Make A Challenge | Horse Racing Free Tips

Meet The Group 1-Winning Jockey Who Is In Demand At The Breeze-Ups

A month on from recording a breakthrough Group 1 success, Joe Doyle, the rider who will forever be associated with multiple stakes-winner Make A Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), is back on familiar shores.

However, Doyle has no plans on resuming his riding career in Britain or Ireland, where the 27-year-old has enjoyed successful spells respectively.

No, Doyle is merely keeping his eye in before returning for New Zealand, where he has a 1,000 Guineas prospect to look forward to next season, by riding at the breeze-ups.

It's not surprising to see Doyle in such demand ahead of the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale, either. Just over a week on from partnering Danny O'Donovan's Eqtidaar (Ire) filly who sold to Peter and Ross Doyle for £120,000 at Goffs UK last week, Doyle has been snapped up by five different consignors for Wednesday's breeze.

He said, “The breeze-ups are where I got my first taste of riding racehorses properly. I have been riding in breeze-ups since I was 12 years old and can even remember riding in them when they were back in Dundalk.

“It's something I enjoy doing and, while I was home, I didn't want to be tipping in and out of a yard for a month or two. By riding the breeze-up horses, it gives me a chance to keep my eye in and the fitness levels up without having to make any commitments to anyone.”

He added, “I rode a nice filly last week for Danny O'Donovan. She was a good model and came up good and fast. That's what the buyers want. But this is a tough environment as well. When you are racing, if things don't go right on the day, you always have another chance.

“The breeze-up handlers don't have that luxury. They have one shot at this and, if it doesn't go to plan, it can take a lot of value off their stock. There's a different kind of pressure involved in race-riding and riding in the breeze but it's something I enjoy doing and I'm looking forward to Wednesday to be honest.

“I ride for Danny O'Donovan again, as well Stevie Byrne, Eoin McDonagh, Paddy Vaughan and Conor King. I've sat on a few very nice horses in the pre-breeze and hopefully the clock will reflect that on Wednesday.”

To have a rider of Doyle's calibre in action at the breeze-ups speaks to the professionalism of the sphere. Here is a jockey who rode multiple stakes winners aboard the Denis Hogan-trained Make A Challenge just a couple of seasons ago and would still have his supporters were he still riding in Ireland.

However, without a big-name runner to throw his leg over, Doyle elected to give New Zealand a go earlier this year, and the decision has been vindicated with 19 winners on the board including that all-important Group 1 victory aboard Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos {Jpn}) in the Manawatu Sires' Produce S.

Doyle said, “It was great to get that Group 1 and it wasn't something I was expecting to do. It was a great way to round off the trip as it came on my final day riding in New Zealand. “Sometimes the Group 1 races in New Zealand can get a bit of stick for being handicaps but this was a two-year-old set weight race for fillies and colts and I think the winner is a proper filly, too.”

He added, “I was absolutely elated to get that sort of a result and I think she could even be a Guineas filly for next year. I am heading back to New Zealand on July 1 and the 1,000 Guineas would look the right race for her down there. We're very excited and hopefully she will train on. “There's no reason why she wouldn't. She will have a prep and then it will be all systems go for the Guineas, hopefully.”

There has been no shortage of Irish jockeys trying their hand at Australia, but not many have come to the conclusion that New Zealand was the place to be. But it was on the recommendation of Doyle's friend that the offerings in New Zealand were worth exploring and he hasn't looked back.

Doyle explained, “I bumped into Samantha Finnegan, whose sister is Chrissy Bambury, who does very well down there. She just happened to ask me what I was up to for the winter and I didn't have any plans as such.

“It was Samantha who suggested I go to New Zealand and she got me a job. That's how it all came about. Australia is a very big place and there is a big pool of horses and jockeys. I thought that I could do New Zealand first and get a feel for the place and perhaps move on but I don't think there's any sign of me moving on at the minute as I am happy down there. The people have been so good to me in New Zealand.”

