland is paying rich dividends and, while Al Shira'aa were not active at Arqana last month, Lalor explained that it was not for a lack of trying and he revealed the team would be out in force at the Goffs and Tattersalls sales in the coming weeks. 

Lalor said, “We didn't get anything at Arqana but we plan on being active at the Orby at Goffs and at Tattersalls as well. I must say that the Orby looks very good this year. I've gone through the catalogue a couple of times and it looks like one of those great Orbys from the late nineties when everyone was scrapping for Flame Of Taras and the like. We've a very big list to get through and, in fairness to the breeders and to Goffs, they've put on a good book. Hopefully the physicals match up.”

But before then, Al Shira'aa also has Ocean Jewel to look forward to the Matron, and Lalor is not ruling out McCreery's filly out-running her odds of 33-1. 

He said, “Ocean Jewel is much better than what she showed at Naas a few weeks back. She won a Group 3 at Leopardstown over seven furlongs earlier this season and the question with her is if she will get the mile or not. If she does, she could get a slice of it but Tahiyra is the one to beat, for sure. The ground will suit Ocean Jewel and anything can happen at this level. She's a very good filly and deserves a shot at her Group 1 here. This has been the plan for a while.”

He added, “The really exciting thing about this is, when I speak to the boss, everything points to the future and with these fillies, they will all retire here and are exciting broodmares for us to look forward to.”

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Seven Days: A Pedigree Nutcase in Paris

There is something wonderfully refreshing about John Hayes. He stands at least 6'6” tall with size 15 'lucky boots' and a towering personality to match. Prior to watching Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the filly he bred from his beloved mare Sophie Germain (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), win the G1 Coolmore St Mark's Basilica Prix Saint-Alary, he serenaded guests of her owner Al Shira'aa Farms with a ditty about a cross-dressing gold-digger.

It's the kind of theme that could so easily see people cancelled these days, but there could be no erasing of Hayes's enthusiasm for the game. A small breeder with two mares in Co Tipperary, he is a self-confessed “pedigree nutcase” who claims to know nothing of conformation. He can rest assured that he has bred a pretty special animal in the unbeaten Jannah Rose, who meets all criteria in that important triumvirate of pedigree, physique and performance.

Hayes spent the flight from Dublin to Paris reading up on Chelandry (GB), Lord Rosebery's 1,000 Guineas winner and Oaks runner-up of 1897, from whom has sprung the likes of Lester's Piggott's first Derby winner Never Say Die, as well as the great High Chaparral (Ire), dual Classic winner Ravinella, and the Kentucky Derby heroes Tomy Lee, Genuine Risk, and Swale. Chelandry is Jannah Rose's 10th dam. This is deep-state research, reserved for pedigree lovers/nutcases (take your pick).

In the aftermath of Jannah Rose's imperious win, Hayes said of her dam, “Her first foal, [Group 2 winner] Creggs Pipes, was winning lots of races while my sister was dying from cancer, so it gave my sister some relief. Today is my mother-in-law's anniversary; she is looking down on us today, I know that.”

He added, “I'm a dairy farmer, and I wouldn't know the difference between a good-looking horse and a bad-looking horse. I don't know anything about conformation but I'm a complete nutcase for pedigrees.

“It's a big responsibility having a mare like that. It's all about the mare. That's all I have to do: do the right thing by her. We love her dearly, she's the boss. She's in foal to Kingman now and Shane [Horan] said, 'Next year, Frankel'.”

With Jannah Rose becoming Frankel's 27th Group 1 winner, Sophie Germain is now a deserved shoo-in for a return to his court. In the meantime, the 16-year-old mare will be eating from some pretty fancy tableware. Brandishing the silver salver he was presented with as winning breeder, Hayes added, “I'm going to take this home and put nuts on it for Sophie.”

Hayes had travelled to Longchamp with Kieran Lalor, who in January had spoken in TDN of his hopes for the then-maiden winner Jannah Rose to continue the solid start made by Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Al Shira'aa Farms. Abu Dhabi-owned, it has its headquarters at the Curragh-based property formerly known as Meadow Court Stud. Those hopes have now been realised, with the statuesque filly having remained faultless in winning the G3 Prix Vanteaux en route to her Group 1 success.

Hayes said on Sunday, “I'm delighted for Kieran in particular, that his judgement has been vindicated. It's a big decision to make to advise somebody to spend €650,000 on a yearling. He's the one who should take the credit.”

Lalor himself had been quick to praise the breeder. “Coming from an operation, a pedigree guru like John, the foundation is all there,” he said. “She's an absolutely lovely filly, the biggest heart I've ever seen. I'm delighted for the boss, and it's an absolute pleasure to be a part of this journey. I personally think her 4-year-old career will be even better.”

He continued, “I always go back to the day I saw her at Goffs. I've never fallen for a horse like I fell for her. Everything about her was as cool as a breeze.

“The most important thing is the breeder, as it's the hardest thing in the world to breed a filly like that, and that's what we want to do.”

Back at the farm, Al Shira'aa already has in its paddocks another daughter of Frankel, the Group 2 winner Rumi (Fr), who was also trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias. The trainer usually gives himself a special treat each Sunday by riding Jannah Rose. This week he left the job to supersub Christophe Soumillon.

“She always showed me she was good, but between good and Group 1 is a big step,” said Laffon-Parias. Now he knows, and the next stop is Chantilly.

“That's the target, the Prix de Diane,” he confirmed.

Next Run for the Roses

In the Diane, Jannah Rose will meet the other female star of Sunday at Longchamp, the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). She also represents an up-and-coming breeding operation, this one the Spanish-owned Yeguada Centurion.

The man behind it, Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals, has put his faith in some young members of the French racing and breeding scene to fulfil his dreams and they are making a damn good fist of it. In the winner's circle after the race, Blue Rose Cen's trainer Christopher Head chatted with Guillaume Garcon of Haras de l'Hotellerie, who is entrusted with boarding the Yeguada Centurion mares. Despite demonstrating a little more Gallic cool than our Irish friends, the delight on their faces was plain to see.

Garcon said of Blue Rose Cen's dam Queen Blossom (Ire) (Jeremy), “She will return soon from Coolmore and she is back in foal to Churchill–of course! We love Churchill, we've sent him lots of mares.”

He boards 30 mares for the same owner-breeder, including Hardiyna (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the sister to dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) and dam of Prix du Jockey Club favourite Big Rock (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who is also trained by Head.

“Both mares were bought quite inexpensively and it is wonderful to see him have this success,” Garcon noted.

When your surname is Head, there's a fair chance that the racing world will sit up and take notice. Christopher Head is the son of legendary former jockey and trainer Freddy, and is the cousin of Patricia Laffon-Parias, the wife of Jannah Rose's trainer. He would certainly not have struggled to have broken into this sphere, but nevertheless he started his training business in modest circumstances. When TDN first encountered Head four years ago, he was sweeping the yard outside the handful of boxes he rented in Chantilly from Pascal Bary.

“I still sweep the yard,” he said on Sunday. Now, however, it is the yard vacated by his father on his retirement and bought by Christopher earlier this year.

Blue Rose Cen, his first Group 1 winner last season in the Prix Marcel Boussac, is now his first Classic winner, as she was for jockey Aurelien Lemaitre. It would be no surprise to see her stablemate Big Rock become their second on June 4.

Marching Orders for Epsom

Not since Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee, in 1896 and 1900, have full-brothers won the Derby. At Lingfield on Saturday, a tantalising prospect was suggested by Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) that he could follow his brother Adayar (Ire) to Epsom after winning the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial.

His success brought up a trial double for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby after Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who only made her debut on February 13, took the Oaks Trial.

Adayar was only second in the Lingfield Derby Trial two years ago but his early career took a similar path to his younger brother, with two runs as a juvenile at the back end of the season before a seasonal resumption at the end of April.

Military Order now shares the top spot in the Derby betting with Aidan O'Brien's Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Not far behind them is Arrest (Ire), bred by Des Leadon and Mariann Klay at Swordlestown Little, who sparked a fine week for Frankel when winning the G3 Chester Vase by more than six lengths. Juddmonte's star stallion has already been responsible for the 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean (GB) this season and it would be no surprise to see him feature as the sire of another Derby winner, too.

His own sire Galileo (Ire) could yet have a say in this season's Classics, with his daughter Savethelastdance (Ire) having routed her rivals by 22 lengths in the Cheshire Oaks. If she makes it to Epsom, one hopes that the new Oaks favourite has a less dramatic experience there than her dam Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy), who bolted to post for the Oaks during a lightning storm, causing jockey Olivier Peslier to bail out in an alarming incident.

Quote of the Week

You can always rely on the inimitable Richard Kent to come up with a good line or two, and the Mickey Stud maestro didn't disappoint in his interview after the success of the Dave Evans-trained Radio Goo Goo (GB) at Chester last week.

Kent could take particular delight in this result, as he bred both the filly's sire, Havana Grey (GB), with the late Lady Lonsdale, and her dam, Radio Gaga (GB), who is by the former Mickley resident Multiplex (GB). But he reserved the greatest praise for grand-dam Gagajulu (GB) (Al Hareb), the roach-backed mare who proved that handsome is as handsome does. Among her 16 runners were 11 winners and the black-type quartet of Ardbrae Lady (GB), One Gold (GB), Under My Spell (GB), and the aforementioned Radio Gaga.

Recalling Gagajulu with fondness, Kent said, “[She] won five races in 11 weeks for Dave as a 2-year-old. She's been a fantastic mare: she paid for two barns and a divorce…I could have built 10 barns with [what it cost for] the divorce.”

 

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Al Shira’aa Racing to Sponsor Classic Trials at Naas

Al Shira'aa Racing will be the feature sponsor with their co-sponsorship of the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. on May 6, Naas Racecourse and Al Shira'aa Racing announced on Thursday. The Kildare-based operation will also continue to support the Listed Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial on June 28.

A stepping stone to the Oaks at Epsom, the Blue Wind has thrown high-class winners in recent years, including multiple Group 1 winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal).

Al Shira'aa Racing is headed by Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan and managed by Kieran Lalor. Al Shira'aa Racing have horses in training in Ireland with Ger Lyons and Willie McCreery, in France with Carlos Laffon Parias and Pascal Bary, and in the USA with Christophe Clement and Neil Drysdale. They enjoyed major international success with Mutamakina, the winner of the GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine in 2021.

“We are delighted to be increasing our sponsorship and support of Irish racing to include the Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. alongside the Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial,” said Kieran Lalor, general manager of Al Shira'aa Racing. “Sponsoring these Classic trials at Naas is a great way for us to show our continued support for the Irish racing industry and we can recognise the hard work all stable staff put in, which was an important factor for the boss.”

Al Shira'aa Racing have boosted the prize fund for the Best-Turned-Out winner to €250 and to recognise the importance of stable staff, all grooms leading up in the race will receive €100.

Eamonn McEvoy, general manager of Naas Racecourse, added, “The G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Blue Wind S. being a 3-year-old-only race is positioned perfectly in the calendar to be a leading Epsom Oaks Trial.”

For more information, visit the Naas Racecourse website.

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