A who’s who of Irish breeding will be available to the public at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing’s hugely popular annual initiative, which takes place on January 16-17
Let’s face it, January is a pretty miserable month: it’s cold, it’s dark and it feels like it drags on forever. It’s not the best time of year to be a racing fan in Britain and Ireland either, as there are precious few major festivals or other events that take place.
However, there is something that devotees of the turf can do to blow away the winter blues that month. It allows you to get up close and personal with your Thoroughbred heroes, meet the experts who work with them and see some beautiful countryside. What’s more, it’s free, which is no bad thing after all the expense of Christmas.
Register for the ITM Irish Stallion Trail 2026
The ITM Irish Stallion Trail features more than 30 stallion farms in Ireland throwing open their gates to the public over two days in mid-January each year. This year’s dates are January 16-17 (Friday and Saturday).
A list of participating studs and their opening times are available on the ITM website, along with a form to record which of them you would like to attend. Booking onto a specific time slot for a stallion showing is compulsory for Coolmore, sure to be the first port of call for many visitors.
Once home of the modern patriarchs Sadler’s Wells, Danehill and Galileo, Coolmore now houses 13 sires, including the Derby winners Camelot, Australia and City Of Troy and artistically named newcomers Camille Pissarro, Delacroix and Henri Matisse.
Three other farms also feature Coolmore sires: Castlehyde Stud, whose dual-purpose roster boasts talents as diverse as Blackbeard and Yeats, and The Beeches Stud and Grange Stud, which both stand only National Hunt sires. Head to The Beeches Stud to see top-notchers Crystal Ocean and Luxembourg, and don’t miss Grange Stud, as it is the domain of the all-conquering Walk In The Park.
Darley’s Kildangan Stud is a must-see as its line-up includes the newly crowned British and Irish champion sire Night Of Thunder, source of Ombudsman, Desert Flower and Gewan.
Brilliant racehorses Blue Point, Ghaiyyath, Raven’s Pass and Teofilo are also there, and they have just been joined by former top two-year-old Shadow Of Light, who was third in the 2,000 Guineas.
Tally-Ho Stud, which has made giant strides in recent years to become one of the biggest players on the European stallion scene, is also open to visitors. Kodiac, who did more than most to make the farm, record-breaker Mehmas, champion first-season sir
e Starman and newcomer Maranoa Charlie are among the highlights there.
Get to Yeomanstown Stud to see Dark Angel, the champion sire in Britain and Ireland of 2024, and Sands Of Mali, the highly exciting second-season stallion who was recently recruited by the operation in a silent auction.
Ballylinch Stud is one of the most picturesque and historic farms in Ireland, and also one of the most successful. Its current roster is headed by world-renowned stallion Lope De Vega and the increasingly important influence that is New Bay.
The Irish National Stud boasts an exciting young group of stallions, all watched over by an impressive statue of the farm’s now-retired game changer Invincible Spirit. They include the up-and-coming sire Phoenix Of Spain and new retiree Arizona Blaze.
Rathbarry Stud has built a loyal following of breeders by launching the careers of many successful young Flat sires down the years, and it launches Unquestionable in 2026. Glenview Stud, its jumps division, is just down the road and is home to elite French import Jeu St Eloi.
Ballyhane Stud and Rathasker Stud specialise in offering affordable commercial sires to their clients. Ballyhane is all about the future, standing Sakheer, whose first foals will arrive in 2026, and Magnum Force, who has just retired. Rathasker has three tried-and-trusted names in Bungle Inthejungle, Coulsty and Gregorian.
Capital Stud and Starfield Stud are among the youngest, most dynamic operations in the country, and both field large line-ups. Capital Stud’s eight sires include Derby hero Authorized, now an NH sire great, and new Flat option Topgear, while Starfield Stud has six stallions, led by the upwardly mobile King Of Change.
Derrinstown Stud has two big draws in Awtaad, the widely admired sire of G1 winners Anmaat, Anisette and Ethical Diamond, and the promising youngster Minzaal.
Among the must-see jumps operations are Boardsmill Stud, Burgage Stud, Coolagown Stud, Kilbarry Lodge Stud, Knockhouse Stud, Sunnyhill Stud and Whytemount Stud.
Highlights on those farms include emerging NH force Poet’s Word at Boardsmill, dual Derby victor Harzand at Kilbarry Lodge Stud, former champion Workforce at Knockhouse and the popular Affinisea at Whytemount.
Don’t miss out on all the smaller studs opening for the ITM Irish Stallion Trail, even those that stand just one horse: the likes of Annshoon Stud (Twilight Son), Claremount Stud (Elm Park), Clongiffen Stud (Kool Kompany), Diamond Stud Bellewstown (Marie’s Diamond), Lacken Stud (Khalifa Sat) and Woodfield Farm Stud (Bullet Train). You often get a particularly warm welcome at those places, and more time to chat with the stallion masters.
ITM Stallion Trail: January 16-17, 2026
A full list of participating studs are available on the ITM website and visitors are asked to register their interest in studs via: www.itm.ie/Breeding/ITM-Irish-Stallion-Trail-Registrations. Contact stalliontrail@itm.ie for further information and enquiries.
Registrations are now open. Please note that due to demand it is mandatory to register for a specific date and time slot in order to visit Coolmore Stud.
• Visit the ITM Irish Stallion Trail website and the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing website