Bolger A Master Of His Trade

By Daithi Harvey

Sitting in the comfortable living room of Jim Bolger's home, one is regularly reminded of the stars, both past and present, that have been trained at this magnificent facility nestled in the rolling Kilkenny countryside. Images of horses such as St Jovite (Pleasant Colony), Teofilo (Ire) Galileo {Ire}), Lush Lashes (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), New Approach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Park Appeal (GB) (Ahonoora {GB}) adorn the walls of Bolger's Glebe House in the townland of Coolcullen, known for no other reason than Bolger's exploits throughout an extraordinary career, spanning five decades, that has seen the self-made man breed, own and train numerous champions. Bolger's contribution to, and impact on, the industry globally was recognized in 2013 when he was the first recipient of the IFHA and Longines International Award of Merit.

Jim Bolger began training racehorses on the outskirts of Dublin city in the late 1970's, when Irish trainers were permitted to use Phoenix Park, one of the largest city parks in Europe, to gallop horses. He moved to his current base, then a greenfield site, in the early 1980's, and it was during this period that he trained a number of fillies that would ultimately bestow a lasting legacy to the global racing and breeding industry.

Between 1983 and 1986 Bolger trained Give Thanks (GB) (Relko {GB}) to win the G1 Irish Oaks; Flame Of Tara (GB) (Artaius), winner of the G1 Coronation S.; Park Appeal, victorious in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G1 Cheveley Park S.; and Park Express (GB) (Ahonoora {GB}) to win the G1 Irish Champion S. All four were outstanding racemares, but for three of them, their race records almost pale in comparison to what they achieved subsequently in the breeding shed. Flame Of Tara produced seven stakes performers, among them the five-time Group 1-winning filly Salsabil (GB) (Sadler's Wells), winner of the G1 Irish Derby 25 years ago. Her half-brother, Marju (Ire) (Last Tycoon {GB}), won the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot the following year and subsequently became a globally influential stallion.

Park Appeal bred six stakes performers, headed by current Darley stallion Cape Cross (Ire) (Green Desert), sire of two G1 Epsom Derby winners in Sea The Stars (Ire) and Golden Horn (GB) in addition to G1 Oaks winner Ouija Board (GB), herself the dam of another Derby winner in Australia (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Park Express is the dam of five stakes performers headed by New Approach, a European champion 2-year-old and also trained by Bolger to win an Epsom Derby, one of five victories at the top level.

What a legacy–and all spawned in the space of three years. The success of these fillies sparked an idea in the mind of the young trainer that lead to the development of a daring business strategy that has flourished to the present day.

“It dawned on me quite early on that we were making pedigrees for other people, so why not do it for ourselves?” Bolger explained. “I couldn't afford to buy the progeny of those mares. I had always intended [to breed] and as a trainer I needed a constant supply of good yearlings, so I decided to go ahead and breed them.” (Click here for a 2014 TDN feature on Bolger's breeding program)

It took a while before the strategy began bearing fruit. In the meantime, however, Bolger continued to churn out high-class winners as a trainer. Jet Ski Lady (Vaguely Noble) cemented a successful relationship between Bolger and owner Maktoum Al Maktoum when romping to a 10-length victory in the G1 Epsom Oaks in 1991 at odds of 50-1. The following year St Jovite, in the colors of Virginia Craft Payson, supplied Bolger with his first G1 Irish Derby, strolling home at The Curragh by 12 lengths. Between 2004 and 2006, Bolger trained Mrs. Noel O'Callaghan's Alexander Goldrun (Ire) (Gold Away {Ire}) to win five Group 1 races in four countries.

Bolger's breeding strategy wasn't immediately successful. Bolger noted, “a few mediocre stallion choices over a five-year period almost had me calling the Samaritans,” but it was the emergence of another well-bred Derby winner that would herald a golden period for Bolger; one that continues to this day.

“I saw him win his maiden at Leopardstown and I thought even then he was stallion material.” Bolger said of Galileo, who, following a glittering racing career for Aidan O'Brien, commenced stallion duties at Coolmore Stud in Tipperary in 2002. Bolger went in deep and committed a large portion of his broodmares to the young son of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea (Miswaki). He didn't have to wait too long to realize it was a wise decision. Teofilo emerged from Galileo's second crop and was crowned European champion 2-year-old in 2006. Reflecting on the Galileo factor, Bolger said, “I was lucky to support him from an early stage in his career and, thankfully, it worked out. Teofilo was the first big breeding success I had. Both himself and [G1 Irish Derby winner] Soldier Of Fortune, who I sold to John Magnier, were reared here together in the same paddock.”

Teofilo was unbeaten in five starts as a juvenile, culminating in two Group 1 wins in the National S. at The Curragh and the Dewhurst S. at Newmarket. Injury robbed him of a Classic season, but by then he had done more than enough to ensure a place at stud, with Darley having secured him for their roster at Kildangan Stud. In a remarkable case of deja-vu, Bolger unleashed another Galileo 2-year-old colt in 2007 called New Approach to win the same five races as Teofilo and again finish the season as champion 2-year-old following victories in the G1 National S. and the G1 Dewhurst S. Again, Sheikh Mohammed came calling, and the following season New Approach carried the colors of his wife, Princess Haya, to victory in the G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Champion S.

Another successful product of Bolger's Galileo experiment was Lush Lashes (GB), a filly from the sire's third crop that he purchased at Goffs for €80,000. Racing in the colors of Jackie Bolger and John Corcoran, Lush Lashes won the valuable Goffs Fillies Million in her lone juvenile outing and the following year proved herself one of the toughest 3-year-old fillies in recent memory, making 10 starts in four countries and winning three Group 1s–the Coronation S., Yorkshire Oaks and Matron S.–in addition to the G3 Musidora S.

Bolger's stallion-creating homerun was completed when Dawn Approach (Ire), from the first crop of New Approach, carried all before him in 2012. Bolger more or less stuck to the script with this homebred, and his route to being crowned champion 2-year-old also culminated in victories in the same two Group 1 races as his father. Dawn Approach gave Bolger his fifth Dewhurst in seven years following victories by Intense Focus (Giant's Causeway) and Parish Hall (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in 2008 and 2011. For good measure, Dawn Approach also took in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot along the way and finished the season unbeaten in six runs. For the third time in five years Bolger and Sheikh Mohammed would join forces to great effect, with Dawn Approach proving himself a world-class miler as a 3-year-old with victories in the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S.

Jim Bolger then found himself in a position that many breeders can only dream of. Having retained a number of breeding rights in each horse, he now had three exciting young stallions to use with his ever-increasing band of broodmares. Asked if he had ever considered keeping one or all of his champion colts to stand at his own farm, Bolger was adamant he made the right decision.

“I have the ideal arrangement with Sheikh Mohammed, whereby he stands the stallions and I retain a number of breeding rights in each stallion,” he explained. “It gives me the opportunity to cover around 65 mares with these stallions and I'm fortunate that each of the three are all very nice models with plenty of quality and substance in each.”

Although Bolger admits to the unpredictable nature of breeding Thoroughbreds, he does adopt science in his approach. This is borne out by his involvement with the genetic company Equinome. Bolger is an investor in the company, which specializes, among other things, in identifying the 'speed gene' of horses–information that gives breeders a clearer understanding of what stallion they should use for their broodmare.

“Anyone breeding horses who doesn't know the genetic makeup of his mares is throwing caution to the wind,” Bolger said. “To me, Equinome is an absolute necessity. Obviously I know what the three sires are, as they were tested here as foals, so it makes sense for me to know what my mares are.”

For much of this century, the majority of the Coolcullen runners have carried the silks of Mrs. J S Bolger, an arrangement that suits the trainer greatly and one that brought great pride to the household when his wife Jackie was crowned champion flat owner in Ireland in 2013. However, since the success of the 'big three,' Godolphin are now a major figure in the yard, with currently 35 horses under Bolger's care. The most recent acquisition has been G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Pleascach (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Although just touched off in the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot last week, Bolger still retains maximum faith in the filly, who is entered for Sunday's G1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Bolger bought Toirneach (Thunder Gulch), the dam of Pleascach, as a yearling in Keeneland and this year she produced a full-sister to Pleascach and is back in foal to Teofilo. For these reasons, Bolger was in a good position to adopt the commercial decision to sell Pleascach, given he has female siblings to keep the line going.

Bolger admits to having a strict structure in place to ensure the operation is run to the highest standards, and fully appreciates that he could not have succeeded without the support of his family and competent and loyal staff. Many of his staff have been with him for decades and he relies on them as much as they on him. Despite his haul of Group 1 winners around Europe, there are still a few races that Bolger is slightly vexed about not having won.

“I'd love to win the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Prix de l'Arc,” said Bolger before reflecting on his original objectives when launching his training career. “I'm probably the least ambitious trainer in Ireland,” he joked. “When I started out I just wanted to make a living out of it, not go broke, and enjoy the sport of horse racing. I never expected to be champion trainer or anything like that.”

Modest words from a master of his trade.