A massive 21 of the 31 staff have been told they are no longer needed at RACE and the decision is understood to have come as a major shock to the workforce.

The 10-month residential trainee jockey course, which has also been completed by top-notch jump jockeys such as Brian Hughes and Daryl Jacob, has been discontinued and replaced by three courses over shorter periods. In the case of all three new courses, the students will no longer live on the campus and the courses will no longer have an academic element.

The restructuring of the facility has been overseen by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and comes after accommodation blocks at RACE were closed last month due to safety concerns.

HRI appointed an interim CEO at RACE when such issues arose and, following a strict overhaul, just 10 staff will remain.

RACE is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but the future of the esteemed programme will look very different given students will no longer be based on site and the traditional jockeys' course has now been scrapped.

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The March-foaled chestnut closed her juvenile campaign with a second in the G3 Round Tower S. at the Curragh and followed up a win in Navan's Listed Committed S. on sophomore return with a second here in the G3 Lacken S. in her penultimate start.

Swiftly into stride and on the lead against the far-side rail from flagfall, the 10-11 favourite was set alight passing the quarter-mile marker and lengthened clear thereafter to easily account for Aussie Girl (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) by 3 3/4 lengths.

“We gave her time after Ascot, as we know she likes a bit of give in the ground, and that's why we put her away,” explained Harrington. “I think she'll go on anything actually and she's a very classy filly. Ascot [for the G1 British Champions Sprint] in October is the main target and she's in at Haydock [for the G1 Sprint Cup]. We didn't enter her for Irish Champions weekend because it's five furlongs, but she gets a free entry for that now. If it came up heavy, maybe. This summer we've had no idea what ground we're going to get, you can have good-to-firm in the morning and abandoned in the afternoon. We know she goes on heavy, she's won on heavy and she's gone on good-to-firm. She's a very versatile filly, she's classy and speedy.”

Just too quick!

Warm favourite Ocean Quest powered clear up the far rail to win the Group 3 @HoStud Ballyogan Stakes with plenty to spare.

She holds Group 1 entries for later in the season and a step up in class looks on the cards now. @Jessica_Racing | @NaasRacecourse pic.twitter.com/yQD50XZKoh

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 27, 2023

Pedigree Notes
Ocean Quest is the second of four foals and leading performer produced by a winning half-sister to G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) hero Poetic Dream (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and G3 Prix Francois Boutin victrix Who Knows (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). She is a half-sister to the once-raced 2-year-old maiden filly Ocean Bliss (Ire) (El Kabeir) and a yearling filly by Raven's Pass. Her Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial-winning second dam Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB}), who ran third in the G3 Bahrain Trophy, is kin to G3 Prix Edmond Blanc-winning sire Svedov (Fr) (Exit To Nowhere) out of Listed Prix des Lilas and Listed Prix Ceres victrix Carla (Fr) (Cardoun {Fr}).

Sunday, Naas, Ireland
TALLY-HO STUD IRISH EBF BALLYOGAN S.-G3, €100,000, Naas, 8-27, 3yo/up, f, 5f 205yT, 1:10.21, gd/yl.
1–OCEAN QUEST (IRE), 131, f, 3, by Sioux Nation
1st Dam: Gold Zain (GB), by Aqlaam (GB)
2nd Dam: Zain Al Boldan (GB), by Poliglote (GB)
3rd Dam: Carla (Fr), by Cardoun (Fr)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-J Kirkland & Mrs J M Ryan; B-Dr T K Chah (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-1, $195,174. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Aussie Girl (Ire), 131, f, 3, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Ravissante (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€35,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Peter Piller; B-Airlie Stud (IRE); T-Fozzy Stack. €20,000.
3–Secret Angel (Ire), 131, f, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Meydan Princess (Ire), by Choisir (Aus). (£68,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-Nick Bradley Racing 40, Burke & Partner; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-Karl Burke. €10,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 0.91, 6.00, 8.50.
Also Ran: Clounmacon (Ire), Ocean Jewel (Ire), Bellaphina (Ire), Lady Tilbury (GB), Apricot Twist (Ire), Coralillo (Ire), Honey Sweet (Ire), Queen Maedbh (Ire). Scratched: My Eyes Adore You (Ire).

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“We got a bit of bad news before the Curragh,” Con Marnane explains. “Theresa's cancer is back again. That's why the whole thing was so emotional.”

Theresa is Con's wife and it is her yellow and black silks, made famous by Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) winning the Albany, that were carried to that stirring victory in the G3 Marble Hill S. by Givemethebeatboys (Ire) at Irish racing's HQ.

He is one of two Royal Ascot-bound Bungle Inthejungle (GB) colts that the family have in training with Jessica Harrington, the other being the speedy Supersonic Man (GB), and never has there been more significance behind a Marnane runner at the meeting they adore.

“It's still very raw,” Con starts. “Theresa had cancer 10 years ago but unfortunately it's back again. We only got the news the day before the Goresbridge Sale and then we had to go and face into that at Fairyhouse. 

“That's why Givemethebeatboys winning at the Curragh was so amazing because we had only found out that week. It was very emotional, especially with what Jessie is going through as well. “For some of us, it's been a very, very hard time. But I'll tell you something, those animals are amazing, those horses are just so special. They give everyone a lift.”

It's not just the horses that Con can count on to lift spirits. Similarly to when the industry rallied around Harrington after she shared the news of her breast cancer battle, the outpouring of well wishes and support to the Marnanes has been overwhelming. 

“I have so many top-class friends in this business. It's special. There are some great people in this game and it's a massive help. But we'll get through it. Theresa is very tough and she works as hard as anyone else does here in the yard. We'll get through it.”

Con may be the face of Bansha House Stables, and you won't find many better or more enthusiastic about what he does, but make no mistake, this is a family-run operation and daughters Amy and Olivia are no bit-part players. 

“It touches at the heartstrings and it's great to have the family unit involved. Amy does the buying and Olivia does the riding out in Jessie's. It was Amy who picked out Givemethebeatboys at the sales. 

“She absolutely loved him as a yearling and he was actually our pick of the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale at Doncaster. Unfortunately the horse had a foot abscess at the sales and the Brickley brothers [Tom and David of Ard Erin Stud] had to withdraw the horse. 

“We tried to do a deal there and then but it didn't happen. But then the horse turned up at the Autumn Yearling Sale at Goffs and we bought him there for €11,000.”

Marnane added, “Olivia started working at Jessie's last year. She's in college in Dublin and wanted somewhere to ride out in the mornings. I said to her, 'why don't you try Jessie?' She fell in love with the place when she went in there and the Harringtons have been so good to her. I said we'd send them up a couple of horses as a result and one of those turned out to be Funny Money Honey (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). She was a revelation. She won a listed race and was third in another listed race up at the Curragh. We sold her very well to America and did the same again this year by sending up a few two-year-olds for Jessie to train for us.”

Funny Money Honey cost just €11,500 as a yearling and fetched 165,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year. Givemethebeatboys and Supersonic Man are also now worth many multiples of what the Marnanes handed over for the colts and the excitement is building for their appearance at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of the royal meeting. 

“The Goffs London Sale is effectively a shop window for us,” Marnane explains. “Henry [Beeby] and his team do a great job in making it all happen. They move mountains in order to let horses run in their new owner's colours at Royal Ascot and it's a sale that has been lucky for us in the past. We sold Forever In Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) there [for £430,000] in 2019 and she came out and finished second in the Commonwealth Cup just a few days later. There will be a lot of emotion at Ascot next week and a lot of people will be very interested in these two horses at the sales because they are so special. They are going there with serious chances.”

Givemethebeatboys and Supersonic Man will be joined at the Goffs London Sale by Bansha House graduates Rush Queen (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) and Tiger Belle (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), both of whom have won maidens for trainer Ado McGuinness after their purchase at the breeze-up sales by Stephen Thorne on behalf of the Shamrock Thoroughbred Syndicate. 

Rush Queen cost 50,000gns at the Craven while Tiger Belle fetched £70,000 at Doncaster. In the grand scheme of things, it's not what you'd call breaking the bank for two Royal Ascot contenders, and in many ways their sale prices illustrate an up-and-down year for Marnane at the breeze-ups. 

Fleeting Spirit (Ire), Prince Of Lir (Ire), Rio De La Plata and Sands Of Mali (Fr) are just a handful of recognisible names that have graduated through Marnane's system but the leading source of talent says that he is paying a penalty for the fact that his horses don't break the clock in their breeze. 

He explained, “The breeze-ups have gone very difficult. Our horses are not drilled to do two furlongs. I'm sorry, they're not. But it's amazing, their last two furlongs are usually their best! 

“There's too much emphasis on times. It's not my way of doing it. Call me old-fashioned. Maybe I'm an old-fashioned horseman or something like that, but that's the way we do it and I'm not changing. I want our horses to be racehorses. I want them to go into their new trainers and new owners and to be lovely and relaxed. And when they are asked to go, they go. 

“But fair play to Ado and Stephen, they stood up and they bought those horses. There was a big shortage of trainers at the sales but look what can happen when they do turn up. If you want to go to Royal Ascot, and there's only one Royal Ascot, you need to turn up at the sales.”

Givemethebeatboys has shortened into a general 8-1 chance for the Coventry with the news Frankie Dettori has been booked to take the ride. Supersonic Man will take his chance in the Windsor Castle rather than the Norfolk and, if either colt was to enter the winner's enclosure, chaos is guaranteed. 

“There is just no feeling like Royal Ascot,” Marnane says. “It's a pure adrenaline rush to have a runner over there and it would be so exciting for everybody involved if the horses were to run well. 

“It's not just for me, it's for my team here. There's a core group of people who have been with us for 30 years, the likes of Mike O'Brien, John Crosse, who breaks in all the horses, Danny and Emma in the office. 

“Then we have our operation in France and the guys in France come over here for the spring to get the horses ready so it's a big team effort. And for Jessica and Kate and the whole Harrington team, there will be a lot of emotion at Ascot next week. It would be just out of this world if it were to happen. Hopefully we can give everyone something to shout about.”

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“He was very impressive when he won at Navan, a furlong down you'd think 'how is this horse going to win?' and he put his head down and galloped the whole way to the line,” Kate Harrington said of the winner, a bargain €11,000 Goffs Autumn Sale graduate. “He hated the ground that day and was green. He's learned an awful lot from that and will learn an awful lot from today, he'll be even more competitive the next day when we go to Ascot.”

Con Marnane added, “He was a cheap horse, Amy picked him out in Doncaster but he went lame, he got a foot abscess. I was gutted as he was my favourite horse at the sale, but we bought him at Goffs then in October. We've won all the good races at Ascot with horses we've sold, or whatever, but we haven't got the Coventry yet. This is our fella.”

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN MARBLE HILL S.-G3, €60,000, Curragh, 5-27, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.81, gd.
1–GIVEMETHEBEATBOYS (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Bungle Inthejungle (GB)
1st Dam: Dromana (Ire), by Dutch Art (GB)
2nd Dam: Tecla (Ire), by Whipper
3rd Dam: Mahalia (Ire), by Danehill
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€15,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1; €11,000 Ylg '22 GOAUYR). O-Mrs Theresa Marnane; B-Airlie Stud & Mrs S M Rogers (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €36,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $48,859. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Noche Magica (Ire), 131, c, 2, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Pious Alexander (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£230,000 Ylg '22 GOFFUK). O-Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi; B-Mountarmstrong Stud & Alexander Bloodstock (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. €12,000.
3–His Majesty (Ire), 131, c, 2, No Nay Never–Czabo (GB), by Sixties Icon (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (325,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Westerberg & Brant; B-Newstead Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €6,000.
Margins: HD, HD, 2. Odds: 11.00, 1.63, 2.75.
Also Ran: Buyin Buyin (Ire), Valiant Force, Democracy (Ire).

A thrilling renewal of the Group 3 GAIN Marble Hill Stakes sees Givemethebeatboys run out a narrow winner as the colt makes it two wins from two in the hands of Shane Foley for the in-form @jessica_racing team pic.twitter.com/R8xa4w88QS

— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) May 27, 2023

Givemethebeatboys was named after the famous Uncle Kracker song, and after giving those in attendance a little taster in the Curragh parade ring, Marnane promised to give a full rendition of his favourite tune at Ascot should he win the Coventry. 

“I am emotional,” he added. “This little horse, I have been so lucky with Bungle Inthejungle. I had a very good filly by him last year, Funny Money Honey (Ire), and another very good one in Blame Thechampagne (Ire). 

“This horse had problems when we bought him. The poor lads that I bought him off, there's nothing I could do about it, but I basically got him at half price. They are great operators, the Brickley brothers, and they run a good ship at Ard Erin Stud. They will rightly get their name in lights because of this and they deserve it.  I hope they are here–they're probably in the bar and I'll be with them in a minute!”

The success of Givemethebeatboys was very much a family one with Marnane's daughter Amy picking the horse out at the sales and other daughter Olivia riding him out every day at Harrington's yard. 

As well as looking forward to Royal Ascot with Givemethebeatboys, Amy reflected on an “up and down year” at the breeze-ups, and explained how with a little bit of outside the box thinking, the family have a genuine Royal Ascot contender on their hands. 

She said, “I think he's a very good horse. He showed a lot of promise from very early on. We've only ever had two Bungles before this. One is a stakes winner in Doha and Funny Money Honey is the other. Mrs Harrington had her last year and here we go again with Givemethebeatboys. “We're going to go to the Coventry and try to do what we did with Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) [won the Albany S. at Royal Ascot in 2017].”

She added, “It's really difficult to get a Bungle Inthejungle into a breeze-up sale because they don't walk. They are not sales horses but my God they are racehorses.

“It has been an up and down year for us with the breezers. The buyers are gone so dependent on that clock and it makes it really difficult. Let's say this horse for example, if we sent him to a breeze-up sale he wouldn't have clocked. It's really difficult and some of the horses in the breeze-ups, their sale date is the Derby. We train these horses ourselves so, if we don't make the breeze-up sale, we can race them.”

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Sent to post an 8-1 shot for the Group 3 Derby Trial S., Sprewell travelled into the race better than anything under Shane Foley, and quickened clear to win a cosy three lengths at the winning line. 

It was a taking performance from the Churchill colt, owned by Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim, who was cut to 20-1 for Epsom. 

Foley said,  “He's a very, very good horse. He wouldn't excite you at home and I wasn't sure how he was going but Kate [Harrington, assistant and daughter to Jessica] told me he was fine, ready and not to worry.

“He gave me a proper feel, when I gave him a squeeze he came back underneath me. It was a proper-run race and a good one. He'll be a Derby horse, hopefully. He enjoys that soft ground. There's no reason why he shouldn't go on better ground but he handles it well.” 

Favourite Proud And Regal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who had won the G1 Criterium International on his last start as a two-year-old, finished third.

Sprewell becomes the seventh Group winner for his sire and the first of such from five winners for the G1 E.P. Taylor S. heroine and G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up Lahaleeb (Ire) (Redback {GB}). He is also his dam's last known foal. 

Lahaleeb is kin to the Listed Masaka S. victrix Precocious Star (Ire) (Bold Fact) while her full-sister Pink Flames (Ire) produced the Listed Copa de Oro Donostia victor and Spanish champion Flanders Flame (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}).

Sprewell's third dam Dancing Debut (GB) (Polar Falcon) has the Listed John Musker S. winner Dancing Partner (GB) (Danzero {Aus}) to her credit. The next dam Exclusive Virtue (Shadeed) is a half-sister the G1 2,000 Guineas hero and sire Entrepreneur (GB) (Sadler's Wells) as well as to the G1 Coronation S. heroine and stakes producer Exclusive (GB) who shares Polar Falcon (Nureyev) as a sire with Dancing Debut and has the G1 Matron S. victrix Echelon (GB) (Danehill) heading her progeny list.

Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
DERBY TRIAL S.-G3, €70,000, Leopardstown, 5-7, 3yo, 10fT, 2:15.57, sf/hy.
1–SPREWELL (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Churchill (Ire)
1st Dam: Lahaleeb (Ire) (GISW-Can, MGSW-Eng & G1SP-Ire, $1,013,003), by Redback (GB)
2nd Dam: Flames (GB), by Blushing Flame
3rd Dam: Dancing Debut (GB), by Polar Falcon
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim; B-Khalid Abdul Rahaim (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €42,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-0, $61,287. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Up And Under (Fr), 131, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Hibiscus (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (220,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 130,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT; €130,000 2yo '22 ARQMAY). O-Go Racing Ltd; B-Floors Stud Roxburgh Estate Office (FR); T-Joseph O'Brien. €14,000.
3–Proud And Regal (Ire), 131, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Simply Perfect (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €7,000.
Margins: 3, 2HF, 1HF. Odds: 8.00, 2.75, 1.50.
Also Ran: Londoner (Ire), Goldenstatewarrior (Ire), Tower Of London (Ire), Mr Lincoln (GB), Mohawk Chief.

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“She is a very good filly and Jessie [Harrington] was contemplating stepping up to seven or a mile, but she has a lot of natural speed and was even keen there despite the fact that we were skipping along,” Foley said of the winner, the first part of a listed double for the in-form stable on the card. “She has thickened into a fine filly and is quite keen and forward-going at home and even going down today took me on for the first furlong–she has to have things her way.”

Assistant trainer Kate Harrington added, “She was going to the [G1] Cheveley Park last year and she pulled a muscle the week before, so we put her away for the rest of the season. We knew she was good last year–she won the first two-year-old race of the season and we bided our time with her and let her strengthen up. She'll go to the [G1] Commonwealth Cup, that's what mum said on the phone! Obviously, mum will have a chat with the owners and everything, but it looks like the likely aim at the moment.”

Ocean Quest, who was also third in the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas at the start of August, is the second foal out of a daughter of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial scorer and G3 Bahrain Trophy third Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB}) who also produced the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen winner Poetic Dream (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and G3 Prix Francois Boutin scorer Who Knows (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Her 2-year-old filly Ocean Bliss (Ire) is by El Kabeir, while she also has a yearling filly by Raven's Pass.

IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF COMMITTED S.-Listed, €42,500, Navan, 4-22, 3yo, 5f 164yT, 1:18.31, hy.
1–OCEAN QUEST (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Sioux Nation
     1st Dam: Gold Zain (GB), by Aqlaam (GB)
     2nd Dam: Zain Al Boldan (GB), by Poliglote (GB)
     3rd Dam: Carla (Fr), by Cardoun (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-J Kirkland & Mrs J M Ryan; B-Dr T K Chah (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €25,500. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 4-2-1-1, $78,565.
2–Aesop's Fables (Ire), 136, c, 3, No Nay Never–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €8,500.
3–The Antarctic (Ire), 134, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (750,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Magnier,Tabor,Smith,Westerberg,Brant; B-Bally Philip Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €4,250.
Margins: 6, 3/4, 14. Odds: 10.00, 3.50, 0.80.
Also Ran: Shartash (Ire), Cosmic Invasion (Ire).

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“We were very excited coming in, as we always thought he was a very serious horse and his work had been super,” the winning trainer said. “He was very impressive in his maiden and he did what we hoped he could do today. There is a fair bit more to come, as he has a big engine and I couldn't thank the owner enough for keeping him with us. His first run was on heavy ground at Naas and he finished out strong, so I was confident he'd get through it and the good ones can do it on anything. With the pace he showed at Dundalk, we weren't 100 per-cent confident he'd get a mile and a quarter but I don't think we'd be too worried going anywhere with him now. He's very well-balanced and moves very well, so I wouldn't be worried about going to Epsom–we'll have a serious chat with the owner and make a plan.”

Pedigree Notes
White Birch, who provided his sire with back-to-back renewals of the Ballysax after Piz Badile (Ire), is Cheveley Park breeding through and through. He is the second of two foals out of Diagnostic, who proved a useful sort in the red, white and blue of the Thompsons when winning four times at six and seven furlongs campaigned by William Haggas almost exclusively on the all-weather. Her dam Holistic (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is a full-sister to the Listed Kilvington Fillies' S. winner and stakes producer Prescription (GB) and a half to four further black-type winners headed by Clinical (GB) (Motivator {GB}), who proved especially adept on Epsom's unique contours when winning the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. before producing the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) runner-up and G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. third Lockheed (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}).

Further back, White Birch boasts as one of his relatives the renowned Secreto mare Rahaam, who was not only responsible for the top-class grey Verglas (Ire) but also the G2 King's Stand S. winner and all-round sprinting talent Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who in turn threw the illustrious performer and producer Halfway To Heaven (Ire) by Cheveley Park's flagship sire Pivotal (GB). Her Galileo (Ire) daughters Magical (Ire) and Rhododendron (Ire) need no introduction, with the latter the dam of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who at present at least looks the biggest obstacle to White Birch should connections take the grey down the Derby route.

Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
P.W. MCGRATH MEMORIAL BALLYSAX S.-G3, €50,000, Leopardstown, 4-2, 3yo, 10fT, 2:19.95, hy.
1–WHITE BIRCH (GB), 131, c, 3, by Ulysses (Ire)
     1st Dam: Diagnostic (GB), by Dutch Art (GB)
     2nd Dam: Holistic (GB), by Pivotal (GB)
     3rd Dam: Doctor's Glory, by Elmaamul
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. (75,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 48,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Mrs C C Regalado-Gonzalez; B-Cheveley Park Stud Limited (GB); T-John Joseph Murphy; J-Shane Foley. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $42,029. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Up And Under (Fr), 131, c, 3, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Hibiscus (Ire), by Galileo (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (220,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 130,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT; €130,000 2yo '22 ARQMAY). O-Go Racing Limited; B-Floors Stud Roxburgh Estate Office (FR); T-Joseph O'Brien. €10,000.
3–Alexandroupolis (Ire), 131, c, 3, Camelot (GB)–Jazz Cat (Ire), by Tamayuz (GB).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. TDN Rising Star. (240,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Mrs Fitri Hay (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €5,000.
Margins: HF, 4, 1 3/4. Odds: 22.00, 7.50, 0.80.
Also Ran: Serious Challenge (Ire), Denmark (GB), Mohawk Chief. Scratched: Alder (Ire).

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Just over a month after he upped sticks to Australia, Madden rode his first winner for new boss Leslie Smith aboard Glitter 'N' Gold (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), after which he credited fellow Irishman Shane Jackson for advising him to make the switch. 

Jackson made that same successful move a decade ago and left nothing to chance so that Tom, the son of trainer Niall 'Boots' Madden and brother to Grand National-winning pilot Niall 'Slippers' Madden, could hit the ground running down under.

The 25-year-old said, “I've been here just over a month so to mark it with my first winner in Australia was great. Things had dried up for me in Ireland so it made sense to give this a go and I am really enjoying it.”

Madden burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old back in 2013. He rode three winners in his debut season and confirmed himself one of the most promising apprentices in the country the following year by bagging 14 wins.

His best season came in 2019 when he rode 25 winners but it was in 2020 where he claimed his most memorable prizes given he partnered Silence Please (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Zaffy's Pride (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) and Barrington Court (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) to listed race success for Jessica Harrington. 

Madden remained with Harrington, where he rode as second choice to Shane Foley, until he decided to leave for Australia and pointed to the fact that the rides had largely dried up as the main reason behind the switch. 

He explained, “Jessie wasn't running much towards the end of the season and, whatever she was running, Shane was riding so there weren't many rides to go around. Money was becoming tight because I wasn't getting many rides and all I was doing was riding out for people in the mornings. 

“My brother Niall is good friends with Shane Jackson, who has made a good career for himself here in Australia, and he has been on to me for a good few years to come down and give it a go. I shelved those plans when Covid hit but I'd no excuse not to take the opportunity this year now that the restrictions have eased.”

Madden added, “Shane and his wife Lorna have been very good to me and had everything organised for when I arrived. Not only did they line up a job and somewhere for me to stay, but they also organised banking and a car for me, so I am very lucky.

“Even in the smaller races down here, there is great prize-money on offer. Obviously the city meetings are where you want to be riding at but the country tracks offer fantastic prize-money as well and it goes right down to eighth and ninth position so, every time you go racing, you're picking up a cheque. 

“I was getting by without making a lot of money in Ireland. Prize-money at home is okay and the riding fees are fine but the riding fee is nearly double out here. It's just so competitive in Ireland. It was great when I had the claim as I could ride away in the apprentice races but, when you lose your claim, things become a lot harder and it's much tougher to compete. I just found that I was tipping away okay before Covid but never really got going after it.”

Madden is not the only Irishman to sample all that Australia has to offer. Ben Coen, Jamie Powell, Scott McCullagh and Mikey Sheehy are riding in Sydney this winter but Madden, whose agent is another Irish native Robbie Kingston, brother to trainer George Kingston, is open to an extended stay. 

He said, “I have a flight back to Ireland booked for the end of January but, if things keep going the way they are going and I am still enjoying it, I could stay. I'll take things as they come and hopefully everything will work out.”

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Racing for Zhang Yuesheng, the 3-year-old filly, who won the G2 Ribblesdale S. prior to her G1 Irish Oaks heroics, was fifth to future Arc winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks in August.

“This morning, she galloped for about six furlongs,” said Harrington, who assists her mother, Jessica. “We just wanted to get a nice breeze into her and for Shane [Foley] to see how she's moving and how she was.

“She lost a nice bit of weight traveling here, but she's back to her best weight now. With Shane riding her today, she knows it's coming close to the race date, she's in perfect condition and we couldn't be happier with her. She's taking everything well in her stride and settled in really well with the surroundings here.

“The quick surface in Japan is one of the reasons why we brought her here. She's done well on quick surfaces in Europe and I think the right-handed course at Hanshin will suit her well. Magical Lagoon is a tough horse, she has stamina and she'll never give up a fight.”

Jockey Shane Foley added, “Hanshin Racecourse is a very good and fair track with a long straight so that she can get into a battle. The harder the battle, the better she'll be.

“She's usually good out of the gate and quick into her strides so we hope to get a nice position in the first five or six and get her into a nice rhythm.

“We'd prefer that it doesn't rain and that we can race on fast track because her best form is on firm ground, but she's getting stronger all the time and I think she'll handle it well. The soft ground in Japan is different to soft ground in Europe so hopefully it won't get too bad.”

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