Noel Meade: ‘Whoever Wins In The Ring Wins On The Track’ 

Having been crowned champion National Hunt trainer in Ireland eight times and managed the careers of modern day stars like Harchibald (Fr), Go Native (Ire), Pandorama (Ire) and Road To Riches (Ire), Noel Meade has rightly earned legendary status in that sphere. 

However, Meade, who has been training since 1971, has redirected his energies to Flat racing in recent season, a decision that was vindicated when Helvic Dream (Ire) (Power {GB}) provided him with a breakthrough Group 1 success in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh last year.

Meade was busy adding to his Flat string at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which has been lucky for him in the past, alongside Peter Nolan this week. The pair will also be out in force at the Orby and Sportsman's Sale at Goffs next week and the trainer sat down with Brian Sheerin for this week's Q&A.

Brian Sheerin: It's been a busy few days for you at Tattersalls Ireland buying eight yearlings with Peter Nolan. In many ways, things have gone full circle with you and your training operation.

Noel Meade: I got back into the Flat as a small business venture a few years ago and it has worked quite well. A few pals of mine got involved as well and we have had a bit of luck. I have moved away from buying jumpers, but I will still train them–there's 35 to 40 in this winter, but that's down from 145 at one point. That's the most National Hunt horses we've ever had at one stage so we're a good bit down on that these days. It just became increasingly difficult to buy the horses that we were buying to go jumping with. The top horses are making so much money over jumps, you really need a big owner who is prepared to throw money away because, whether they're bought as stores or off the Flat, when they're finished racing, they're worth very little. Whereas with the Flat horses, you can buy a 2-year-old to race and then it becomes a worldwide commodity. Take this year as an example, we have sold horses to Singapore, Hong Kong, America and Britain. That just gives you an idea of the contrast between the two codes. Now, it was easier to sell the Flat horses when my main interest was with the jumpers. You didn't feel as bad about selling the Flat horses when you know you have a big string of jumpers to look forward to in the winter. This year, things are a bit different. It was Ger Lyons who said it to me one day, 'it's all very well for you Noel, you're making it pay but, when you sell those horses, you won't have them to run.' When horses were winning, they were being sold, but that's what we chose to do and we're doing it. 

BS: We would have always associated you with buying big and backward yearlings who, if they didn't make it as Flat horses, would more than likely make it as jumpers. It's fair to say your approach to the sales have moved on from that.

NM: No, we've gone the other way now and are buying the horses who can win on the Flat. I bought one horse this morning, a big huge horse, and I'll probably geld him straight away and leave him off. The rest of them should run on the Flat. 

BS: Peter Nolan signed for all of those yearlings and your Group 1 winner Helvic Dream, who was also picked up at Part Two of this sale in 2018. How much of a help is he?

NM: He is a huge help. Peter is very much part of the scene with me. Mags O'Toole was my right-hand woman for a long, long time. She used to buy the jumpers with me but she is so busy with Robcour, Eddie [O'Leary] and others now. She was in Keeneland last week so she's just not able to do everything. Peter has slotted into that role and he's been a big help. 

BS: One thing that was notable about Irish Champions Weekend was that the winners were spread out among a variety of different trainers. The same can't be said about the top table in National Hunt racing. Was that another factor in your decision to concentrate more on the level?

NM: It was. We bought eight horses at an average of about €25,000 and I would hope that people will own the majority of them. They were bought on spec and I would hope I can find homes for most of them.

BS: And what is your approach to the National Hunt Sales?

NM: Well, to be honest, it has become impossible to even buy the store horses these days. The point-to-point lads, who are great fellas and fabulous trainers, are now prepared to give €100,000 for a store. The likes of Colin Bowe, Denis Murphy and the Doyle brothers, those lads are spending huge money. I would have always thought that giving 25 or 30 grand for a store was plenty. You can't do that anymore. Whereas, you can come here and buy a nice yearling. The ones we bought are perfectly correct and well-balanced horses and they didn't cost too much. I don't know what Goffs is going to be like next week, it sounds like it's going to be crazy, but what I would say is, you can still buy horses on the Flat. You can't buy jumpers. 

