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‘It’s A Huge Team Effort’ — As Mullins Wraps Up Another Irish NH Championship

Six Irish National Hunt champions, including Willie Mullins, will be presented with their end-of-season awards at Punchestown on Saturday. Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will be on hand at the course to distribute the honours.

Trainer Willie Mullins was named the Irish NH Champion Trainer for the 17th time. He saddled his 4,000th career winner in January and sets a new record for the number of winners in a NH season having surpassed his previous best of 212, set in the 2017/2018 season. The trainer of Irish Grand National hero I Am Maximus (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}), Mullins's other significant wins in Ireland were with multiple Grade 1 winners State Man (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}), Galopin Des Champs (Fr) (Timos {Ger}), El Fabiolo (Fr) (Spanish Moon) and Facile Vega (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}).

Mullins said, “To win the champion trainer title is the icing on another great season for our team. Winning titles like this wouldn't be possible without our loyal owners who send us these wonderful horses. It's a huge team effort at Closutton–our staff go above and beyond in all weathers and keep the show on the road so winning the champion trainer title is a tribute to everyone at home.”

The rest of the winners are:

Champion Owner: JP McManus
Champion Jockey: Paul Townend
Champion Conditional: Michael O'Sullivan
Champion Amateur: Patrick Mullins
Champion Lady Amateur Rider: Jody Townend.

Named Champion Owner for the 20th time, McManus is also winning his third consecutive owners' title. Winner of the Horse Racing Ireland Contribution to the Industry Award in December, his colours were carried by I Am Maximus, with five-time Champion Jockey Paul Townend aboard, to win the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. McManus enjoyed further Grade 1 success with Saint Roi (Fr) (Coastal Path {GB}) and with Gentleman De Mee (Fr) (Saint Des Saints {Fr}).

McManus said, “It's always an honour to win the champion owner title. Thanks goes to all the trainers, jockeys and fantastic horses who gave my family and I some great days this season.”

Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive, Suzanne Eade, said, “My heartiest congratulations go to our champions JP, Willie, Paul, Michael, Patrick and Jody, all wonderful ambassadors for National Hunt racing and for Irish sport. A special mention must go to our three Cork heroes, Paul who gained his first success in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National, Michael who has enjoyed a sensational breakthrough season and to Jody who rode out her claim, a notable achievement for any rider.

“The season has been a great success with big numbers in attendance at our flagship meetings from start to finish. Thanks to a very special and dedicated workforce, the vast majority working behind the scenes in racing yards and stables in every county in the country, the Irish racing and breeding industries continue to go from strength to strength.”

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Blue Point A Short-Priced Favourite For FSS Honours After Red-Hot Start

The market has reacted to the blistering start Blue Point (Ire) has had with his two-year-olds with the Kildangan-based stallion trimmed into 5-6 favouritism for first-season sire honours with Fitzdares.

Blue Point is operating at a 50 per cent strike-rate, with four winners on the board already in Britain and Ireland, as well as another in France. He has also enjoyed notable success with his offspring in the sales ring at the domestic breeze-up sales.

The in-demand youngster leads Ten Sovereigns (Ire), whose only runner in Britain and Ireland was a winner, in the market, with the Coolmore stallion available at odds of 5-2 with the betting firm.

A spokesperson for Fitzdares said on Friday, “It is of course early in the season, but Blue Point has backed up his initial appeal on paper with some impressive early runners returning a strike-rate of 50 per cent and, with plenty more to come, he looks strong at the top of the market, meaning we've trimmed him into the 5-6 clear favourite.

“We've not seen much from Ten Sovereigns yet, but he's one from one following Brighter's (Fr) win at Dundalk earlier this month. Having covered a big book of decent mares, one can expect that there are more winners to come from him, so we make him a 5-2 second favourite behind Blue Point.”

Fellow Coolmore-based stallion Calyx (GB) has enjoyed a good start to the season, which is reflected by the market. A fast two-year-old himself, being the winner of the G2 Coventry S. in 2018, Calyx has sired two winners in Europe already this season–one in France and another in Britain.

“Calyx, although lightly-raced, was a top quality two-year-old and seems to have passed this precocity onto his offspring,” the Fitzdares representative continued.