He added, “I was in Ballydoyle every day at the time, which was fantastic, and I couldn't thank Aidan [O'Brien] enough. You learn an awful amount riding out at Ballydoyle every morning when you're working alongside the likes of Seamie Heffernan and Wayne Lordan, two top-class jockeys.

“Things are bound to rub off on you when you are working alongside that calibre of jockey, but the thing is, Ireland is an extremely difficult place to do well in as a jockey, and I just wanted to be busy. I didn't mind taking a hit with the prize-money if it meant I was to be as busy as I am riding down in New Zealand and long may it continue.”

Of course, reinventing himself is something that comes second nature to Doyle. Some people may forget that Doyle had all but retired but for being lured back to race-riding by Hogan in 2019.

“I have reinvented myself a couple of times alright, yea–I didn't race-ride for 18 months at one stage! I had no plans to come back race-riding and then Denis twisted my arm that time.

“We got on really well and had some great seasons together. We're still the best of friends but things got a bit quiet for me at home in Ireland. I was trying to find the right horses and I just needed a fresh start.”

He added, “But I like going racing for eight or 10 rides and a few favourites as well. It's good to be riding for the big trainers in New Zealand and sitting on the nicer types of horses.”

Be it New Zealand or breeze day at Newmarket, Joe Doyle is back in demand, that's for sure.

The post Meet The Group 1-Winning Jockey Who Is In Demand At The Breeze-Ups appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Classy Sprinters Head Tuesday’s Goffs HIT Sale

One of the main attractions of the Goffs Autumn Horses In Training Sale on Tuesday is Gustavus Weston (Ire) (Equiano {Fr}), the four-time winner whose career highlight came when he landed the G2 Greenlands S. at the Curragh last year.

On that occasion, Joe Murphy's charge was chased home by Make A Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a 10-time winner for Denis Hogan, who is also in the sale.

Hogan said of his eight-strong draft, “We've a nice draft of horses going to Goffs. We'll be sorry to see some of them go. We've eight going and Ransom (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who won just the other night at Dundalk, is in there.

“So is Florence Thompson (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who has placed about 20 times for us. There's some of them we'd love to keep and, if some owners were to express an interest, we could look at doing that.”

Those classy sprinters will be joined by a much-reduced but quality trio from the Aga Khan Studs. It features Riyami (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), rated 66 and winless in five starts for Michael Halford, the 77-rated Karakoul (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}), who has placed three times, and 1m4f winner Shajak (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}), both of whom are trained by Johnny Murtagh.

The supplementary lots for the sale are well worth checking out as well. Listed as lots 136 to 144, they are headed by the Group 3-placed Strong Johnson (Ire) (Le Cadre Noi {Ire}) from Beechcourt Stables.

Graduates from this sale have made an impact all over the world, none more so than Melbourne Cup winner and Irish St. Leger runner-up Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who was bought Glebe House Stables by Kerr & Co Ltd for €200,000 in 2018.

Saltonstall is another high-profile graduate. Sold by Michael Halford's Copper Beech Stables in 2018 for €44,000 to Shamrock TB/Compas Equine, Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) has proved to be a money-spinner for the Ado McGuinness stable and notched his ninth career success last month at Leopardstown.

Hot on the heels of the horses-in-training sale is two days of yearling sales at Goffs on Wednesday and Thursday. The Autumn Yearling Sale has punched above its weight in recent years with Quick Suzy (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) a notable graduate.

Quick Suzy was snapped up by Aoife Dunphy for just €20,000 when this sale took place online in 2020. She went on to win the Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot for Gavin Cromwell and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

The Autumn Horses In Training Sale kicks off at 12pm on Tuesday while the Autumn Yearling Sale begins at 10am on Wednesday and Thursday.

The post Classy Sprinters Head Tuesday’s Goffs HIT Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Make A Challenge To Abbaye

Make a Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) will make his next appearance in the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye Oct. 4. The winner of four of six starts this season, including a pair of Irish listed stakes in August, the gelding finished fifth–beaten two lengths–in his most recent start in the Curragh’s G1 Flying Five S. Sept. 13.

“We were very happy with the horse,” said Hogan. “He raced out on his own for most of the race and the drying ground probably didn’t help, but I think the main thing was he was drawn away from them and the race got away on him a little bit.”

Hogan continued, “We were delighted with the run really and all being well, we’ll go straight for the Abbaye–you’d like to think we’ll get a bit of cut in the ground at Longchamp.”

“He’s also in the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot over six furlongs, but the Abbaye is the plan at the moment.”

The post Make A Challenge To Abbaye appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Hogan Well-Armed For Group 1 Quest

The 2020 season had all the ingredients to be a potentially ground-breaking one for trainer Denis Hogan before a COVID spanner was thrown in the works in the spring. With a semblance of normality back in day-to-day lives, Hogan’s season is now starting to deliver what it originally promised it might with the trainer basking in the glow of having the two highest- rated sprinters in Ireland under his care at his Tipperary stables.

“It’s going brilliantly at the moment and we have a fantastic bunch of horses but it was a different story here a few months ago,” Hogan said. “We dropped to half the number of horses, we had to lay off staff and no one knew if we would get back racing again, it was very much doom and gloom. But as soon as racing started we were lucky that the horses were fit and well and we got back among the winners very quickly.”

Thirteen flat winners since racing resumed in June are testament to the form and quality of Hogan’s string and while he views himself very much as a dual purpose trainer it is his exploits on the flat, the past two years in particular, that have helped showcase his wide range of training talents. Hogan established himself in the top 10 flat trainers in Ireland last year by winners with a score of 33 and he looks on target to reach a similar level this year. However, it is the possibility of a first Group 1 success that has the 33-year-old chomping at the bit.

While most would agree it is recent G1 Darley July Cup runner-up Sceptical (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) that could garner top-level honours for his trainer this season it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if stablemate Make A Challenge (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) were to beat him to it.

Make A Challenge, owned by a syndicate that includes Hogan’s parents, will get the chance to add a first group race to his CV when the Godolphin cast-off lines up in the G2 Holden Plant Rentals Sapphire S. at The Curragh on Sunday.

“We’ve actually supplemented Make A Challenge for this weekend as it wasn’t in our original plan but he is the highest- rated horse in the race and it looks a good opportunity,” Hogan said. “The English horse A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) has also been supplemented and there is Speak In Colours (GB) (Excelebration {Ire}) and a few others in there too but I think taking Joseph’s horse [Speak In Colours] on over five is probably better for us.”

A drop back to five furlongs is also on the cards for Sceptical’s next start in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York next month.

“The Nunthorpe is four weeks away and the timing is perfect,” Hogan said. “I’m happy enough to be dropping back to five. He has so much natural speed and I’m hopeful it will be a nice straightforward race. We haven’t discussed the jockey situation yet; I know James [McAuley] would be happy to let Joey Sheridan ride but I guess if Frankie [Dettori] is available again it would be hard to say no to him.”

While Hogan said Make A Challenge took him by surprise with the sustained improvement he has made in the last 12 months, with Sceptical he said it was evident from early on that he was dealing with something out of the ordinary.

“I kind of didn’t believe it when I first saw Sceptical work, I thought he might be a flash in the pan or a morning wonder, but he just did things so easily,” Hogan recalled. “But then we sent him to Dundalk for his first run last October and despite missing the break and not being fully wound up he managed to finish a close third and I knew then that he was very good. We got his wind sorted out after that as it was an issue back then and ever since he has been fantastic. He also has a brilliant temperament and is so laid back which makes training him even easier.”

The intriguing prospect of Sceptical and Make A Challenge going head-to-head on a racecourse for the first time remains a possibility given both are entered in the G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. at The Curragh on Sept. 13. While Hogan said his first inclination is to try to keep the pair apart he has not ruled out a clash of his stable stars towards the end of the season.

Handling two world-class horses has given Hogan some valuable exposure on the global stage and he is keen to capitalise on the good publicity. He admits he has been fielding more phone calls recently from prospective owners and is excited also to be training the promising 2-year-old filly Grammata (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) for her co-breeder Lady O’Reilly.

“Grammata is still a maiden but she has done very little wrong and picked up some black-type at Cork last week,” he said. “She is a nice filly and it’s great to have Lady O’Reilly as an owner in the yard.”

Hogan’s success may be catching the attention of some powerful flat owners but he said he sees no reason why he can’t continue to expand a successful dual-purpose operation.

“We are young and eager and we can mix both flat and jumps and I guess it was originally because of my jumping background that we set out a few years ago trying to buy horses off the flat that could go on and jump a hurdle as well,” he said. “We hit on one or two that ended up not having the stamina for jumping trips and when we reverted them to the flat we found they had improved. Tithonus (Ire) (Glory Of Dancer {GB}) was probably the best example a few years ago. We actually ran him over hurdles and he was placed a few times but when he reverted to sprinting he was a revelation winning a Rockingham and a Scurry S. at The Curragh. However, we also had a jumps winner at Killarney the other day and I have no intention of turning my back on that sector.”

Tithonus sparked a change in strategy at Boherna Stables and Hogan and his buying team began actively sourcing sprinters. The team included owner James McAuley who purchased 2009 G2 Queen Mary winner Jealous Again (Trippi)’s son Sceptical for £2,800 un-raced from the Godolphin draft at Goffs UK just under a year ago. While he may have been more familiar with training National Hunt horses at the time Hogan has proved equally adept at conditioning horses for a completely different discipline, putting his prior experience from a previous life to good use.

“I would have learned a good bit about sprinters when I was with Mick Halford many years ago,” he explains. “In fact at that time Mick had quite a few jumpers as well and he would regularly keep the flat and jump horses in the same routine, except for fast work. A lot of the basics are the same, just getting them fit and keeping them healthy and happy.”

Another niche that Hogan is keen to increase his involvement in is the 2-year-olds.

“It’s a sector that we haven’t been able to break into so far but I think it’s important that we try and increase our presence in that area for next year,” he said. “I’ve noticed that if you don’t have them as 2-year-olds it’s very hard to have anything for the 3-year-old handicaps the following year, so we are missing out on being able to compete in those races. So we will definitely be focusing on sourcing more yearlings and 2-year-olds at the back end of the year.”

Ireland has no shortage of trainers who have built up a thriving enterprise from scratch and Hogan is certainly one who fits into that category. “We started with five stables 10 years ago and we expanded a bit every year to the point that we now have everything we need here. But saying that you can never rest on your laurels; there is always something that can be improved or developed so it’s constantly a work in progress. It’s a huge commitment and a big expense as well and if the business wasn’t going as well it would be hard to justify it. It’s also a team effort and I’m lucky in that I have great staff and owners so I’m very grateful in that respect.

“I’m also lucky to have landed on two very good young jockeys in Joey Sheridan and Joe Doyle. From the first morning I saw Joey riding out here I thought he was just a natural rider, great hands and a lovely seat and he’s really maturing into a fine rider. Joe Doyle, despite still being very young, has loads of experience. He’s ridden in England and America and is a proper professional.”

One would imagine that being in the position he is in that Hogan would have enough to focus his thoughts and energy on without the demands of also being a jump jockey himself and despite recently scaling back his riding activities and limiting them to his own runners he has yet to fully hang up his boots.

“I have less and less time for riding at the moment to be honest and plenty of people tell me I should call it a day and concentrate on training and they’re probably right. Riding used to be very important to me but it’s less so now so I guess you could say I’m slowly letting go of it. I still try to ride two lots at home in the morning on certain days. Other days I have to stay on the ground to watch other horses. I tend to ride on the routine days, whereas on work mornings I would be on the ground. I find being able to sit up on one can give you a different perspective so I’d like to continue that. I rode Sceptical a few times early on, even just cantering I could feel he was a bit special. However Joey Sheridan rides him every day now so I will leave that partnership as it is, it seems to be working just fine.”

The post Hogan Well-Armed For Group 1 Quest appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post