BS: You've done well with your small-money buys on the Flat in recent years. This place [Tattersalls Ireland] in particular has been lucky for you. 

NM: Helvic Dream was a lovely-looking horse. He cost just €12,000 here. Joanna Morgan sold him to us and she was shouting about how good he was and he came at the right price on the day. Layfayette (Ire) (French Navy {GB}) came out of this sale as well but we bought him as a breezer for €54,000. It was Peter who spotted him, actually. He saw him breeze and he was mad about him. We were lucky enough that Patricia Hunt bought him because he wasn't too cheap and it's just great that he worked out as well as he did. 

BS: You've enjoyed major success over jumps but it seemed as though you got a great kick out of Helvic Dream providing you with your Group 1 breakthrough in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last year.

NM: I got a great kick out of it. I had horses run well in the Derby, had fillies placed in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, but have never got that Group 1 win before I started training the jumpers. It did annoy me that I didn't have that Group 1 win to my name. So, to get that with Helvic Dream, it meant a lot. Especially with Colin [Keane] riding him, we get on so well, so it was great that he was the man riding it for me. It was just a pity that nobody was there to enjoy it with us due to Covid.

BS: There have been a lot of what we'd perceive as mainly National Hunt trainers who have been concentrating more on their Flat strings in recent seasons. Jessica Harrington and yourself are the obvious examples but even people like Gavin Cromwell have followed suit. That's just a reflection of how difficult it has become to compete at the highest level over jumps. 

NM: The amount of horses that are concentrated in just three or four different yards is unbelievable. When I started out, if a fella had 60 or 70 horses, he'd have a big string. Now, loads of people train 100 horses. You wouldn't have been able to do that years ago. The mobile phone has been revolutionary. The likes of Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott and Joseph O'Brien, those guys have brought things to a new level. Willie has someone to buy them, place them, manage the transport, etc etc. They have become delegators. Even Jessica [Harrington], she has developed a lovely system there with Kate [Harrington] and Richie and Emma Galway, so she has a good team. Gordon is a great pal of mine and he has a great team around him as well. It's no longer viable for one man or woman to do everything. You need a good team around you and some of these big yards just move like clockwork.

BS: What have you made of the market this week?

NM: Horses were buyable. I know this week was second grade compared to the Orby and a lot of people will find it hard to buy next week but we were happy with the business we were able to get done. We've a couple of biggies to buy next week and we may struggle to buy them as everyone is predicting trade to be very strong. I was talking to Clive Cox the other day and he commented about the trade being strong but added that, considering what's happening in the world, it was amazing. 

BS: So you won't be approaching the sales season with added caution given what's going on in the world?

NM: If you're going to war, you've got to have troops, and we'll continue to be active at the sales. We'll be at Goffs next week and we'll try to buy a few and, if we meet someone who wants to send us a horse to train, then we'll be delighted to do that as well. I've always said that whoever wins in the sales ring wins on the track. People can say what they like but it's the people with the best horses who are winning on the track. The more you win, the more horses you get, and it builds and builds. Willie is a great example of that. Success breeds success.

BS: You say your yard is now split 50-50 between both codes. If a big owner came through your door in the morning and wanted to send you a top-class Flat horse or a Cheltenham festival contender, which would you pick?

NM: Look it, the attrition rate over jumps is very hard and that's a hard question to answer but my heart will always be in the jumps.

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Sportsman’s Sale Closes On A High

The conclusion of the two-day Goffs Sportsman's Sale on Friday marked the end of a strong four days of trade at Goffs's Kildare Paddocks, with both the Orby and Sportsman's Sales rebounding from difficult 2020 renewals–when forced to move to Doncaster–and posting significant gains.

A shade over €3-million was added to the coffers on Friday when 150 of the 162 yearlings offered sold, bringing the two-day aggregate to €6,967,300. The cumulative average jumped 41% to €20,674, while the cumulative median rose 45% to €16,000. Last year at Doncaster, 67.7% of the offerings sold for an aggregate of £2,468,900, an average of £13,345 and a median of £10,000. The sale was up, too, on the 2019 renewal, the last time it was staged at Kildare Paddocks and before the pandemic hit: that year, 283 were sold for €4,854,900, at an average of €17,155 and a median of €13,000.

