It's early-February and already the Flat enthusiasts are getting excited about what stallion will end the season as champion first-season sire. A futile exercise, one would have thought? Not a bit of it. Even the greatest handlers of young stock, Malcolm Bastard, Alan McCabe, Joseph O'Brien, Conor Hoban and Dick Brabazon, men who know better [...]

Derek Veitch, famous for producing Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal (Ire) and high-class runners Threat (Ire), Miss Amulet (Ire), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) and Indigo Lady (Ire), has outlined his intention to dramatically scale back his broodmare band to 15 or less at his Ringfort Stud base in County Offaly this year.  The move will come as a [...]

Ian Kellit, the joint-breeder of Lossiemouth (Fr), a short-priced Triumph Hurdle favourite who is expected to extend her unbeaten record to four for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend at the Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday, has revealed that he was totally unaware that a jumps filly could be so valuable before the gorgeous grey came [...]

Blue Point (Ire) has been installed as the 2-1 favourite to be crowned leading first-season Flat sire in Britain and Ireland by Paddy Power. Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) has been inserted at 5-2 next best in the betting while Coolmore's Ten Sovereigns (Ire) has been quoted at odds of 3-1. Tally-Ho Stud, responsible for [...]

Tom Lacy received a heartwarming reception at the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Awards last week. And rightly so. A legendary figure in Irish racing, Lacy rode 50 winners on the Flat and found only Arkle and Flyingbolt too good aboard Height Of Fashion in two Irish Grand Nationals.  As a trainer, Lacy sent out hundreds [...]

What is the most important thing needed to get a stallion farm off the ground? A lot of people would rightly guess money but, according to Tangi Saliou, hard work trumps all, and his thriving Haras de la Haie Neuve is living proof to that theory.  He may not have had a penny to his [...]

Lemongrove Stud may have been the newest name on this year's Irish Thoroughbred Stallion Trail and stallion master Tom Wallace, who is set to stand Tosen Stardom (Jpn) at the County Westmeath operation this year, is confident that the son of Deep Impact (Jpn) will provide something different for breeders.  Wallace, a notable breeder who [...]

Frank Berry has paid tribute to Foreman (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), the Grade 1-winning hurdler and chaser, who passed away at the age of 25 at JP McManus's Martinstown Stud in Limerick this week.  Foreman was described by Berry as a horse whose ability matched his looks and offered up his memorable Irish Champion Hurdle victory [...]

Trainer John 'Shark' Hanlon was reduced to tears upon receiving his Eclipse Award on behalf of America's Champion Steeplechaser Hewick (Ire) (Virtual {GB}) and even labelled the evening as “the biggest night of my life.” The County Kilkenny trainer sent out Hewick, a horse he famously bought for just €850, to win the American Grand [...]

Widely considered as one of the shrewdest trainers in Britain, Stuart Williams discusses the major issues facing middle-to-lower-tier operators as well as his concerns for the wider industry as a whole in this week's Starfield Stud-sponsored Q&A.   Brian Sheerin: The first thing that pops up when you log on to your website is a [...]

Is it just me or should France be known as the bloodstock land of opportunity? This is the country that saw Wootton Bassett (GB) and Walk In The Park (Ire) pull themselves up by the bootstraps after entering the stud book at relatively modest sums. There are few serious racing nations that provide as much [...]

In this week's Starfield Stud-sponsored Q&A, Brian Sheerin speaks to the long-standing Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold, who explains why Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), recently crowned the highest-rated turf horse in the world, came along at a hugely important time for the operation and much more.   Brian Sheerin: To what degree do [...]