'It Was Mighty Stuff' – Waipiro's Breeder Molan Getting Used To The Spotlight

When the first horse Shane Molan bred in his own name turned out to be the multiple Group 1-winning star Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), he didn't dream the achievement would ever be topped. 

But Waikuku's dam London Plane (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who Molan famously bought for just €13,500 from Hyde Park Stud at the Goffs February Sale back in 2013, has proved herself to be anything but a one-hit wonder. 

Nor is the 37-year-old breeder who operates from the family base in Limerick at Riversfield Stud, which was once again put in the spotlight when Derby sixth Waipiro (Ire) (Australia {GB}), a half-brother to the horse who put Molan on the map, stormed to Royal Ascot success. 

Like Waikuku, Waipiro carried the familiar red and black-striped silks of Hong Kong-based owner Siu Pak-Kwan, to victory in the G3 Hampton Court S. at Ascot. While Molan says that the horse is likely to continue his career in that part of the world eventually, he stated how he believes there could be more to come from Ed Walker's charge in Britain first. 

He said, “Last week was mighty stuff. The mare is actually just scanned back in foal to Night Of Thunder (Ire) so hopefully all goes well there. She has a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly foal on the ground and we're very happy with her.”

Molan added, “I suppose connections could have one eye on the Hong Kong Derby but I'd love to see him continue progressing in Britain for now anyway and see where he can go. 

“He seems to have plenty of speed and plenty of ability as well. He showed a lovely turn of foot to come through the gap and put the race to bed quite easily. Hopefully he can keep on climbing the ranks.”

Riversfield Stud may be a small operation in terms of the number of mares residing at the Limerick outfit but this is a farm that has continuously punched well above its weight. Molan's father Tom bred Harbour Watch (Ire) while the father-and-son duo combined to produce Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir), who finished fifth in this year's Oaks.

While the temptation for similarly small outfits would be to produce speedier types that will ultimately prove to be more commercial, Molan has explained how playing the long game in producing horses for the track rather than the sales ring in beginning to bear fruit. 

He said, “Over the years, we would have kept seven or eight mares but we're back to just six mares on the farm now. It's a small operation. When we had the extra few mares, we were breeding them more commercially and we were getting winners but nothing of Waipiro's calibre. 

“We probably breed for the track more so than the sales ring to a point and that's paying off now. It is a balancing act, though, because you need to be able to pay your bills. We try to breed the mares as best we can on paper and on budget and then just hope for the best.”

Off the back of Waikuku's success in Hong Kong, BBA Ireland's Richie Fitzsimons contacted Molan on behalf of bloodstock agent Alastair Donald, who looks after the interests of Siu, to see if the breeder would be interested in selling the younger brother. A deal was brokered after Fitzsimons saw Waipiro at Molan's base in Limerick and both parties can count themselves pleased with how things have worked out since.

Molan recalled, “John Oxx bought Waikuku from me at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale in 2016 [for €33,000] and then Alastair Donald bought the horse privately after he won his maiden at Leopardstown. 

“It was a couple of years back when Richie Fitzsimons of BBA Ireland contacted me asking if I would be interested in selling Waipiro privately. That was through Alistair Donald again on behalf of the same owners as Waikuku so it's brilliant for them. 

“Waikuku won close to €5 million in prize-money for the Sui family and Waipiro has won at Royal Ascot for them and is still progressing. I'd imagine he will head to Hong Kong at some stage and, if he settles in there, you would hope that he will win a lot of prize-money.”

On the reasoning behind sending the mare to Australia, he added, “When I bred Waipiro, Waikuku had only just won his maiden and I didn't have a massive budget to play with. Australia was holding his own and it was just the Danehill and Galileo (Ire) cross that was on my mind when I decided to go to him.”

Molan may not have had to bring Waipiro to the sales but revealed that sending the colt's dam London Plane to one of the boutique mares sales at the end of the year is coming under strong consideration.

He said, “It has crossed my mind. I've had two daughters of the mare in training. The two-year-old is by Acclamation (GB) and is in training with Ken Condon and then I have Dancing Rebel (Ire), who is by Highland Reel (Ire) and won over five furlongs at the Curragh. She's in foal to Blue Point (Ire). So it actually crossed my mind to sell London Plane given I have two of her daughters coming through. If Waipiro was to go and pick up a Group 2 or be competitive in Group 1s, well then the mare becomes a lot more attractive to prospective buyers.”

What the Molans have achieved with their small but successful broodmare band was there for everyone to see at Epsom earlier this month when Riversfield Stud graduates Waipiro and Bright Diamond ran solid races in the Derby and Oaks respectively.

Molan said, “I'm not in the game a very long time but I'm in it long enough to know that there are plenty of bad days. It has a habit of levelling you so you have to enjoy the good moments. 

“Dad and I will have to split Bright Diamond as well. Dad owned her granddam, Devious Diva (Ire) (Dr Devious {Ire}), who produced Starlite Sienna (Ire) (Elusive Pimpernel). We sold her as a yearling before buying her back at the July Sale and then I chose to go to El Kabeir with her. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing! But it was just the Scat Daddy line that I was keen to get into as I'd spotted that No Nay Never was out of an Elusive Quality mare as well. That's the line I followed there.”

He added, “I was at Epsom and it was lovely to be there. I actually thought Bright Diamond ran well in the Oaks and I'd like to see her run in the Irish Oaks now. 

“It is hard to get your head around the fact we bred a runner in the Oaks and the Derby because, not only are we breeding five or six foals a year, but we're up against some of the biggest breeding operations in the world. 

“Like, Coolmore sent Rhododendron (Ire) off to Japan to be covered by Deep Impact (Jpn) and there we are up against Auguste Rodin (Ire) with our Australia colt out of our €13,500 mare. On paper, we shouldn't be there at all, so it was an unbelievable achievement.”