British-based agent Alex Elliott and American-based agent Ben McElroy were active at both Orby and Sportsman's, and they were the purchasers of Friday's most expensive lot, lot 719, a €100,000 colt by Belardo (Ire) who is bound for the U.S.

“He's going to Wesley Ward and the aim will be Royal Ascot so expect to see him at Keeneland next April,” said Elliott. The first foal out of the winning Tough Spirit (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) was offered by his breeder Denis McDonnell's Parkway Farm. McDonnell had purchased Tough Spirit carrying this colt for €40,000 at Goffs November in 2019.

The strength of the sale continued through to the very end, with the third-last lot through the ring commanding the session's second-highest price of €95,000. That was lot 854, a colt by Galileo Gold (Ire) from Vinesgrove Stud, and he was bought by Peter Nolan Bloodstock with trainer Noel Meade. Nolan outbid Tally-Ho Stud, which stands the young Group 1 sire Galileo Gold.

“We thought he was the outstanding horse of the day but we didn't intend giving that for him,” Nolan admitted. “We took on Tony O'Callaghan so we knew we were in the right ballpark then. He's a beautiful horse and the second one by the sire we have bought this year and we love him. He's for an existing owner in Noel's and hopefully he'll be lucky.”

All horses sold through the Sportsman's Sale were eligible for the 2022 €100,000 Goffs Sportsman's Challenge, which will be run at Naas over six furlongs in September, and that is the race trainer Johnny Murtagh is targeting for lot 831, a New Bay (GB) colt he picked up on behalf of Tony Smurfit for €75,000. The colt is a half-brother to two listed-placed horses, including this year's Coral Distaff and Flying Fillies' S. third Glesga Gal (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

“He is a brother to a good horse and we are excited by him,” Murtagh said. “He looks a sharp 2-year-old type and one we will aim at the Sportsman's Challenge race. He comes from a good farm and we are very happy with the horses we have bought here this week.”

Upon conclusion of the Sportsman's Sale, Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “And it rolled on. We are delighted that the Sportsman's Sale continued the vibrancy and tone of the Orby Sale with two days of strong, vibrant and lively trade. Once again we are indebted to our vendors who backed the sale with a really good commercial catalogue and were rewarded by a huge crowd of potential purchasers hungry to buy from start to finish. They were attracted by the individuals, the addition of the €100,000 Sportsman's Challenge and the added bonus of the superb new IRE Incentive Scheme that provided €10,000 vouchers only redeemable at Irish yearling sales to the winners of a bunch of races throughout the season. This excellent initiative has made a major impact and encouraged trainers in particular to engage with the Sportsman's Sale which is to the benefit of Irish breeders who chose the second part of The Irish National Yearling Sale for their yearlings.

“Once again this week has clearly demonstrated that Goffs can and will provide a vibrant market for every level of yearling from the blue bloods at the top across the spectrum to the sharp commercial types often referred to as 'trainers' yearlings.' Of course, Orby was headed by the millionaires but it is equally pleasing to see Sportsman's topped by a trio of six figure lots which drove the huge rises in each statistic. We are grateful to every vendor and each purchaser and have been so pleased to welcome new faces here for the Sportsman's Sale to join those who stayed after Orby. All of them have been enticed by the Purchaser Attraction Team at Goffs, our network of international agents and the proactive team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. These three groups combine sale after sale in a way that is quite unique and ensures that our clients are able to conduct their business in the most customer friendly sales complex whilst enjoying the kind of welcome that can only be found in Ireland.”

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Tattersalls Gold Cup Glory For Helvic Dream

Beaten three times by Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) already this term, Tom Hendron and Finbar Cahill's Helvic Dream (Ire) (Power {GB}) had been inching closer each time and chose the big occasion to turn it around as he denied that Ballydoyle rival in a thriller for the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on Sunday. Benefitting from the heavily rain-eased going at The Curragh, the 4-year-old who emanates from the Noel Meade stable better known for its national hunt runners travelled smoothly on the inside in mid-division throughout the early stages. Filling the eye with Colin Keane motionless turning for home, the 8-1 shot had dead aim on the 10-11 favourite who had been committed by Ryan Moore approaching two out. Eventually asked to go and win his race, the gelding responded generously to overhaul Broome close home and prevail in a bobber by a short head, with a length back to the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. and Neom Turf Cup winner True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) in third. “I've won plenty of group 1s over jumps and had a number of horses placed in Guineas and a fourth in the Epsom Derby, so this feels just fantastic,” Meade said. “I was afraid to even dream about it. It means a lot and I can die happy now! It's a shame nobody is here, because you'd want to be going to the champagne bar over there!”

