Ahead of the major yearling sales later this month, Nancy Sexton examines the enduring appeal of the Irish Thoroughbred
A measure of the power of the Irish Thoroughbred can be gleaned by the results of this year’s European Classics. Irish-breds are never far from the action and a season on from basking in the glory of Mother Earth, Poetic Flare, Adayar, Snowfall and Hurricane Lane, who between them snared a 2021 British Classic sweep, there has been more of the same courtesy of Coroebus, Cachet and Tuesday.
Domestic G1 winners Homeless Songs, Kyprios, Alcohol Free, Prosperous Voyage, Perfect Power, Hukum, Little Big Bear, Magical Lagoon and La Petite Coco also sit among a group that also boasts international heavy-hitters such as Nations Pride (in USA), Adhamo (in USA), State Of Rest (in Australia and USA), Waikuku (in Hong Kong), Romantic Warrior (in Hong Kong) and Russian Emperor (in Hong Kong).
The fact that racing’s superpowers Godolphin and Coolmore, the breeders of Coroebus and Tuesday, have long been well ensconced as breeding entities in Ireland pays testament to the country and its quality of land as does the fact that Juddmonte annually send their foal crop across the Irish Sea to be raised at its New Abbey Stud and Ferrans properties.
On a broader scale, smaller Irish breeders also continues to punch above their weight. Noel O’Callaghan’s Mountarmstrong Stud, for instance, sits alongside many other successful breeders on the Golden Vale in Tipperary, a stretch of limestone land that is regarded as one of the best for farming in Ireland.
This tranche of land has been the source of numerous top-class racehorses for many years and at York’s Ebor meeting, another was added to the list in the Mountarmstrong Stud-bred Lowther Stakes heroine Swingalong.
That successful week, which also featured wins for Deauville Legend in the Great Voltigeur and Treasure Trove in the Roses, followed on the heels of a productive Qatar Glorious Goodwood meeting at which 15 Irish-breds came out on top.
They were headed by G1 Goodwood Cup winner Kyprios, bred by Moyglare Stud Farm, and the G2 winners Sea La Rosa (a sister to Deauville Legend bred by Guy Heald’s GB Partnership), Khaadem (bred by Yeomanstown Stud) and Royal Scotsman (bred by Rabbah Bloodstock).
Any conscientious buyer will always take heed of where a young horse has been raised, and as such those bred in Ireland will always deserve careful consideration.
As we enter yearling sales season, the Irish auction calendar is chock full of opportunities for buyers starting with the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on September 20-22 September.
It was at this sale in 2016 that John Oxx paid €33,000 for Waikuku from Riversfield Stud. Oxx saddled the son of Harbour Watch to win a Leopardstown maiden after which he was sold to Hong Kong.
Sent to John Size, he has gone on to win three G1 races including this year’s Stewards’ Cup at Sha Tin. Meanwhile, the 2018 renewal contained two inexpensive yet ultimately high-flying sons of Power in Helvic Dream and Sonnyboyliston.
The Noel Meade-trained G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup hero Helvic Dream, was bought for just €18,000 by Peter Nolan from Portlester Stud while Johnny Murtagh snapped up his G1 Irish St Leger winner Sonnyboyliston for €26,000 from Confey Stud.
Helvic Dream isn’t the only graduate to serve Meade well since his Tu Va Stables also houses the likeable Layfayette, winner of this season’s G2 Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh. That son of French Navy was a mere €4,000 yearling purchase in 2018 by Emmanuel Hughes.
Another likeable individual, Sir Busker, who recently ran a career-best in third behind Baaeed in the G1 Juddmonte International, was bought for €25,000 by Kern/Lillingston Association from Ballyvolane Stud in 2017.
Hardy Pattern-race sprinter Go Bears Go (£50,000 by Aguiar Bloodstock from Al Eile Stud) sits among the highlights of the Covid-stricken 2020 renewal that was staged in Newmarket while last year’s sale, also held in Newmarket has already thrown two high-class juveniles in the Sioux Nation fillies Sydneyarms Chelsea, a bargain £9,000 purchase by Blandford Bloodstock from Grange Hill Stud who won the G3 Prix Six Perfections, and Lakota Sioux, the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes winner who was similarly well bought at £15,000, in her case by Johnston Racing.
From Tattersalls Ireland, attention turns to Goffs, which hosts the Orby Sale on September 27-28 and Sportsman’s Sale on September 29-30.
The Orby Sale lived up to its billing as Ireland’s premier yearling sale in 2021 with a roll call that consisted of the 1,000 Guineas and Prix Jean Romanet heroine Mother Earth, bought for €150,000 by MV Magnier from Whitehall Stud, G1 Nunthorpe winner Winter Power, bought for €90,000 by SackvilleDonald from Newlands House Stud, G1 Flying Five scorer Romantic Proposal, bought by Joe Foley for €55,000 from Horse Park Stud, and G1 Matron Stakes winner No Speak Alexander, another graduate off Mountarmstrong Stud who was unsold at €190,000.
Remarkably, Mother Earth, Winter Power and No Speak Alexander were all offered at the 2019 renewal.
By Goffs’ own admission, the 2020 sale was hit by the ramifications of Covid, which forced its relocation to Doncaster. Trade softened but in turn, various buyers were able to seek out value, notably Badgers Bloodstock, which paid £65,000 for Prosperous Voyage from Camas Park Stud. The Zoffany filly did her bit to boost Goffs’ profile in 2021 when successful in the G3 Prestige Stakes and as anticipated, has progressed into a top-flight performer this year for Ralph Beckett, her recent performances including a defeat of Inspiral in the G1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
Similarly, the G2 Queen’s Vase winner Eldar Eldarov was snapped up by Mags O’Toole and Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm for £110,000 – an inexpensive figure considering the colt is a well-bred son of Dubawi.
Those buyers in America considering visiting the Orby should also take encouragement from the success enjoyed by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables. Buying through Ben McElroy, Stonestreet paid £75,000 for a National Defense filly from Pier House Stud in 2020 and just over a year later were celebrating as the two-year-old in question, Twilight Gleaming, won the G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint for Wesley Ward.
It will be interesting to see if the Stonestreet-McElroy-Ward axis can repeat the trick this November with their latest accomplished Orby graduate Love Reigns, a €160,000 purchase at last year’s sale from Killourney Mor Farm. Fourth on her second start in the G3 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, the daughter of US Navy Flag recently romped in the Listed Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga.
Before then, perhaps fellow 2021 graduate Persian Force will add a deserved G1 to his resume. As it is, the Mehmas colt, a €225,000 purchase by Peter and Ross Doyle from Tally-Ho Stud, has already won the G2 July Stakes and run second in both the G1 Phoenix Stakes and G1 Prix Morny for Amo Racing and Richard Hannon.
He is just one of many Irish-breds to fly the flag at a high level this season, and as with Mother Earth, Prosperous Voyage and Eldar Eldarov, just another example of the value that that can be found at Irish yearling auctions.
• Visit the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing website
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