Oxx Honored With HRI Award

Trainer John Oxx, who retired at the end of the recently concluded flat season, has been honored with the Contribution to the Industry Award as part of the 2020 Horse Racing Ireland Awards which were announced on Tuesday.

Oxx, who held a license for 41 years, was champion trainer in 1995 and will be best remembered as the handler of great champions like Sea The Stars (Ire), Ridgewood Pearl (GB) and Sinndar (Ire).

Another recently retired fixture of the Irish racing scene, National Hunt jockey Barry Geraghty, was the recipient of the Irish Racing Hero Award. During his 23-year career in the saddle, Geraghty was champion jockey twice. His major wins included the Grand National and Irish Grand National, the Gold Cup (twice), Champion Hurdle (four times) and Champion Chase (five times).

The other award winners are as follows: Horse of the Year Award: Al Boum Photo; Emerging Talent Award: Gavin Ryan;

National Hunt Award: Rachael Blackmore; National Hunt Achievement Award: Eugene and Maxine O’Sullivan; Point-to-Point Award: Colin Bowe; Flat Award: Colin Keane; Flat Achievement Award: Tony Mullins; Ride of the Year: Gavin Ryan.

Horse Racing Ireland Chairman Nicky Hartery said, “We are nearing the end of what has been an extremely trying year and I wish to thank everyone in this wonderful industry who adapted so well to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to our winners today, I congratulate all those who kept the show on the road in 2020. Together, we look forward to a much brighter and exciting year ahead.”

Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of HRI, said, “It is hugely important that today we recognise those who achieved so much in the year gone by. And as we do, we also pay tribute to two giants of the racing game, John Oxx and Barry Geraghty, who called time on their stellar careers in recent months. Few trainers will reach the heights enjoyed by John, and similarly, Barry was so often a winner on the biggest of racing days. We eagerly await the seasonal return of Al Boum Photo at Tramore in the coming weeks and I congratulate his owners, Marie and Joe Donnelly on his Horse Of The Year Award.”

The post Oxx Honored With HRI Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Hunt For Champers At Tatts Ireland

Tattersalls Ireland’s 2020 slate of flat sales comes to a belated close on Wednesday when the firm stages its November Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale, this year enhanced by a 109-strong yearling section. The sale was originally slated to be held on Nov. 13, but–like the company’s November National Hunt Sale over the weekend–was moved when Ireland went back into stage five lockdown last month.

The sale ring at Fairyhouse has now swung back into action, however, and this sale rides the momentum of a fruitful season on the racetrack for its graduates. Those are headlined by the G1 Matron S. victress Champers Elysees (GB) (Elzaam {Aus}), who was bought here back in 2017 as a foal by Aughamore Stud for €12,500. She went on to be pinhooked for €28,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when bought by her trainer Johnny Murtagh, and she doubtless made many multiples of that when sold privately to Teruya Yoshida following her top-level victory on Irish Champions Weekend.

The Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale flag was flown in the 2-year-old division this season by group winners The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) and Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). The Lir Jet was sold by breeder Donal Boylan for €9,500 at this sale to Joe Foley, who stands his first-crop sire at Ballyhane Stud. Foley moved The Lir Jet on to Robson Aguiar for £8,000 at last summer’s Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, and like Champers Elysees, The Lir Jet was then the subject of two private transactions: one to Nick Bell when the breeze-ups were postponed, and one to Qatar Racing after he broke the track record at Yarmouth on debut. He went on to win Royal Ascot’s G2 Norfolk S.

The G3 Molecomb S. winner Steel Bull has likewise lined numerous pockets. Madeline Burns signed for him at €5,000 at this sale, and he made £15,000 as a Tattersalls Ascot yearling when bought by Kilbrew Stables. Trainer Michael O’Callaghan picked him up for £28,000 at the Goffs UK breeze-up sale on July 1, and sold him on to Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez after his Molecomb win.

These three graduates alone prove the importance of shopping at all levels of the catalogue; last year’s sale returned a top price of €50,000, an average of €6,442 and a median of €3,000. The addition of the yearling section means that this year’s catalogue is up significantly in size, with 190 catalogued including wildcards. Among the proven sires represented are Australia (GB), who has a yearling half-sister to the listed-placed Venturous Spirit (Fr) catalogued (lot 968); Dandy Man (Ire), with a yearling half-brother to three winners from Ballintry Stud (lot 954); Dark Angel (Ire), who has a colt foal who is the first produce for the New Approach (Ire) mare Quite Sharp (GB), a three-quarter sister to listed winner Galactic Star (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 1023); Footstepsinthesand (GB), who has a yearling colt who is the first foal out of the six-time winner Refuse Colette (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) (lot 940); Kodiac (GB), whose two yearlings include a filly who is the second foal out of a half-sister to champion Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) (lot 955A); Mehmas (Ire), who has six yearlings and one foal catalogued, including a yearling colt who is the first foal out of a placed half-sister to multiple Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) (lot 980); and No Nay Never, whose one yearling on offer is a half-sister to the G2 Kilboy Estate S. third Annie Fior (Ire) (Finsceal Fior {Ire}) (lot 975).