Having beaten the future luminary Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) by 4 3/4 lengths in a heavy-ground Roscommon median auction race that has subsequently taken on a different dimension in September 2019, Helvic Dream was tried over too far before narrowly missing out on a first black-type win when third in a blanket to the Listed Vincent O'Brien Ruby S. over a mile at Killarney in August. Third in the valuable “Northfields” H. over 10 furlongs here on Irish Champions weekend in September, he bounced out of that to beat the useful Up Helly Aa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 7 1/2 lengths in the G3 International S. again over 10 furlongs on soft at this venue in October. Only eighth when the 5-4 favourite for the Listed Trigo S. at Leopardstown later that month, he was again flat on his return when a distant eighth behind Broome in the Listed Devoy S. at Naas Mar. 28. Narrowing that to 3 1/2 lengths next time when fourth in this track's G3 Alleged S. Apr. 17, he was just two lengths in arrears when second in the May 3 G2 Mooresbridge S. here last time.

Colin Keane delivered a masterclass in waiting ride tactics and said, “He relishes that soft ground and although I wasn't too sure we'd beat Broome, I did think he'd get a little bit closer. I thought he'd run well at Naas [in the Devoy], but he really disappointed us for whatever reason and the last day I got to Ryan [Moore] and he took off again. I wanted to have one crack at him and ideally, I should have waited another couple of strides again today. He's not short of pace and when he has those conditions I'd have no fear coming back in trip.”

Meade has no immediate plans for Helvic Dream. “He's improving all the time and Gillian O'Brien needs special mention here, as she treated him with a Chinese system which releases all the muscles and lets them loosen up. Two days after she'd done him, he was absolutely dancing down the yard. He could realistically be a horse for the [G1] Champion Stakes at Ascot, as you often get slow ground there which suits him. We'll have to think about a mile as well.” Aidan O'Brien said of Broome, “We were delighted and we're going up in trip with him now, for either the [June 4 G1] Coronation Cup [at Epsom] or the [June 19 G2] Hardwicke [at Royal Ascot].”

Helvic Dream is the first foal out of the unraced Rachevie (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), whose only other to date is this month's G3 Irish 1000 Guineas Trial runner-up Flirting Bridge (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The second dam Challow Hills (Woodman) is kin to the multiple stakes winner Teide (Mt. Livermore) from the family of the G1 Epsom Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Diminuendo (Diesis {GB}) and her Listed Pretty Polly S.-winning full-sister Pricket who was runner-up in that Epsom Classic. Diminuendo in turn produced the G3 May Hill S. winner and G1 Fillies' Mile runner-up Calando (Storm Cat), herself the dam of the Listed Chesham S. winner Champlain (GB) (Seeking the Gold) and the Listed Silken Glider S. scorer Calare (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS GOLD CUP-G1, €300,000, Curragh, 5-23, 4yo/up, 10f 110yT, 2:21.11, s/h.
1–HELVIC DREAM (IRE), 131, g, 4, by Power (GB)
     1st Dam: Rachevie (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Challow Hills, by Woodman
     3rd Dam: Cascassi, by Nijinsky II
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€4,000 RNA Wlg '17 TATFBR; €12,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP). O-Mrs Caroline Hendron & Mrs M Cahill; B-T O'Dwyer & K O'Brien (IRE); T-Noel Meade; J-Colin Keane. €180,000. Lifetime Record: 15-4-2-5, $338,101. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Broome (Ire), 131, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Sweepstake (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY). O-Masaaki Matsushima, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €60,000.
3–True Self (Ire), 128, m, 8, Oscar (Ire)–Good Thought (Ire), by Mukaddamah. O-Three Mile House & OTI Partnership; B-Mr Don Cantillon (IRE); T-Willie Mullins. €30,000.
Margins: NO, 1, 8. Odds: 8.00, 0.91, 25.00.
Also Ran: Cayenne Pepper (Ire), Search For a Song (Ire), Sunchart (GB), Serpentine (Ire), Tiger Moth (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Belardo’s Elysium In Weld Upset

Runner-up to the subsequent G2 Beresford S. third Snapraeterea (Ire) (Buratino {Ire}) in an extended seven-furlong conditions event at Roscommon last time Aug. 18, The London Racing Partnership’s Elysium (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) stepped up to spring a surprise in Sunday’s G3 Weld Park S. at The Curragh. In training with Noel Meade who is best known for his exploits in the jumping sphere, the 12-1 shot was held up in rear early by Billy Lee and when given the green light inside the final two furlongs swamped Aunty Bridy (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) with 100 yards remaining en route to a 1 1/2-length success, with Thinking of You (American Pharoah) 3/4 of a length away in third. “Believe it or not, I had said to Billy [Lee] beforehand that although a lot of people thought she has no chance I wouldn’t be surprised if she wins,” Meade said of the €15,000 Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale purchase. “I told him to ride her to get some money and hopefully you’ll get more than that and he rode her beautifully.”

Introduced in the five-furlong Naas maiden won by TDN Rising Star More Beautiful (War Front) and from which the subsequent group winners Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) and Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) also emerged on the first day back after the lockdown June 8, Elysium was an uneventful 10th there. Off the mark next time when Miss Amulet was fourth over another 164 yards at Navan June 23, the bay was third on her first try at this seven-furlong trip in Leopardstown’s Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race Final July 16 before her runner-up placing in another of that series of races in deep ground at Roscommon. “I’ve always thought a lot of her–she has shown us oceans of toe at home and I was a bit disappointed at Leopardstown, but Colin [Keane] said she didn’t really understand what it was all about as she’d never been as quick as that before. She certainly seems to have held her form very well and we’ll have to see where we are now. She’s not in anything coming up except a sales race and that was where we were thinking of going after this, but now I don’t know. There are three of us involved in the ownership and we thought we’d buy a few cheap ones with a view to selling. I bought four and I think they are okay.”

In a remarkable year for bargain-buy juveniles, Elysium was joining a growing club of domestic group-race winners alongside the €8,000 sensations Minaun (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) and the high-class Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) who fetched just €40,000. Elysium is the second individual pattern-race winner for her Kildangan Stud-based first-season sire and follows two days after his other, Isabella Giles (Ire), lit up Newmarket in the G2 Rockfel S. The dam is the Listed Chesham S. runner-up Sonning Rose (Ire) (Hawk Wing), who is kin to three black-type performers headed by the G3 Premio Carlo Chiesa runner-up Universo Star (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}). This is the family of the three-times group 1-winning Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Gold River (Riverman). Sonning Rose’s filly foal is by Sioux Nation.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
WELD PARK S.-G3, €50,000, Curragh, 9-27, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:28.17, yl.
1–ELYSIUM (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Belardo (Ire)
     1st Dam: Sonning Rose (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Hawk Wing
     2nd Dam: Shinkoh Rose (Fr), by Warning (GB)
     3rd Dam: Sandpiper’s Dream, by Lyphard
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€15,000 Ylg ’19 GOAUTY). O-The London Racing Partnership; B-Tullpark Ltd (IRE); T-Noel Meade; J-Billy Lee. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-1, $59,453. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Aunty Bridy (Ire), 128, f, 2, Camacho (GB)–Benedicte (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-David Granville; B-Karis Bloodstock Ltd & Rathbarry Stud (IRE); T-Jim Bolger. €10,000.
3–Thinking of You, 128, f, 2, American Pharoah–Fabulous (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Joseph O’Brien. €5,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3/4, NO. Odds: 12.00, 4.50, 3.30.
Also Ran: No Speak Alexander (Ire), Sense of Style (Ire), A Ma Chere (Ire), Keeper of Time (Ire), Angel Palm (GB), Star Image (GB), Halla Rince (Ire). Scratched: Monday, No Stopping Her (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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