Top News Europe | Horse Racing Free Tips

Oireachtas Hearings Conclude

The last of a series of Oireachtas Hearings into horse racing in Ireland concluded on Tuesday with representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine the latest to answer questions.

The independence of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) was a topic of discussion among deputies. Representatives of the IHRB were involved in two sessions this month along with Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), while the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association (IRTA) were also invited to meet the joint Oireachtas committee. This followed a number of high profile comments made in the media by trainer Jim Bolger.

“We are satisfied with the structure of the organisation and the board which is in statute in Ireland,” said an IHRB spokesperson. “This was reiterated by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine last week in the Dáil. “During our hearings, we welcomed the opportunity to detail the regulatory structure of the IHRB and to clarify matters raised by the parliamentary committee.”

Last week Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Ireland, was asked in The Dáil if he was satisfied with the current structure of the IHRB. “I am satisfied the current structure of the IHRB is sufficiently independent to ensure maximum confidence that any allegations concerning doping, animal welfare abuses or other illegitimate activities are adequately investigated and will be followed up, where necessary,” he stated at the time.

The current IHRB board comprises of H.R.D. McCalmont (Chairman), Martin P. O'Donnell (Vice Chairman), John Byrne, Philip McLernon, J.J. Power and David McCorkell.

The post Oireachtas Hearings Conclude appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

BBAG Launches New August HIT Sale

The BBAG August Sale, a new sale comprised mainly of horses-in-training that have entries during German racing's Big Week at Baden-Baden, was announced by the sales company on Wednesday. A single-day sale, action will begin at 2 p.m. local time on Aug. 20, with the Big Week of racing kicking off from Aug. 29-Sept. 5.

Bids will be accepted in person, by phone or online. All horses in the catalogue can be viewed at their respective racing stables. Registration deadline for the auction is Friday, Aug. 13. Buyers can register at www.bbag-sales.de.

“After the success of the spring auction, we want to meet the high demand for starting horses and establish a new auction as part of the Big Week,” says BBAG Managing Director Klaus Eulenberger.

The post BBAG Launches New August HIT Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Poetic Flare Pleases Bolger Ahead of Sussex

Dual Group 1 winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is giving all the right signals to his trainer Jim Bolger just seven days out from the G1 Qatar Sussex S. on July 28. A winner of the G3 Killavullan S. as a juvenile, the hulking bay returned to take the Listed Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” 2000 Guineas Trial S. at Leopardstown on Apr. 11, and battled to a thrilling win in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 1. Although unplaced in the French equivalent on May 16, he pushed stablemate Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) all the way to the wire when second in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh on May 22. The colt added another Group 1 laurel with an impressive 4 1/2-length victory in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot in June.

“Poetic Flare has been very well since the St James's Palace S.,” said Bolger. “We're very happy with his work and he seems to be improving further. I was expecting and hoping for him to win at Ascot but possibly not as spectacularly as he did.

“I felt from the spring of 2020 that he would be our best 2-year-old and as things transpired, he could only partially prove that. I did view him all along as my Guineas horse so it was very pleasing that he could prove that this year.

“He handles soft ground but he's better on good ground. He is very well balanced, so I don't think Goodwood holds any problems for him. He's a heavyweight in every regard and is over 500kg. He has a great appetite for eating and for working, he's just like his sire Dawn Approach in every way.”

Bolger added, “He has one more bit of work to get through and will then arrive at Goodwood on Monday. It's a very special race and a race I've not won before.”

The post Poetic Flare Pleases Bolger Ahead of Sussex appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

O’Brien Gives Update on Goodwood Team

Aidan O'Brien will send a strong Ballydoyle challenge to the Qatar Goodwood Festival next week, and has a trio of colts ready to step forward in the G1 Qatar Sussex S.-Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Battleground (War Front). Runner-up in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, the MG1SP Lope Y Fernandez won the Listed Heritage S. at Leopardstown in April. GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Order Of Australia was last seen in action taking the G2 Minstrel S. at The Curragh on July 18 and Battleground, a Group 2 winner, exits the G1 Prix Jean Prat on July 11 with a ninth-place run.

O'Brien said of the Coolmore partners' runners, “Order Of Australia has come out of the race [on Sunday] well. He cantered today and yesterday and he's very well. It's very possible that he could go. Obviously when he only ran at the weekend, we'd like to get him back in full work for four or five days and do the right thing for the horse.

“We have the choice of running here or going to the Lennox S., but at the moment we're thinking of the Sussex. He worked this morning and we were very happy with him.”

He added of Battleground, “He ran a very big race in Ascot. He was a little bit disappointing the last day, but he was drawn out on a wing and he's a horse that likes to get cover.

“We've been very happy with him since and we think Goodwood will suit him–we think he'll leave that run behind him and come right back to his Ascot run and better. It's very possible that he could go to the Sussex as well.”

The G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup S. could also feature three from Rosegreen, with 2020 G1 Derby hero Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), 2020 G1 Irish Derby victor Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) and June 27 G2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup winner Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) all likely to start.

“We think coming back to two miles will help Santiago and Amhran Na Bhfiann the same,” said O'Brien. “There's a chance that Serpentine will run as well. We were thinking two of the three, we just haven't decided yet which two.”

O'Brien's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas one-two Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire} and Joan Of Arc (Ire) (Galile {Ire}), who subsequently won the G1 Prix de Diane, both hold an entry in the G1 Qatar Nassau S.

“The two fillies we were training for it [the Nassau] are Joan Of Arc, who won the Diane, and Empress Josephine,” said O'Brien. “Joan Of Arc has been progressing lovely all season and we've been looking at this with her for a good while. Empress Josephine could step up to a mile and a quarter to run [in] it as well. That's not definite, but it's very possible.”

The post O’Brien Gives Update on Goodwood Team appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post