Lucky Vega (Ire) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Stallions To Parade At Irish National Stud Next Week

The 2024 seven-strong stallion roster at the Irish National Stud will parade daily while the Goffs February Sale is going on, the INS announced on Saturday. Parades, featuring stallions like Group 1 sire Invincible Spirit (Ire), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) who has his first 3-year-olds this year, and Classic winner Mac Swiney (Ire), will take place at the stud on Feb. 6-8 from 11-3 p.m. each day. Please contact the stud office to arrange your time at +353 045-521251.

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Lucky Vega Sires First Reported Northern Hemisphere-Born Foal

Group 1 winner Lucky Vega (Ire) sired his first reported Northern Hemisphere-born foal at Bobby and Honora Donworth's Round Hill Stud. Out of Grace And Virtue (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), the filly was bred by the Donworths, as was her winning dam, who is from the family of the G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}).

Bobby Donworth said the new arrival was “a high-quality filly with plenty of substance, she'd encourage you to use Lucky Vega again this season. She's immediately related to champion fillies Rizeena (Ire) and Serena's Song, so it's a superb fillies' page.

The Irish National Stud's Gary Swift said, “It's a tremendous start for Lucky Vega, the firepower this horse has been supplied with in his first and second season in top-class mares is unprecedented; Yulong have done everything to facilitate him becoming the most exciting young stallion around and he is certainly the one to be on.”

A winner of the G1 Phoenix S., Lucky Vega commands €15,000 this year. He also shuttles to Yulong in Australia, and his first foals arrived in the Southern Hemisphere in 2022.

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Invincible Spirit Takes Pride Of Place On Irish National Stud Roster

Invincible Spirit (Ire) tops the 2023 Irish National Stud roster in 2023. The sire of 21 Group 1 winners lifetime, the 25-year-old will stand for a private fee. His progeny won 10 stakes this year, led by Pearls Galore (Fr)'s victory in the G1 Matron S. and Shartash (Ire)'s win in the G2 Railway S. among his seven group winners.

Classic winner Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)'s first runners will step out on racecourses next year and he has been priced at €12,000. G1 Phoenix S. winner Lucky Vega (Ire) will stand his second season for €15,000, while Group 2 scorer Nando Parrado (GB), whose first foals will also arrive in 2023, will command an unchanged fee of €6,000.

Established stallions Decorated Knight (GB) and Free Eagle (Ire) are both priced at €5,000. They are joined by the trio of Dragon Pulse (Ire), Elusive Pimpernel and Equiano (Fr), all set to cover at €2,000.

“While 2022 will certainly be remembered for strong market performance at all the major sales the headwinds for 2023 suggests the need for a cautious outlook,” said Irish National Stud CEO Cathal Beale. “With that in mind the Irish National Stud are delighted to present an exciting team of stallions with fees maintained or reduced across the board.

“With incredible support from Mr. Zhang's Yulong Investments, Lucky Vega has the ammunition required to make him a champion. Likewise, the Coventry S. winner, Nando Parrado, proved remarkably popular in year one with 130 mares covered. Incredible looks, raw speed, precocity and hailing from the proven Kodiac (GB) sire line, he brings fantastic credentials.

“Phoenix of Spain will have 93 first crop 2-year olds to run. He won his maiden in July, the G3 Acomb in August, placed in the G2 Champagne in September and was a short head second to a future Classic Winner in the G1 Vertem in October. [He is] a top class 2-year old, [and] a 2000 Guineas-winning 3-year old.

“For those seeking proven credentials the roster is stacked with great value options. Free Eagle, Decorated Knight, Equiano, Elusive Pimpernel and Dragon Pulse provide commercial success in the sales ring and high-class performers on the track, all for €5,000 or under.

“And then there is Invincible Spirit. This year brought over 20 2-year old winners including the G2 Railway S. winner, Shartash. His yearling average price was over €150,000 and a new Group 1 winner as a broodmare sire arrived in Breeder's Cup Champion Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}).”

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Poetic Flare Heads Irish Guineas Cast

Denied a Classic double in Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Jim Bolger's Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) will try again in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh, for which a dozen were confirmed on Thursday. His owner, breeder and trainer gave the expected all-clear to the May 1 G1 2000 Guineas hero after his sixth placing at ParisLongchamp, while he also saddles the G1 Futurity Trophy winner Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who was only fourth on his return in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown May 9. Reflecting on Poetic Flare's reversal, Bolger said, “The wheels kind of came off the wagon a little bit there, but we've drawn a line through it and we're moving on. It was the conditions mainly. While I agree the going was very soft, he couldn't get a grip for whatever reason and I suspect there was a little bit of padding underneath. He wasn't going to be able to quicken up like he can in those circumstances and Kevin didn't get him to where he wanted to be at the two-furlong marker.”

Bolger believes that Poetic Flare is up to the fast turnaround. “He's very well, he only had a furlong and a half of a race, so we expected he'd be fresh after it,” he commented. “He's very durable and has a great constitution. He'd be able to stand up to whatever I throw at him.” Of Mac Swiney, he added, “Mac Swiney was flat in the Derrinstown and didn't perform at all well, but the following morning he had a very copious nasal discharge. That cleared up over the following weekend, he's back in work and is doing very well. I need to get the run into him for Epsom and for him to prove his wellbeing. If he does that, I'll be very happy with him. If he can beat Poetic Flare he can win, but I think at a mile Poetic Flare is the better horse. I'd be very comfortable going to Epsom with him, provided we get a good show at the Curragh.”

Likely favourite at present is Zhang Yuesheng's 2000 Guineas third Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Ryan Moore is on Wembley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who proved such a disappointment when 11th behind him at Newmarket. Godolphin rely on TDN Rising Star La Barrosa (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who was runner-up to Master of the Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in Newmarket's G3 Craven S. over this mile trip last time Apr. 15. Another TDN Rising Star, Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), will be missing from the Curragh after Joseph O'Brien withdrew Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. hero.

Friday's action sees the last two recognised Epsom Oaks and Derby trials takes place in the Listed Height of Fashion S. and Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat S., formerly known as the Lupe and the Predominate. The Lupe or Height of Fashion was won in 2000 by Love Divine (GB) (Diesis {GB}) and in 2010 by Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) who went on to Oaks glory days later, but none of the eight entered this time even hold an entry in the June 4 Classic. The Cocked Hat is a different kettle of fish, with live Derby outsiders Stay Well (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) making up an intriguing contest. The former, who is owned by his breeders Ben and Sir Martyn Arbib, scored by eight lengths over 10 furlongs at Windsor Apr. 26 and trainer Hughie Morrison is looking forward to seeing him tackle the extra furlong here. “He was named Stay Well in recognition of the sayings this time last year 'Stay Alert, Stay At Home', not that he would stay well but his mother did stay very well,” he explained. “Martyn and Ben breed to win the Derby, so if you've got half a chance of running in the Derby that's what you do. It's close enough to it but my feeling is, if we were going to the Derby, we'd have to give him a very good gallop some time in the next 10 days. This is his racecourse gallop.”

Noel Meade said of Ballylinch Stud and Aquis Farm's G3 Zetland S. winner Lone Eagle, who was fourth in the G3 Sandown Classic Trial Apr. 23 and who carries a five-pound penalty, “He was a little bit disappointing at Sandown. He just didn't seem to spark, but then again it was his first time back and he is a lazy-ish horse. He does need motivating and he was a bit ring-rusty, so maybe we will see him in a better light. I needed to give him another run. It's not ideal having to carry a penalty. That's not good but at the same time if he's good enough, he should manage with it. I just wanted to get him out and get him running. Hopefully the track will suit him. We'll just see where to go from there.”

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