“Persian Dreamer was hugely impressive at the Craven Meeting and looks destined for Royal Ascot, whilst an additional debut winner in France and some eye-catching performances in defeat mean we think he looks a live contender and have accordingly cut his price into 9-1.”

Fitzdares make Darley's Too Darn Hot (GB) a 13-2 chance, Tally-Ho Stud's Inns Of Court (Ire) a 9-1 shot while Invincible Army (Ire) is 12-1 and Soldier's Call (GB) can be backed at odds of 16-1. Advertise (GB) is available at 16-1 and it's 25-1 and bigger the rest.

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Goffs Punchestown Sale Billed As ‘Sensational’, as Qualimita Makes 500k

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby had one word for Thursday's record-breaking Goffs Punchestown Sale–“Sensational.”

Taking top billing at a new record price for the auction was the Milestone Stables-consigned Qualimita (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}), who attracted a final bid of €500,000 from Mags O'Toole. The 4-year-old debut point-to-point winner (lot 14) is from a classy German family featuring G1 Deutsches Derby hero Waldpark (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Masked Marvel (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}).

The clearance rate improved 1% on 2022's edition as 20 horses sold from 22 offered (91%) for a gross of €3,940,000 at Punchestown after racing yesterday. The average rose to €197,000 (+23%) and the median improved to €170,000 (+26%). Nine lots made €200,000 or more.

Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls picked up the 4-year-old winning pointer Histrionic (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}) (lot 19) for €450,000, the second-dearest lot of the day. Consigned by Ballyboy Stables, the gelding is kin to graded-winning chasers Alfie Sherrin (GB) (Kayf Tara {GB}), Kimberlite Candy (Ire) (Flemensfirth) and Hawkes Point (GB) (Kayf Tara {GB}).

“The Original Festival Sale returned a trade that can only be described in the richest of superlatives with huge increases in every statistic and a magnificent new record top price of €500,000,” Beeby continued.

“As ever we are indebted to the vendors who put their trust in the Goffs service and sent such quality to the Punchestown Sale. They are a mighty bunch as they truly put their money where their mouth is year after year and it is fantastic to see results like these today.

“We now look ahead to the Goffs Arkle Sale in June as we put the finishing touches on an outstanding catalogue. Irish Point-to-Point handlers are the backbone of the store sale market and we were delighted to see so many of them well rewarded here at the Punchestown Sale. Last year's Arkle Sale, formerly the Land Rover, has produced more 4-year-old Point-to-Point winners this season than all other store sales combined, and there is plenty more quality awaiting buyers at the Arkle Sale from 13–15 June.”

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Half To Study Of Man Debuts At Chantilly

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations feature the debut of a half-sister to a Classic winner.

14.00 Chantilly, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 3yo, f, 10fT
THE PLANETS (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is a half-sister to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Study Of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who debuts for the Andre Fabre stable in the famed Niarchos silks. The granddaughter of Miesque (Nureyev) is met by Al Shira'aa Farms' Caelestis (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a 1.25-million guineas Tattersalls Book 1 half-sister to MG1SW sire Waldgeist (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who accounted for Study Of Man in the 2019 G1 Prix Ganay. Other contenders of note include Princess Zahra Aga Khan's Marindja (Fr) (Zarak {Ire}), who is a daughter of three-time Group 1 heroine Mandesha (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}); Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Lady's Slippers (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), who is a half-sister to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac victrix Lily's Candle (Fr) (Style Vendome {Fr}); and Alex Pantall representative Jalapao (Ire) (The Grey Gatsby {Ire}), who is a half-sister to last term's G1 Prix de Diane runner-up and G1 Prix Vermeille third La Parisienne (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}).

12.40 Chantilly, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 3yo, c/g, 10fT
Haras de Treli's homebred GOT LAND (FR) (Shalaa {Ire}), a half-brother to November's G1 Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), encounters nine rivals in this newcomers' heat. They include His Highness The Aga Khan's Saghany (Fr) (Harzand {Ire}), who is a gelded half to G3 Prix du Pin victrix and G1 Prix Rothschild runner-up Sagamiyra (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

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