Ireland’s Corinthian Challenge Back for 2023

The Corinthian Challenge Charity Race Series is back this year, the Irish Injured Jockeys (IIJ) announced on Friday. The six-race series offers riding enthusiasts the chance to experience what it's like to be a jockey riding over three of Ireland's best tracks while also raising awareness and much-needed funds for the IIJ.

This year's races will be held at Naas Racecourse on Aug. 27, The Curragh on Sept. 24 and Leopardstown Racecourse on Oct. 21.
Each rider is asked to raise €10,000 through sponsorship and/or fundraising, with all funds to go to Irish Injured Jockeys. Riders must also pass an interview and a training day to receive their licence from the Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE) in Co. Kildare. This year's Corinthian Challengers are Eimear O'Gorman, Jansseen Hill, Michael O'Neill, Martina Dempsey, Niamh Ashe, Damien Moore, Aisling Fitzell, Vivienne Connolly, Darren Dunne, Aimee Murphy, Abigail Reilly, Hazel Smith, Anna Cropper and Katie Brown.

“Following on from the previous success of the series, we wanted to build on it to make it very attractive for the participants, racecourses, racegoers and for the media to really engage with again this year,” Michael Higgins, General Manager of Irish Injured Jockeys, said. “I would like to thank this year's challengers as it is a big commitment to take part and raise much-needed funds for IIJ, to date the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

For more information visit The Corinthian Challenge website.

The post Ireland’s Corinthian Challenge Back for 2023 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

ITBA Flat Seminar Spurs Lively Distance Discussion

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA)'s Flat Seminar, The Distance Debate, was held in conjunction with the Derby Festival at the Curragh on June 30.

The seminar featured a panel of top experts–Kevin Blake, Stuart Boman, Ado McGuinness, Jason Morris and John Oxx, with ITBA Chairman Cathy Grassick taking on hosting duties.

The discussion–Sprinters, Stayers and Everything in Between–analyzed breeding for different distances to suit market demands, as well as changes in trends over the past number of years and what the future might look like. The panel's lively discussion included points on varying trends within the Flat breeding and racing sector, international markets, balancing speed versus stamina and market demand.

“Distance horses are still speedy horses,” champion trainer and Staffordstown Stud Director John Oxx said. “Carrying speed for longer is what we are trying to produce. The superior athletic specimen.”

ITBA Chief Executive Una Tormey said, ”A huge thanks to the Curragh Racecourse for facilitating ITBA's Flat Seminar and to our great panel for giving up their time ahead of a busy Derby Festival weekend. The discussion provided some valued insights into all matters pertaining to the current trends around breeding for markets demands. Those in attendance provided plenty of comments and questions throughout the afternoon and the debate was well balanced and informative. There were lots of food for thought and plenty of key items were discussed. I would encourage those who missed the event to watch it back via ITBA website.”

The Seminar can be viewed in full by visiting the ITBA website or YouTube Channel.

 

The post ITBA Flat Seminar Spurs Lively Distance Discussion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Making Waves: Classic-Placed Mare Makes Hay In Canada

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Fev Rover in the GII Nassau S. at Woodbine.

Gutaifan Mare Takes Second Canadian Grade II

The G1 1000 Guineas-placed Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) added her third group/graded win to her resume with an open-length victory in the Nassau S. for Tracy Farmer and trainer Mark Casse (video).

Bred by Manister House Stud, the 5-year-old was a £20,000 Goffs UK Premier yearling turned 695,000gns Tattersalls December purchase in 2021. Her latest siblings are a juvenile filly christened Leveret (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}) and a yearling full-brother. Group 2 winner Nashmeel (Blushing Groom {Fr}) was placed in a trio of top-level races in the U.S. and France prior to foaling GI Yellow Ribbon S. heroine Light Jig (GB) (Danehill), herself the dam of Grade I winner and sire Seek Again (Speightstown).

Gutaifan, who currently stands in France at Haras des Faunes, has sired a trio of stakes winners worldwide, with Fev Rover his first group winner so far. She is his only starter in Canada.

 

 

Sopran Basilea Game At Delaware Park

Madaket Stables LLC & Bill Strauss's Sopran Basilea (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) won the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial S. at Delaware Park for trainer Graham Motion (video).

A product of Aidan Sexton's breeding programme, the 5-year-old mare sold for €11,000 at the 2018 Goffs November Foal Sale, and won three of Italian stakes races led by the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio for Leonardo Ciampli and trainer Grizzetti Galoppo during her career in Italy. Sent through the Deauville ring during the Arqana December Sale, she was snapped up by her current connections for €300,000 last year, and was runner-up in the GIII Gallorette S. at Pimilco in May. The fifth winner out of Kathy Best (Ire) (King's Best), Sopran Basilea has The Irish Rover (Ire) half-siblings born in 2021 (colt) and 2022 (filly). The extended family has thrived in Italy, which includes recent multiple group winner Plusquemavie (Ire) (Kheleyf).

The winner is Darley stallion Night Of Thunder's second graded scorer in the U.S. after GIII Athenia S. heroine Pocket Square (GB). Overall in that jurisdiction, he has six winners from nine runners (66%) and three stakes winners (33%).

 

 

Lope De Vega Filly Graduates At Belmont

Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables LLC's No Show Sammy Jo (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) won a Belmont maiden at second asking for Graham Motion (video).

Bred by Fittocks Stud and St Albans Bloodstock, the daughter of Shomaria (Fr) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) was purchased for 150,000gns as a Tattersalls Book 1 yearling in 2021. Tracing to the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}), No Show Sammy Jo is the first foal out of her placed dam. Her Dark Angel (Ire) juvenile half-brother sold for 14,000gns to Meadowview Stables as a Book 2 yearling and she is also a half-sister to a weanling filly by Palace Pier (GB).

Lope De Vega has sired 36 winners from 67 runners (54%) in North America, with five of them scoring in stakes (7%) to date. Since the first of the year, the Ballylinch stallion is responsible for 11 stakes winners across seven countries led by G1 Tancred S. winner Arapaho (Fr).

Honourable Mentions:

Wise Racing LLC's Turf King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who was mentioned in our Feb. 18 column, became the 67th stakes winner and 40th graded/group winner worldwide for his Juddmonte sire in Woodbine's all-weather GIII Marine S. on July 1 for trainer Chad Brown (video).

Brown also trained Klaravich Stables' Program Trading (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) to win a Belmont affair and improve his record to a perfect two-for-two near the end of June (video).

 

The post Making Waves: Classic-Placed Mare Makes Hay In Canada appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Coronation Runner-Up Remarquee Purchased By Wathnan Racing

Group 3 winner Remarquee (GB) (Kingman {GB}) has been purchased privately by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. She has been entered in his Wathnan Racing colours for Newmarket's G1 Falmouth S. later this month.

Owned through her first four starts by Julian Richmond-Watson, the 3-year-old daughter of listed winner and dual Group 3-placed Regardez (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) won her first racecourse appearance at Salisbury at two and the G3 Fred Darling S. at Newbury this spring. Unplaced in the G1 1000 Guineas, the Lawn Stud-bred rebounded to run second in the G1 Coronation S., just a length behind Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) at Royal Ascot.

Earlier Wathnan purchases include G3 Greenham S. winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains second Isaac Shelby (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), as well as Royal Ascot winners Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB})–who won the G2 Queen's Vase–and G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

The post Coronation Runner-Up Remarquee Purchased By Wathnan Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights