Despite running green as he had on debut, the son of the G3 Albany S. winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. and G1 Prix Morny-placed Different League surged away late to beat the solid yardstick Huxley (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 4 3/4 lengths.Ballydoyle's representative Chris Armstrong said of Galileo's 42nd TDN Rising Star, “He had a lovely run as a two-year-old at the Curragh in a race that worked out nicely and has the makings of a lovely horse. He's still very babyish and raw and I think there is plenty of improvement but, when he gets there, he could be a nice one. Wayne gave him a lovely ride and we'll probably look at a trial for him next–he might be one for Chester.”

Agenda joins a list of stellar TDN Rising Stars for the past Coolmore monarch including Waldgeist (GB), Found (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Teofilo (Ire) and the incomparable Frankel (GB). Different League, who was a 1.5million gns purchase by White Birch Farm and M V Magnier at the 2017 Tatts December Sale, has produced the useful Subzero (Ire) from her first mating with the late great Galileo and her third foal is a yearling son of Frankel (GB). The family includes the G2 Gimcrack S.-winning sire Carrowkeel (Ire).

7th-Dundalk, €13,000, Mdn, 3-26, 3yo, 10f 150y (AWT), 2:19.70, st.
AGENDA (IRE), c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
     1st Dam: Different League (Fr) (GSW & G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, SP-Ire, $225,021), by Dabirsim (Fr)
     2nd Dam: Danseuse Corse (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Corse (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $10,030. O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Peter M Brant; B-Coolmore & White Birch Farm SC (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Irish Derby entry Agenda, a son of Galileo, caught the eye when third on debut in October and goes two places better in fine style at @DundalkStadium under @waynemlordan @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/UkgCuZwBlq

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 26, 2024

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Alas, the Aidan O'Brien-trained colt could not provide Lordan with a dream return, as he trailed home last of the three runners, but Lordan's spirits could not have been dented after completing the comeback. 

The multiple Group 1 and Classic-winning rider, who has been a key cog in the Ballydoyle operation for some years now, suffered career-threatening injuries when he was unshipped from the ill-fated San Antonio (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Irish Derby last July.

That left Lordan with fractures to his legs and elbow, along with a laceration to his arm, but Cork native said he never doubted that he would make a return to the saddle during his recovery. 

He explained, “It was great to get back–a great feeling. A lot of the time spent off was purely recovery. I had a lot of tests that I needed to pass in order to get back and that takes time. 

“I had to wait to get all of the right results back and thankfully they did. The other side to it was the injury took place towards the end of the year, so my recovery was over the winter, and that made things a bit easier. It's not a crazy busy time of the year for a jockey and it made it a bit easier watching on.”

He added, “I was always confident that everything was going well. You're just waiting for the right boxes to be ticked and everyone else to be happy. I've felt good for a while now. I started back in the gym back in November.”

Lordan is one of the most decorated riders in Ireland. He cemented his relationship with O'Brien when partnering Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to victory in the 2017 1,000 Guineas. He has since been associated with top-notch horses like Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), for whom he was at his brilliant best aboard in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and more. 

On his return, Lordan continued, “It's not until you get back race-riding that you realise how much you've missed it. I got back into Ballydoyle on January 3 and it was just a brilliant feeling to go back in there. It's a nice time of year. From finding two-year-olds, to looking forward to the three-year-olds, there's a lot of excitement in the air. Time will tell as the season goes on.”

The post Lordan Buzzing To Be Back Riding Eight Months After Horror Spill In Irish Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Placed close to the strong early pace set by the 11-4 favourite Covey (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the son of the G2 May Hill S. winner Turret Rocks was committed inside the two and had to fight to the line as the closers came. Finding it in time, he prevailed by a length and a neck from fellow outsiders Zoology (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) and Streets Of Gold (Ire) (Havana Gold {Ire}) respectively to provide his trainer with an 85th Royal winner and deliver a 12th Royal Ascot trainer's title.

AGE OF KINGS (Kingman) the ultimate victor in the G3 Jersey S. at #RoyalAscot! pic.twitter.com/pyiwQMfWuR

— TDN (@theTDN) June 24, 2023

Granted his TDN Rising Star tag following his emphatic Curragh conditions win at the beginning of last June, Age Of Kings had come here days later to contest the G2 Coventry S. and was seventh before returning to Kildare to be a close fourth in the G2 Railway S. on his third start in 25 days. Whether that busy workload cost him afterwards is hard to say, but it was significant that he was the stable's chosen representative in Leopardstown's G3 Tyros S. in July which is always a marker of merit when it comes to Ballydoyle's juveniles. Only third there before disappearing off the radar, he was a surprise member of the line-up for the Irish Guineas and although he was 10th he was beaten less than eight lengths by Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}).

“Wayne kept it uncomplicated and said he'd get a mile if we wanted,” O'Brien said. “The Guineas was only his first run of the year, it was a very good run and he came forward from that.” Lordan added, “At two he had a few runs and maybe got a bit weak, but he's come back and he's stepped forward nicely, even in his work.”

Trainer James Ferguson said of Zoology, “They went very hard and, in the mid-stage of the race, you just think he's struggling to keep up but they've all come back and he's stayed on very well. It's a tough race this and the fast ground certainly suited him. He has done absolutely nothing wrong and ran a super race in the Greenham, when he obviously didn't like the ground. Back on a sounder surface, he's run an absolute belter of a race and I've got very high hopes for this horse. I think he could be a superstar.”

Streets Of Gold's trainer Eve Johnson Houghton said, “That's probably the hardest race he has run in and, on Timeform figures, that's probably the highest he's ever run to. He is in the Bunbury Cup, we might go there or we might try to find an easy race to win–we will see.”

Pedigree Notes
Age Of Kings is the first foal out of the aforementioned Turret Rocks, who also took the G3 Blue Wind S. and G3 Meld S. and was runner-up in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and third in the G1 Pretty Polly S. for Jim Bolger. She is a half-sister to Beyond Thankful (Ire) (Whipper), who captured the G3 Newcastle Cup and was second in the G3 Killavullan S, while this is also the family of the G2 Fuji TV Sho Spring S. winner and G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) third Galore Creek (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}), the G3 Stanerra S. winner Cimeara (Ire) (Vocalised) and her 2-year-old full-sister Comhra (Ire) who was third in last month's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Turret Rocks, who is also related to the brilliant Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), has the 2-year-old colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) who was a 600,000gns purchase by David Redvers at last year's Book 1 Sale. Named Trafalgar Square (Ire), he is followed by a yearling full-brother to Age Of Kings.

Saturday, Royal Ascot, Britain
JERSEY S.-G3, £150,000, Ascot, 6-24, 3yo, 7fT, 1:26.93, g/f.
1–AGE OF KINGS (IRE), 129, c, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Turret Rocks (Ire) (MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $396,000), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Beyond Compare (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Gold Bust (GB), by Nashwan
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (1,100,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Westerberg, Magnier, Tabor, Smith & Brant; B-Farmleigh Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. £85,065. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 7-2-1-1, $136,790. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zoology (GB), 129, c, 3, Zoustar (Aus)–Peach Melba (GB), by Dream Ahead. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (90,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-R Kent & Executors of Lady Lonsdale (GB); T-James Ferguson. £32,250.
3–Streets Of Gold (Ire), 129, c, 3, Havana Gold (Ire)–Truly Honoured (GB), by Frankel (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (£27,000 Ylg '21 TATIRY). O-J Allison & G C Stevens; B-Vimal & Gillian Khosla (IRE); T-Eve Johnson Houghton. £16,140.
Margins: 1, NK, NK. Odds: 22.00, 22.00, 28.00.
Also Ran: Holloway Boy (GB), Olivia Maralda (Ire), Holguin (GB), Flight Plan (GB), Thunderbear (Ire), Covey (GB), Alexander John (Ire), Enfjaar (Ire), Mysterious Night (Ire), The Antarctic (Ire), Empty Metaphor (Ire), Quar Shamar (Ger).

The post Kingman’s TDN Rising Star Age Of Kings Wins The Jersey appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“I'm very happy with that on his first run back on that ground. He's going to stay further,” Aidan O'Brien said. “We thought as a two-year-old that he would get further than seven furlongs, but he never went any further because we had other horses. Then we ran him in the Guineas and he got injured. There was nowhere to hide today. Joseph's horse went a good gallop and none of the other horses were able to close.”

Where Point Lonsdale fits in remains to be seen, with the stable not short on big names among its older horses. “We have Luxembourg in the same sort of bracket,” the Ballydoyle conditioner added. “At the moment we are looking at the Ganay for him and, if not, the [G2] Mooresbridge. This horse could go for something like the [G1] Coronation Cup and take in another race before that.”

Pedigree Notes
Point Lonsdale's dam Sweepstake, who was successful in the Listed National S. and Bedanken S., runner-up in the GIII Appalachian S. and third in the G3 Princess Margaret S., has already excelled by producing the aforementioned seven-times group-winning Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Broome by Galileo's son Australia. Galileo is also responsible for the family's triple group-winning stayer Ernest Hemingway (Ire), while his son Frankel (GB) sired another G2 Futurity S. winner in Rostropovich (Ire), who went on to finish runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby, and the G3 Prix d'Aumale scorer Toulifaut (Ire).

This is also the dynasty of the stable's G1 Phoenix S.-winning sire Zoffany (Ire) and the G1 St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}), as well as the G3 Bengough S. winner Projection (GB) who shares Acclamation as a sire with Sweepstake. Others of note from this Hesmonds Stud family include the G3 Fred Darling S. winner Bulaxie (GB) (Bustino {GB}), responsible for the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Claxon (GB) (Caerleon) whose GIII Hillsborough S.-winning and G1 Nassau S.-placed daughter Cassydora (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) threw the aforementioned Ernest Hemingway. Sweepstake's 2-year-old colt by Frankel was unsurprisingly a 2.4million gns sensation when knocked down to M V Magnier and White Birch Farm as the second highest-priced lot at last year's Book 1 Sale.

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
SP OR BETTER GUARANTEED WITH TOTE ALLEGED S.-G3, €55,000, Curragh, 4-16, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:24.79, hy.
1–POINT LONSDALE (IRE), 131, c, 4, by Australia (GB)
     1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng, SW & GSP-US, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
     2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
     3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(575,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-D Smith,Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor,Westerberg; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. €33,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 7-5-1-0, $272,429. *Full to Broome (Ire), G1SW-Fr, GSW-UAE, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng, GISP-US, $2,756,270. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Visualisation (Ire), 131, g, 5, No Nay Never–Roselita (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (£245,000 RNA HRA '21 GOFFLN). O-Harold John Millar; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €11,000.
3–Layfayette (Ire), 136, g, 6, French Navy (GB)–Scala Romana (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). (€4,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP; €54,000 2yo '19 TATGOR). O-Mrs Patricia Hunt; B-Matthew Duffy (IRE); T-Noel Meade. €5,500.
Margins: 1HF, 7, 5. Odds: 1.50, 2.25, 7.00.
Also Ran: Self Belief (Ire), Fastnet Crown (Ire). Scratched: Piz Badile (Ire).

https://twitter.com/i/status/1647605043393093637

The post Australia’s Point Lonsdale Back With A Win In The Alleged appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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“You'd have to be very happy with that on very deep ground,” said Aidan O'Brien. “He travelled very well and, when Wayne [Lordan] dropped him down to go, he was a little bit lost on the ground, but he would never have seen that [heavy] ground before. It was a good education for him, he has plenty of speed and I'd say he's a classy horse. He's big and he's strong and very laid back.” Looking ahead to immediate targets, the trainer added, “There is the Listed [First Flier S.] back here in a few weeks and we could look at that.”

Democracy, the latest of four reported foals, is the second scorer produced by a granddaughter of Lanwades Stud matriarch Alruccaba (Ire) (Crystal Palace {Fr}) and the March-foaled bay is a full-brother to last term's G3 Oh So Sharp S. victrix Midnight Mile (Ire). His dam Ruby Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is kin to six stakes performers headed by G1 Moyglare Stud S. victrix Quarter Moon (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Yesterday (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and G1 Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks third All My Loving (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). Quarter Moon produced G1 Pretty Polly S. victrix Diamondsandrubies (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and G1 Fillies' Mile S. third You'll Be Mine (Kingmambo), with the latter being the dam of MGSW G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Ranvet S. placegetter Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and stakes-winning G1 Tancred S. third King Frankel (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

1st-Curragh, €17,000, Mdn, 4-16, 2yo, 6fT, 1:23.68, hy.
DEMOCRACY (IRE), c, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Ruby Tuesday (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Jude (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Alruccaba (Ire), by Crystal Palace (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €10,030. *Full to Midnight Mile (Ire), GSW-Eng. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Premier Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien.

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Admitting there was some emotion surrounding the move, McElligott looks back on over 20 years reporting on the sport he loves and looks ahead to the challenges he faces in his new position as the IRTA chief. 

The 41-year-old wears many hats. As well as being a talented journalist, he knows the programme book better than most, a skill that David Wachman and more recently Gordon Elliott have utilised by securing his services in that department. 

McElligott has also been a jockey's agent for his close friend and multiple Group 1 and Classic-winning rider Wayne Lordan for the majority of his career and has enjoyed notable success in the pinhooking department with another good friend in Luke Barry of Manister House Stud. 

All that and more, including his thoughts on the National Hunt and Flat market, are discussed below in this week's Starfield Stud-sponsored Conversations Q&A.

Brian Sheerin: The Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale marked the end of your journalism career as you move on to pastures new. Did you feel any emotion in closing that chapter?

Ryan McElligott: There would have been. Sales have been an integral part of my life for well over 20 years so there was an eerie feeling at Goffs in knowing that it was going to be the last sale I was going to write about. 

BS: How did you get into racing journalism?

RM: I was very interested in racing from an early stage and, in my heart of hearts, knew that I wanted to do something in the sport. When I was in Transition Year in secondary school, I did three weeks work experience with The Irish Field back when it was based in D'Olier Street in Dublin, and I enjoyed that. I actually shared an office with Mark Costello [current deputy editor of the paper] during that time. The following summer, I did more work experience with The Irish Field and at that stage I had my heart set on doing racing journalism. I wasn't really thinking of doing journalism in any other sphere other than racing. Just as I began my journalism degree, I got some freelance work for The Irish Field and did my first ever sales report for the EBN-the Derby Sale at Tattersalls in 2000. When it came to graduation time, The Irish Field's chief racing reporter Cliff Noone retired so it was all a question of good timing and I ended up getting a lot of work very early on in my career. I was unbelievably fortunate that a lot of things happened to fall into place for me.

BS: Any particular highlights?

RM: As I look back on it now, it was a great time to be covering racing because you had so many powerful yards from Ireland competing on the big stage. On the Flat, you had Aidan O'Brien, Dermot Weld, Jim Bolger, Kevin Prendergast and John Oxx. They were all operating at the peak of their powers at that time. It was remarkable when you think back about it now. 

BS: Journalism can be a thankless job at times and invariably you might end up writing something that somebody doesn't agree with but you got through your career without any major bust-ups. How so?

RM: I don't know. There was one thing that I really didn't enjoy writing about and that was the sale period of autumn 2008 through to 2010. It was bad. It wasn't good for anybody. It wasn't good for the sales companies, breeders, pinhookers, nobody. You can't get away from the fact that the figures have gone through the floor but all you can do is try to handle it in a humane manner. I was at one sale in 2009, now it would have been a low-key sale, but after three hours one of the senior guys went into the office to check what the figures were and they were zero. The figures were zero after three hours. I was covering that sale for the Racing Post at the time and I can remember ringing the Bloodstock Editor at the time to tell them that there was nothing happening there. We decided to give it just 150 words. At that stage, an acceptance had formed that the world was in freefall and a bad thoroughbred sale in Ireland was just symptomatic of what was going on.

“That was pretty sobering stuff but, bit by bit, we managed to get ourselves back in the game.”

BS: Were you pinhooking at that time?

RM: We would have been and 2008 would have been pretty grim. By my recollection, we had a Hawk Wing filly who I think cost seven grand as a foal and we sold her for 30 grand as a yearling. Lolly For Dolly (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) was the other one to get sold. The rest of them, we either gave them away or put them into training. It wasn't good. As the market is contracting before your very eyes, even the slightest mistake is going to be punished severely. I'll never forget, the night before the Orby, the Minister for Finance Brian Lenihen addressed the nation to basically tell us that we were F****d. That was pretty sobering stuff but, bit by bit, we managed to get ourselves back in the game. We bought very little in 2009 but we gave small money for a Diamond Green (Fr) colt at Goffs who ended up making 60-odd grand at Book 2. We're talking small sums, relatively speaking, but that provided the little bounce that we needed to get back on our feet. Luke [Barry] and I will always recall selling that horse. We knew he was nice. It happens when you have a good one because you're standing there and, all of a sudden, the sales ring fills up around you and you know something is going to happen. Dwayne Woods outbid Sir Mark Prescott for the horse. 

BS: How did you get into pinhooking?

RM: Luke was a year ahead of me in primary and secondary school so we were always very friendly. He spent some time in America and when he came home was trying to get the whole pinhooking thing going. I was working at the time but had zero responsibilities and no family so had some cash to put in and that's how it started. The first horse we bought was a Danetime (Ire) foal who ended up being called Danish Express (Ire). He won a Bath maiden for a man called Peter Winkworth and was a grand little horse. We actually lost money on that horse. He cost €28,000 as a foal in 2003 and was sold for 22,000gns as a yearling. That was the first year of it. I think we'd two the following year and then two becomes three and then three becomes five and so on. I'm involved more on the National Hunt side of things now. That's just the way it has evolved. 

BS: That was a conscious decision of yours, to concentrate more on the National Hunt stock.

RM: The National Hunt horses come here to me for a couple of years and I like having them around the place. You could have questioned what way the market was going to go on the Flat and, as it happened, it way outperformed what I thought it would this year. Circumstances changed as well. I have other concerns now that I wouldn't have had when I was younger in terms of the fact I have a young family and I suppose, with work, I got a bit disconnected with the whole pinhooking thing. For example, going to a sale in Newmarket just didn't suit me. It's a lot easier to keep a handle on the National Hunt sales as it's all happening on your doorstep but the Flat is vast. The pinhooking is very much Luke's thing. 

BS: I know you say it's more Luke's thing than yours but it's something that has gone well for almost two decades now so what has been the approach.

RM: Well, you need to try and buy something that is going to be acceptable to the market. That's the first thing. Okay, proven sires are going to cost a premium but it's always good to have a sibling running for you the next year and a lot of great touches have come from that. It's great when horses we've pinhooked go on to success. We pinhooked Lolly For Dolly. Fozzy Stack bought her off us as a yearling and she won the Windsor Forest S. at Royal Ascot. We went back some years later and bought her Sir Percy (GB) half-sister for 27,000gns as a foal before selling her for €210,000 as a yearling so the family was good to us. In terms of Luke, his family had Starfish (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who bred La Collina (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB}), Astadash (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and many more black-type horses. That was their family. Starfish was really good to them and they bought her as an unraced filly out of Stack's. At that time, Luke and I would have had many conversations about Starfish because Decado (Ire) was in the pedigree. He won a Tetrarch S. and was placed in an Irish Guineas for Kevin Prendergast. Luke's Dad Frank was very close with Kevin so there would have been an affinity with the family given Kevin had Decado. Starfish ended up being an incredible success story for them. That's something that stands out. I like seeing Luke do well. 

Lolly For Dolly winning at Royal Ascot under Wayne Lordan | Racingfotos.com

BS: Have you tried to buy many siblings to some of the younger horses who might be showing up well at home at Gordon Elliott's given you have an insight to the yard?

RM: You try and work every angle you can but it's very rare that it happens. If you know there's a good one, chances are that 10 more people know it as well. I remember a few years ago we tried to buy a half-brother to what Gordon thought was a smart horse in Pencilfulloflead (Ire) (Shantou). Half the sales complex knew about it as well, though. Kevin Ross bought the horse for €36,000. He was by Califet  (Fr) and we thought we'd be very clever buying a half-brother to the then unraced Pencilfulloflead but we didn't get him. You would have had a chance of doing something like that 20 years ago but not any more.

BS: Are there any stallions you've done particularly well with?

RM: Beat Hollow (GB) was very good to us. Choisir (Aus) and Danetime (Ire) on the Flat as well. 

BS: You were a Blue Bresil fan before it was cool to be one. 

RM: We had that Blue Bresil (Fr) horse who ended up making £340,000 after winning his point-to-point, Willmount (GB). He was out in a field with The Four Sixes (Ire) (Westerner {Ire}), who we put into training with Gordon before selling privately to the McNeill family after he placed in a Leopardstown bumper. We sold Willmount at the Land Rover Sale to Rob James for €46,000 and he won his point for Colin Bowe.

BS: And is there anything coming through on the Flat that you like?

RM: I am a big Cotai Glory (GB) fan. I think he's a really nice sire. If you bought a mare it would be a fair start if you sent her to Cotai Glory. I think he's a good idea. He got the Group 1 winner, The Platinum Queen, in his second crop. I only realised the other day that The Platinum Queen (Ire) was the first two-year-old to win the Abbaye in 40-odd years. That's a fair feat. I've never owned a Cotai Glory but he's a stallion I like.

BS: Tell me a bit about your new role as chief executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association.

RM: I had been writing for over 20 years and just began to look at other avenues. This position came up and a number of aspects of the role interested me. You are representing a significant body in Irish racing. You are representing a body where some of its members are global names. It's a body with the capacity to drive change and positive change at that. I thought it was a role with potential. 

BS: It's a role that comes with its challenges. 

RM: Absolutely. It's an organisation that has gone through a difficult period. It has endured some very challenging times but a representative body for one of the most significant cohorts of people in Irish racing, that's got to have potential. 

BS: Have you had a chance to pick up the phone to many people who have maybe lost faith in the organisation down through the years or is that something that will happen a bit further down the line?

RM: That's going to be an ongoing thing. I started on Dec. 1 and am trying to feel my way around at the moment but the hope would be to, over the course of time, instill a newfound confidence in the organisation. 

BS: And you continue to do the race planning for Gordon Elliott who you work well with.

RM: He's very easy to work for. There's never been a cross word between us. He's a singular talent. Gordon actually rode a few point-to-pointers for my Dad back in the days when he was riding. I remember doing a pre-Cheltenham feature with him in 2007 when he had Silver Birch (Ire) (Clearly Bust {GB}) running in the cross-country. That was the year Silver Birch won the Grand National. We kept in contact after doing that feature and I would have recommended the odd horse to him here and there. We just became firm friends over the course of time. It was in 2015 that he asked me to do some race planning for him. Before that, I had been doing that role for David Wachman. David actually announced his retirement that season and, as it happened, Gordon had approached me about the role the week before. 

BS: In many ways, Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have brought National Hunt racing to a new level. Could you give us an insight into how Gordon operates and how your relationship with him works?

RM: Gordon is always concentrating on getting the next winner or the next good horse. It's never a case of basking in the afterglow for a considerable period of time after any big win. He was at Cheltenham the other day and I think he bought seven horses. He's got serious drive. In terms of race planning, when a meeting is closing, I'd give him a ring and propose a list of entries. He's the one who is looking at the horses every day so he says yes or no. The list is refined and there are plans for different horses at every level. It's fairly collaborative. 

Apple's Jade fights off Vroum Vroum Mag to win the Hatton's Grace Hurdle | Racingfotos,com

BS: Is there any victory that you can look back on and say, 'that really cemented our relationship,' or is it something that has grown organically?

RM: It has grown organically and it's a great help that the yard is just a conveyor belt of winners. I remember we had a lot of discussions about Apple's Jade (Fr) (Saddler Maker {Ire}). Gordon obviously got her off Willie and she had been a brilliant juvenile hurdler the season before. She got beaten by Rashaan (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal on debut for Gordon before running in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle where she was beaten by Irving (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). So that still wasn't great but it was a step in the right direction at least. The Hatton's Grace Hurdle was just a week after the Fighting Fifth and I can remember we'd a lot of back and forth as to whether she should go to Fairyhouse or not. She was taking on Vroum Vroum Mag (Fr) (Voix Du Nord {Fr}) and, eventually, we came to the conclusion that it was a good idea. It worked out and she won the first of many Grade 1s for Gordon. That was a good day. 

BS: It's fair to say you've been in Gordon's corner for the good days and the bad. You spent a lot of time at Cullentra just before he was suspended in 2021.

RM: I did spend an awful lot of time there. For him, it was obviously a very challenging week, extremely so. I think the phrase he uses at times to describe the whole thing is 'a moment of madness,' and yes it was, but he just found himself at the centre of a storm that I don't think anyone could have foreseen. 

BS: And it was a big season for your jockey Wayne Lordan, who scooped the prize for ride of the year at the HRI Awards last week for his heroics aboard Waterville (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Irish Cesarewitch.

RM: Wayne has been there towards the head of the jockeys' standings for quite some time. He's a very modest and self-effacing character and is quite happy to just go out there and do his thing and let the horses do the talking for him. I was thrilled for him last week because that was a great ride. 

BS: Was there ever a temptation to take on more riders or was it always the intention to have just one top-tier jockey like Wayne on the books?

RM: I never really set out to be a jockey's agent. It was actually David Wachman and Fozzy Stack who were keen for me to take over Wayne back in the day because they felt it would be handier to pick up the phone to me. I ended up doing Wayne by default in a way. I wasn't the one who came up with the idea. That was in 2008 or 2009. I've been doing it since. A long time. 

BS: Sole Power was the first big one.

RM: He was the first Group 1 winner. He won the Nunthorpe at 100-1 and was the longest-priced Group 1 winner in Britain for 30-something years at the time. If you look back, the Nunthorpe took place on the same day of a really low-ley Killarney meeting, so there wasn't anything going on in Ireland that day. Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) was trained by Eddie Lynam, who was a big supporter of Wayne down through the years, and it's actually funny because Wayne was meant to go to York to ride another one of Eddie's, Notalossonya (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereaux {GB}), that day. Notalossonya had won the good 3-year-old handicap at Galway that season and was very much the one that Wayne was going over to ride. Anyway, Notalossonya got balloted so Wayne ended up going to York for this one ride, a 100-1 shot in a Group 1, and it happened. I don't think Wayne won another race on Sole Power after that but he got on Slade Power (Ire) for Eddie as well. Slade Power was a hell of a horse-winner of the Diamond Jubilee S. and the July Cup.

BS: And how did the move to Ballydoyle come about in 2017?

RM: Again, that was all around the same time when David Wachman announced his retirement. Wayne ended up in Ballydoyle and it has worked out well for him. He rode Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to win the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in his first year at Ballydoyle. Winter had won her two-year-old maiden at Dundalk under Wayne when she was based with David. She transferred over to Ballydoyle and Wayne kept the ride for the Guineas. He actually won the Guineas on Winter and then beat her in the Matron S. later that season on Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

BS: Iridessa was another important filly for Wayne. 

RM: To win a Breeders' Cup race was big. Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World) {Ire}) was a great filly for Wayne. He won four Group 1 races on her. She was an unbelievable filly and, when you think about it, Joseph O'Brien did an unbelievable job with her to bring her all the way from winning a median auction maiden at Killarney to landing a Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Luckily, Wayne happened to be on her for many of those good days and they built up quite the relationship. I was out for dinner the night she won the Breeders' Cup. I've only watched that race about a thousand times since! But there's Wayne's record, he's won Classics, Breeders' Cup races, big winners in Australia–he's a top jockey. 

BS: Getting back to the market, how do you see the next 12 months playing out? A lot of people have been driving on regardless at the sales but perhaps concentrating more on the high-end bracket. What way have you played it?

RM: You are looking at what is going on around the world and obviously we have this tech thing going on. Maybe that isn't too dissimilar to the horse business. Obviously you have the war in Ukraine and its many destabilising effects. The cost of living crisis has been the main news story in Ireland over the past number of months. People's gas and electricity bills have gone through the roof. We haven't seen that bite in the thoroughbred industry, which is obviously good, but there has to be a point where it manifests itself in some shape or form. I am wondering did we see a little bit of it creep into the National Hunt foal market towards the end of the year. Clearance rates were running at around 60% so you were dealing with sales where a third of the horses were not selling. That market is of course predominantly Irish with a bit of English thrown in there so I am just wondering did we see a little bit of tightening there. Obviously the Flat is much better insulated because it's an international market. Even the most low-key of Flat sales had an international element to it. Take the Open Yearling Sale at Goffs, there was a major international element to that with the Eastern Europeans and so on. 

BS: I know you are only two weeks in your new role but what sort of calls have you fielded from trainers? There must be serious concerns out there. 

RM: I have had a number of calls outlining how tough it is for trainers to make ends meet at the moment. Insurance premiums are a major concern as they have gone up again. Unfortunately, a lot of trainers are finding it very tough but you can't wave a magic wand and make it better. I hope over the course of time that the organisation can make a difference. Maybe we could look at staging races for trainers who do not have more than 40 horses in training or something similar. Would that be a better way to do it rather than races for trainers who have had 10 or less winners the previous season? Maybe races confined to a certain echelon could work well. It's something that could be refined over a period of time but that's certainly something we could look at. It was put to me years ago that we should have a premium 45-65 at something like a Galway festival and make it worth €22,000. I thought it was a great idea. You'd have a hell of a handicap in that you'd have 16 or 18 horses who've either won or come second on their previous start as that's what you'd need to do in order to guarantee a run with the balloting system. It would be a real thing to aim towards Galway with those hoses. It could just work and it would create a tremendous betting race. 

BS: I'd love to see more claimers in the programme.

RM: I don't think that would be a bad thing. There seems to be a good turnover of horses in claimers and the culture to these races has definitely changed. They are reasonably regular on the Flat but they remain somewhat infrequent over jumps. I'm not sure if claimers need to be worth more money but there could be more of them. The system as it is is functioning and growing.

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McManus, who is a 19-time champion National Hunt owner in Ireland, received the Contribution to the Industry Award. He has been associated with many of the top jumps horses for over 40 years with more 4,000 winners, including Mister Donavan (Choral Society {GB}), Jack Of Trumps (Kings Theatre {Ire}) and Deep Gale (Deep Run {GB}). He is a six-time Champion Hurdle-winning owner, two-time Grand National winner with Don't Push It (Old Vic [GB}) and Minella Times (Oscar {Ire}), and the Cheltenham Gold Cup went his way with Synchronised (Sadler's Wells).

Manning, who concluded his 40 years in the saddle this fall, was bestowed the Irish Racing Hero Award. He was champion apprentice in 1984 and 1987 and he won 36 Group 1 winners over his remarkable career, including the Epsom Derby aboard New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2008, the Irish Derby on Trading Leather (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) Hong Kong Cup on Alexander Goldrun (Ire) (Gold Away [Ire}) in 2004.

The Kenny Alexander-owned Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) was crowned Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year after extending her winning streak to 16 races. She remained unbeaten for a fourth season and added Hatton's Grace Hurdle for a third time, the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for a second time, and the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Jockey Sam Ewing received the Emerging Talent Award, the National Hunt Award went to Henry de Bromhead, the National Hunt Achievement Award was won by John 'Shark' Hanlon, Liz Lalor earned the Point-To-Point honor, the Flat Award went to Billy Lee, the Flat Achievement Award was given to Dylan Browne McMonagle and Wayne Lordan was honored with the Ride of the Year for his effort aboard  Waterville in the Friends of The Curragh Irish Cesarewitch.

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“He's a nice colt, he's been showing a bit at home and Wayne [Lordan] gave him a lovely ride,” commented Ballydoyle's Chris Armstrong. “It can be tricky here first time out, but Wayne was patient on him. He found the gaps at the end and hit the line well. He should have no problem stepping up to stakes company at the back end of this year and hopefully will be a nice middle-distance horse for next year. He has a very good staying pedigree and Galway is a lovely place to start them at this time of year.”

Alexandroupolis–whose catalogue of entries include the G1 Dewhurst S., G1 Futurity Trophy and next year's G1 Derby–is the third of five foals and second scorer produced by a full-sister to G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis victrix and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest runner-up Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}). His dam Jazz Cat (Ire), herself a daughter of G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}), is also a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger hero Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 Munster Oaks victrix Snow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G1 Grand Prix de Paris second and G1 Irish Derby third Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Listed International Trial S. runner-up Hamlool (Ire) (Red Ransom). The February-foaled bay is full to a yearling filly, who is slated to sell as Lot 553 at next month's Tattersalls October Book 2 sale, and half to a weanling colt by Churchill (Ire).

1st-Galway, €16,000, Mdn, 9-6, 2yo, 8f 123yT, 1:54.85, sf.
ALEXANDROUPOLIS (IRE), c, 2, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Jazz Cat (Ire), by Tamayuz (GB)
2nd Dam: Chelsea Rose (Ire), by Desert King (Ire)
3rd Dam: Cinnamon Rose, by Trempolino
1ST-TIME STARTER. (240,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Westerberg; B-Mrs Fitri Hay (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $9,534. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

This is a serious performance from Alexandroupolis

Named after a Greek city, this 240,000gns purchase overcomes trouble in running to hose up in some style at @Galway_Races under @waynemlordan, leading home a @Ballydoyle 1-2 in the process pic.twitter.com/SyOG0erQDC

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 6, 2022

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The post Oaks Heroine Tuesday To Skip Irish Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Kept busy since making her debut in early April, Galleria Borghese was off the mark at the third attempt over a mile here May 15 before finishing second under a big weight in a seven-furlong Listowel handicap June 5. Beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Moyglare's smart Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) attempting to give that rival three pounds in Limerick's Ballyduane Stud Fillies Race 12 days later, she showed with this display how much the yard's fillies can thrive on a taxing campaign.

Galleria Borghese is the first foal out of an unraced full-sister to the G1 Racing Post Trophy hero Kingsbarns (Ire) and a half to the GIII Senorita S. scorer Sweeter Still (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), who in turn produced the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Futurity Trophy winner Kameko (Kitten's Joy). She is also a half to the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial winner Belle Artiste (Ire) (Namid {GB}) and a full-sibling of Elizabethofaragon (Ire) who was third in the Listed Trigo S. Her second foal is yearling colt by Ten Sovereigns (Ire), while she also has a filly foal by Wootton Bassett (GB).

AL SHIRAAA RACING IRISH EBF NAAS OAKS TRIAL-Listed, €52,500, Naas, 6-22, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:08.56, gd.
1–GALLERIA BORGHESE (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Caravaggio
     1st Dam: On Ice (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Beltisaal (Fr), by Belmez
     3rd Dam: Ittisaal (GB), by Caerleon
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Mrs Ann Marie O'Brien (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. €31,500. Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-0, $49,144.
2–Alizarine (GB), 128, f, 3, Sea the Moon (Ger)–Alea Iacta (GB), by Invincible Spirit (Ire).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Miss K Rausing (GB); T-Jessica Harrington. €10,500.
3–Seisai (Ire), 131, f, 3, Gleneagles (Ire)–Lillebonne (Fr), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€40,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £78,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Simon Munir & Isaac Souede; B-Peter Henley, John Connolly & Pattern Bloodstock (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €5,250.
Margins: HF, NO, 2 1/4. Odds: 12.00, 22.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Term of Endearment (GB), Grecian Slipper (Ire), Female Soldier (Ire), The Algarve, Jezebel Queen (Ire), Suwayra (Ire), One For Bobby (Ire), Kiss You Later (Ire).

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