Other proven sires represented include exciting up-and-comers like Belardo (Ire), New Bay (GB) and Pride Of Dubai (Aus), as well as elder statesmen like Camacho (GB), Elzaam, Tamayuz (GB) and Zoffany (Ire).

The Tattersalls Ireland November Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale offers the final chance to purchase at public auction members of the first crops of some of this year’s first-season sires. Those with representatives from their first crops include Aclaim (Ire), Caravaggio (Ire), Cotai Glory (GB), Decorated Knight (GB)-his two include a half-sister to the seven-time winner and G3 Acomb S. second Fort Bastion (Ire) (lot 1005)-El Kabeir, Galileo Gold (GB), Highland Reel (Ire), Kessaar (Ire) and Time Test (GB).

There are also a handful of sires in the foal section represented by their first crop, including Scat Daddy sons Sioux Nation and Smooth Daddy. The G2 Norfolk S. and G1 Phoenix S. winner Sioux Nation was the subject of positive press at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when he produced the session-topping 88,000gns colt on the fourth day of the sale, and his lone colt here (lot 1052) is the third foal out of Dorothy Parker (Ire) (Mujadil), whose 3-year-old The Nosey Parker (Ire) (Dream Ahead) has won twice since the catalogue was published. Smooth Daddy has four first-crop foals catalogued, while the G2 Mill Reef S. and G3 Greenham S. winner James Garfield (Ire) has one, a filly from the immediate family of this year’s G2 Champagne S. winner Chindit (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (lot 1032).

The 26 filles or mares catalogued include lot 1068, an unnamed 2-year-old filly from the immediate family of this year’s G2 Lowther S. winner Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}); Winning Return (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), a granddaughter of the great producer Park Appeal (GB); and Tip Of The City (GB), the dam of the aforementioned James Garfield filly who is back in foal to that sire. Catalogued as lot 1074A, she is a half-sister to the dam of Chindit and from the family of Derby winner and sire Motivator (GB).

The post The Hunt For Champers At Tatts Ireland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Laurina Tops Third and Final Session of Tattersalls Ireland

The third and final session of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale was topped by the wildcard Laurina (Fr) (Spanish Moon) (lot 801A). A Grade 1-winning daughter of Lamboghina (Ger) (Alkalde {Ger}) over jumps, the Ballincurrig House Stud-consigned 7-year-old was knocked down for €290,000 to Ridgewood Stud. Another 7-year-old wildcard, the grey Moskovite (Ire) (Flemensfirth) (803A) found a new home at The Beeches Stud for €160,000. Consigned by Boherna Stables, the mare has placed twice at graded level over fences and is carrying her first foal by Crystal Ocean (GB).

A colt (lot 736) by Jukebox Jury (Ire) out of Sainte Baronne (Fr) (Saint des Saints {Fr}) was the most expensive weanling on the day at €70,000. The half-brother to Grade 2-winning bumper hero Appreciate It (Ire) (Jeremy) caught the eye of Richard Rohan and was part of the Charel Park Stud draft.

The foal session grossed €2,068,500 for 140 sold at a 74% clearance rate. The average was €14,775 and the median was €10,000. Combining the total results for weanlings, the aggregate was €8,932,500 for 529 sold. The average was €17,973 (+7%) and the median was €13,000.

During the mares’ session, a total of €994,000 was accrued for 18 individuals (72%). The average jumped up 229% at €55,222 and the median posted an even larger gain to €32,500 (+282%). For the entire sale, the clearance rate improved to 78% with an aggregate of €10,055,100, a median of €13,000 (+8%) and an average of €19,008 (+15%).

The post Laurina Tops Third and Final Session of Tattersalls Ireland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Frankie Dettori Celebrates 50 Years on Tuesday

Leading Flat jockey Frankie Dettori, who is also an ambassador for Sporting Index, will celebrate his 50th birthday on Tuesday. The Italian’s mounts have found the winner’s circle a total of 262 times at Group 1 level and have earned £150 million in prize money. In 2020, Dettori had nine Group 1 wins worldwide, as well as a 70th winner at Royal Ascot.

“I have never felt fitter or more ready and able than I am now at this milestone,” said Dettori, who has celebrated 63 of those Group 1 wins in the last five years, a career best. “Longines have recently awarded me the title of the Best Jockey in the World, based on worldwide ratings, for the third year in a row so that has added a spring to my step.”

The post Frankie Dettori Celebrates 50 Years on Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights