Trainer Cormac Farrell Buys Famous Copper Beech Stables

There is a new name over the door at Copper Beech Stables, one of the finest training establishments in Ireland, with trainer Cormac Farrell confirming that he has taken over the yard from Michael Halford.

It was last February when Halford, who had sent out almost 500 winners from Copper Beech Stables in 16 full seasons, including Group 1 scorer Casamento (Ire), announced that he had taken the decision to combine forces with Tracey Collins under the banner of Conyngham Lodge. 

Farrell, a respected trainer in his own right but perhaps best known for trading horses at the point-to-point and breeze-up sales, bought the property alongside business partner and well-known owner Douglas Taylor shortly after that announcement. 

The new owners are already up-and-running at Copper Beech Stables after Farrell sent out two winners on the track in recent months. However, the trainer explained that he will be concentrating predominantly on trading at the point-to-point and breeze-up sales rather than running horses from the famous yard for the foreseeable future.

He said, “Douglas and I are lucky that we were able to come in and buy Copper Beech Stables. It's an incredibly exciting venture and the facilities here are second to none. We have put our own stamp on the place and upgraded some of the facilities further with a schooling strip and a Wexford sand gallop to train the point-to-point horses. It's hugely exciting for us.”

Farrell, who used to form part of Leamore Horses alongside Anna Calder, enjoyed something of a banner first year when consigning under his own name as CF Bloodstock in 2023. He topped the Tattersalls Guineas Sale when his Zoffany (Ire) colt, later named Bracken's Laugh (Ire), sold for 200,000gns to Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes on behalf of Bernadine and Sean Mulryan. 

Bracken's Laugh: sold for 200,000gns | Tattersalls

Along with Bracken's Laugh, who was a stylish winner of his maiden on debut at Newbury and wasn't beaten far in a Group 1 on his only other start, Farrell secured some notable results at the Tattersalls Craven Sale when three horses sold for a combined figure of 510,000gns. 

“We've had some good horses through our hands and topped the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale last year,” he said. “That was my first year operating under my own name as CF Bloodstock so that meant a lot. Bracken's Laugh was bought by Ted Durcan and Richard Hughes and he could be a very nice horse going forward for connections.”

He added, “When Anna [Calder] and I had Leamore Horses, we met Douglas and have just been very lucky together. Douglas is rowing in alongside me on this venture and has invested in Copper Beech Stables. We've had some nice Jet Aways (GB) together and, the first one we bought, Jet Plane (Ire), has gone on to win plenty of races. Jet Powered (Ire) is another and, while he has had his issues, he could be a nice horse for Nicky Henderson.”

Farrell is said to have almost 60 horses fully moved into Copper Beech Stables, with the lion's share of those being prepared for the breeze-ups and the remainder for point-to-points. There are just a handful of horses to run on the track, but that is not to say the trainer would be against adding more numbers for that sphere in time.

He explained, “It's working well and, as I said, last year was my first operating under CF Bloodstock so hopefully we can build on it in 2024. Douglas is involved in many of our horses but we have lots of other investors, too. 

“We have a mixture of point-to-point and breeze-up horses here and, while we do run a few on the track, invariably they would be horses that either missed a sale or failed to sell for whatever reason. 

“I like to trade horses, predominantly, and, while we'd be open to taking more horses to train for the track, we're always looking at those who have some upside and might be traded on at some point. You have to do that in Ireland in order to survive.”

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‘Potential Group Filly’ Uluru Provides Explosive Start For Atomic Racing

Against the backdrop of one of the most eagerly anticipated King Georges in recent history on Saturday, bloodstock agent Sean Grassick and trainer Kevin Coleman enjoyed something of a red-letter day of their own when Uluru (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) ran out a taking debut winner at Gowran Park. 

Uluru was one of eight yearlings that Grassick purchased on behalf of Atomic Racing at the sales last year and was considered just about the most talented juvenile the commercial syndicate had to go to war with this season. 

Despite showing signs of greenness, the €40,000 purchase from the Tattersalls Ireland Yearling Sale picked up in the style of an above average filly under Colin Keane to win going away at the line, and that performance put Uluru firmly in the shop window. 

Grassick said, “Uluru is likely to be sold and there is going to be loads of improvement in her because she was still very green at Gowran and a lot went wrong for her in the race. She has loads of natural ability and there is a huge amount of improvement in her. If she is sold, we think she can potentially go on and be a Group filly and hopefully she is very lucky for her new connections.”

A son of the well-known Ronan Grassick, who runs a successful bloodstock transport business, Sean is also the cousin of Curragh trainer Michael Grassick. The 28-year-old has worked closely with legendary bloodstock agent Demi O'Byrne in recent years and, despite once harbouring dreams of training, has decided to put his experiences working at the sales to good use. 

He explained, “I set up Atomic Racing a couple of years ago and we had our first two-year-old runners last year. Before that, I had helped Kevin source a couple of yearlings at the sales and they turned out to be Queens Carriage (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Lolly Yeats (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who did well for him. 

“When I set up officially as a bloodstock agent, Kevin was my first client and Coumshingaun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was the first horse I bought for him in that role. She has won three times now for him and was a relatively cheap purchase, as are the majority of our yearling purchases.”

Uluru: potentially classy on the evidence of her debut win for Kevin Coleman | Racingfotos.com

He added, “It was off the back of those horses that I said to Kevin, 'look, let's try and get a bit of investment into the yard to go and buy some yearlings,' and that's how Atomic Racing came about. 

“We got a few guys in and we have done reasonably well. Catherine Of Siena (Ire) (US Navy Flag) cost £13,000 at Tattersalls Ireland and she won twice at Dundalk and was Listed-placed. With Love (GB) (Territories {Ire}) cost 35,000gns at Book 3 and she won at Leopardstown before we sent her to Phil D'Amato in America to try and win a Stakes race.”

Uluru's Gowran success was a timely one for everyone connected to the Coleman yard. It is less than a month since the stable lost flagbearer Catherine Of Siena and Grassick explained how the excitement generated by Uluru has gone some way to lift the spirits in the County Tipperary operation. 

He said, “That was a tough blow. We lost Catherine after her last run and she was very much our headline horse this year. I spend a lot of time in the yard with Kevin and you get quite attached to them so it was nice when Uluru went and won, especially when we thought she was talented, so that gave everyone a much-needed boost.”

Grassick and Coleman are more than just business partners. The latter, a talented Galway Plate-winning jockey whose career was cut short through injury, took out his trainer's licence in 2018 and Grassick has never been far away.

“I met Kevin when he was riding out for my cousin Michael on the Curragh,” Grassick recalled. “We kept in touch from that point on and, when he started training, he asked if I'd give him a hand at the sales to buy a few fillies. That's how it started. We've been helping each other ever since. He got me going as a bloodstock agent and now I'm helping him to get going as a trainer with a few nice horses. We work very well together and it seems to work.”

He added, “We will try and buy more horses next year and there is a good level of interest. We actually ran out of horses for the syndicate last year and could have filled more if we wanted to. “We will keep our budget to a similar level but just try and buy more horses. There's a level there that we can buy to that you can still trade on but, when you get into spending between fifty and one hundred grand on yearlings, it gets much harder to get a return on those horses. 

“We bought eight yearlings last year for an average of thirty grand. We are going to try and buy between 10 and 15 yearlings this year and raise the average slightly but we will basically be trying to do the same thing again.”

With that in mind, Atomic Racing are open to new investors ahead of the yearling sales and there should be no shortage of such off the back of recent results. 

Grassick explained, “We are looking for more investors and we've had a good bit of interest in the past month especially. Our main selling point is that we like to get people involved on a bunch of horses rather than just one or two. 

“Every investor is involved in at least four horses while the majority of people are involved in six or seven. Those people might have five or 10 per cent of five or six horses and, that way, one or two could end up paying for them all. It spreads the risk and it means that the owners will always have something running for them.”

He added, “We had an instance there recently where one owner had four runners in the one week. They get plenty of excitement that way and, if one horse is a bit more backward and needs more time, at least they will have a few others who will be running for them. The most important thing for us is that our owners get something out of it. We don't want anyone to miss out on the fun if they're only in one horse so we think spreading it out between four or more horses is a good idea.”

It's not just the Ulurus of this world that help keep a commercial syndicate ticking over. That filly is likely to net her connections a major payday and has generated interest from some of the top agents who buy for many different jurisdictions but it is Colemen's placing of the lesser talented two-year-olds that proves he's equally as adept at trading to the middle to lower tier markets. 

Grassick explained, “Pretence (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) was unplaced in three Irish maidens. We knew she was a very genuine filly but I suppose you could say that she was of average ability. We like to move them on no matter what the level so Kevin decided to run her in a seller at Chester. 

“She ended up winning the race and bagged us €10,000 in prize-money. We also got her sold in the ring afterwards for £20,000. That was a great result for a filly who cost 21,000gns at Book 3 and was rated in the mid-60s.”

He added, “Kevin has always been a very good judge. He's a very good rider himself and knows what he has. He's particularly good with the two-year-olds and educates them well and is always thinking of the future with them which is why they improve from run to run.

“Seamie Heffernan is also a huge help to us. He came on board last year when we had more two-year-olds and he rides a lot of work for us. He would have sat on them all and his opinion is second to none. To have Seamie advising us on where to go is invaluable. It's a pity that he missed out on riding Uluru at Gowran Park because he was riding in the King George on Saturday. He always had a high opinion of her and told us she was well above average so he's a major help to us as well.”

Grassick continues to work alongside O'Byrne, a man who needs no introduction in the bloodstock sphere having purchased household names like Montjeu (Ire), Camelot (GB), Thunder Gulch, Rags To Riches and more. In fact, it was one of the horses that O'Byrne bred that played a role in the development of Atomic Racing.

Grassick said, “I still work with Demi and he is a huge help to us at the sales. Demi actually bred Coumshingaun and, after Kevin and I bought her off him, he got to know Kevin and the relationship developed from there. Demi could see the talent that Kevin has for training and has helped us at the sales ever since. 

“My Dad is in the horse transport business and my uncle Michael trained and now his son Michael Jnr has taken over the licence. I actually wanted to be a trainer myself and going down the bloodstock route was never really the intention. I spent a summer with Wesley Ward to do something different and gain some experience in the USA. I was then introduced to Demi at the sales in Saratoga by Charlie O'Connor. I then started going to the sales with Demi and learning from him. With the knowledge I learned from Demi, I felt it would be a waste not to put it to good use.”

He added, “It's very good when you find a horse that's up to a level because there is a good market place to be selling out of Ireland. We've run six two-year-olds this year; two have won and two have placed. Even when you don't win, if you can get placed it's almost as good as a winner when you are reselling. Take for example Bladon (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). He finished seventh at Killarney, albeit a good seventh in that he was an eye-catcher the way he kept on to the line. He is now sold to go to Joseph O'Brien. We got three or four different phone calls from different agents about him straight after the race. 

“We prefer to try and buy the seven furlong-plus type of horse at the sales. I pull up a lot quicker on the earlier types at the sales because, unless you sell those speedier horses before Royal Ascot, there is no market. We never had a solid offer for Catherine Of Siena and she was rated 97 and had black-type. You need to buy those horses who get seven furlongs-plus if you want to appeal to the international market.”

Despite the results Grassick and Coleman have enjoyed through Atomic Racing in a short but successful period, there is no danger of anyone's feet leaving the ground, according to the shrewd young agent. 

He said, “Kevin is the most unassuming guy that you'd ever meet. There's a house I always stay in when I go to the sales at Newmarket and, for one reason or another, I couldn't go to one of the sales last year and Kevin went instead. 

“He stayed in the house all week and never even mentioned to the landlady that he was a trainer. I know her quite well and was speaking to her after Kevin stayed. She told me she just assumed he was a lad working at the sales or maybe a box driver. 

“She said he was the most unassuming fella she's ever met. But that's Kevin, he's some worker and he deserves everything he gets.” 

Doubtless there will be many more red-letter days for this burgeoning operation.

 

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‘The Dream Is Alive’ – Willie Browne on TDN Rising Star Sakheer

Breeze-up king Willie Browne, who sold G1 1000 Guineas heroine Speciosa (Ire), G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (Ire) and many more top-notchers, is allowing himself to believe that recent graduate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) could be the real deal after he coasted to an effortless victory at Haydock on Thursday.

The 76-year-old bought Sakheer for $65,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales in 2021 before producing the colt to top the Arqana Breeze-up Sale in May of this year.

Sakheer was bought by Oliver St Lawrence for €550,000 on behalf of KHK Racing Ltd. and went some way in justifying that price tag when bolting up by six lengths second time out at Haydock under David Egan for Roger Varian.

It was a performance that left tongues wagging, with the G1 Middle Park S. entrant earning himself a 'TDN Rising Star'  badge in victory, and Browne hopes that Haydock triumph can prove a launchpad for Sakheer's career.

He said, “Visually, it looked very good and we'd like to think he's smart. The third horse was a winner and the time looked good considering he could have gone faster if he [Egan] pressed a button.”

Browne added, “He was always a nice horse and he breezed very well for us. I think he breezed in the top four or five at Arqana and obviously we got well paid for him. He looked a special horse and hopefully he will go on and be that for his connections.”

Operating under the Mocklershill banner, Browne has been breezing horses since 1978 and described the current landscape of the profession as the best it's ever been.

 

“We're getting old but sure we'll try to keep going for as long as we can. It's hard to stop,” – Willie Browne

Thursday represented a good day for his renowned Tipperary-based operation, not only because Sakheer lived up to the high opinion he had always been held in by Brown, but because fellow Arqana graduate Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) posted an encouraging debut at Salisbury.

He said, “We get it right a fair bit but we have also had quite a lot of horses through our hands so we need to produce a few good ones. Sakheer is one of them.

“I went out and bought him by chance at Keeneland last year. He was an expensive foal [80,000gns] in Europe and then the vendors brought him to America to re-sell him for whatever reason.

“He did have a sibling [half-sister Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass)] who did well out there so maybe that was part of the thinking in bringing him to America but he didn't make his reserve in the ring and we got him outside it [for $65,000].”

Browne added, “He was a beautifully put together horse and it wasn't rocket science. The fact that he could gallop, though, there was a certain amount of good fortune in that. Sometimes you can buy beautiful-looking horses and they might not be able to gallop. He could.

“The plus about Arqana is, even though this horse breezed very well and we got well paid, we'd another horse there, a Lemon Drop Kid, and we got well-paid for him even though he didn't break the clock.

“He [Ensued] actually ran yesterday, was a very good third on debut at Salisbury for James Fanshawe, and he's a good middle-distance horse going forward. He breezed like a middle-distance horse but the people who buy in Arqana can see beyond speed and that's a plus for us.”

 

Browne has been breezing horses ever since it was a thing and Mocklershill is recognised as one of the premier consignors of 2-year-olds in Europe. He has overseen a kaleidoscope of change in the industry and admits that, in order to get well paid, you don't always need to break the clock anymore.

He explained, “A fast horse will always get you money, no matter where you go, but the Lemon Drop Kid was a good example of a middle-distance horse making good money at the breeze-ups, as we got €260,000 for him.

“If yesterday's run is anything to go by, he's also an exciting horse in his own right, so there's two horses at the opposite end of the stick. The fast horse, Sakheer, who showed up well, and the middle-distance horse, Ensued, who may not have been as fast, but showed different qualities and made a good price.

“It's a great thrill opening the paper every morning and seeing the percentage of 2-year-old winners who are graduates from the breeze-ups. It's just off the charts. It's unbelievable what's going on in the breeze-ups at the moment. There's a lot of good people breezing horses and they know what they're doing.”

Asked where Sakheer may rank in the pantheon of top-notchers to have graduated from Mocklershill, he replied, “When he wins a group race, come back to me. He needed to do what he did yesterday. It gives you great satisfaction when you produce a good horse, it's as much relief as anything else, but when they cost what Al Sakheer did, you like to see them go on and be good.

“Sometimes it happens and other times it doesn't but the dream looks well and truly alive right now. If he goes and wins a group race, maybe we'll be able to put our chest out a little bit more.”

Browne has already been making his presence felt at the yearling sales and has been busy re-stocking for next year's breeze-ups.

He said, “I didn't go to the August Sale at Arqana this year. Maybe I should have, but I didn't. We went to Doncaster and bought a few there alright.

“We gave a good few quid for a Showcasing (GB) horse, we gave 140,000gns for him, which is plenty of money for a breeze-up horse, but he looks a fast horse to me. I'm hoping the money is well spent.

“We bought a Ten Sovereigns (Ire) for 50 grand as well, so that's the start of it all. We're getting old but sure we'll try to keep going for as long as we can. It's hard to stop.”

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Timmons Hoping To Crown Dream 48 Hours At Tattersalls Ireland

TATTERSALLS, Ireland–Justin Timmons revealed the heightened importance to the Dolmen Bloodstock consignment selling well at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale after he welcomed his first-born into the world in the early hours of Wednesday morning before making the dash to Barn B on the eve of what he described as the biggest sale of his year.

Dolmen Bloodstock consigned the top lot at last year's sale, a Dark Angel (Ire) colt who fetched 410,000gns, and now that there are nappies to pay for, Timmons is hoping for another profitable end to the breeze-up season.

Timmons nominated a colt by New Bay (GB) (lot 15) and fillies by Zoffany (Ire) (lot 184) and Harry Angel (Ire) (lot 119) as being the pick of Dolmen's six juveniles that will go under the hammer on Thursday and joked that, if the Harry Angel was to shoot the lights out, he may have to twist his partner Jody's arm to revisit the naming of their newborn from Harvey to Harry.

“I'm a relieved man and everything else is a bonus now,” said a visibly ecstatic Timmons after the breeze on Wednesday. “Mother and baby are doing well so I raced up here to try and pay for the nappies!

“It's our first child and Jody was helping all throughout her pregnancy. She was even riding out at the start of the pregnancy and, when she wasn't able to continue that, she was in the yard mucking out boxes. She's superwoman.”

Timmons added, “The little man is called Harvey at the minute but if the Harry Angel sells well we might have to change it to Harry. I was happy with how he breezed and, to be honest, I thought I brought a nice bunch of horses here this year so fingers crossed it works out.”

This sales season has been up and down for Dolmen Bloodstock, according to Timmons, who is quietly confident of signing off on the breeze-ups for the year with some strong results given he kept his best team for Tattersalls Ireland.

He explained, “I always try and bring a nice bunch here as it's our local sale here in Ireland and I always support it. It's one of the most important sales in our year.

“This year has been a bit of a mixed bag so far. The Craven Sale was a bit disappointing but the Guineas Sale made up for it. That's the way this game goes sometimes so hopefully we have a bit of luck tomorrow.”

Lot 15 is the only New Bay colt in the sale and was picked up by Jerry Horan at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale at Newmarket for £15,000 while the Zoffany filly, out of the listed-placed Ermine And Velvet (GB) (Nayef), was sourced at the same sale for £14,500.

Speaking about his draft, Timmons said, “The New Bay, the Zoffany and the Harry Angel are all exciting. The New Bay is a fine horse. My friend Jerry [Horan] bought him at Tattersalls last year and he's a nice horse who does everything well at home.

“I was expecting him to breeze well and he did. He's the only New Bay colt in the sale and I think he is an incredible sire. He's only going one way.”

He added, “I've always been sweet on the Zoffany. She's a good-moving filly with plenty of boot, but I think she probably wants seven furlongs or even a mile. We galloped her last week on the Curragh, I rode her myself and I was taken by the fact that she actually quickened up twice. Not many do that.

“The Harry Angel is a ball of a filly. She's a real 2-year-old type and is only going to get better as the season progresses. She's on a real upward curve. They are the three I'm looking forward to most.”

He may be surviving on minimal if any sleep but you won't hear Timmons complain. In fact, if things go to plan on Thursday, he may even have time to celebrate what has been a whirlwind 48 hours.

“I'll be nipping back to Portlaoise Hospital this evening. I can't wait to keep an eye on Mammy and the little baby and there won't be much sleep. If these sell well on Thursday, there definitely won't be any sleep, we'll have to celebrate.”

The sale, of which Layfayette (Ire) (French Navy {GB}) is a deserving poster boy, being the most successful graduate following his Group 2 victory in the Mooresbridge S. at the Curragh this season, begins at 10:30 a.m on Thursday.

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