Alpha Racing

'Good Horses Keep Us All Going'–Jessica Harrington Stable Tour

Jessica Harrington is the most successful female trainer that Ireland has ever produced. The 76-year-old has sent out multiple Cheltenham Festival winners, including the legendary Champion Chaser Moscow Flyer (Ire), as well as Classic winners Alpha Centauri (Ire) and Magical Lagoon (Ire) from her Moone-based stables in County Kildare. Plans are now afoot to take home more big-race riches this season and, despite the fact that Harrington is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, there is only one topic of conversation at the breakfast table at this time of year....

[ Read More ]
Galway Excited by Next Crop of Alpha Racing Runners After Cadillac Sale

Just over a week after selling the syndicate's flag-bearer Cadillac (Ire) (Lope De Vega) for a cool £500,000 at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot, Alpha Racing are concentrated on sending out the stars of the future at the Curragh on Derby weekend, headed by G2 Airlie Stud S. contender It's Showtime Baby (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). A winner of a Dundalk maiden on debut back in April, the Jessica Harrington-trained It's Showtime Baby achieved black type when running third in a Group 3 at Naas last...

[ Read More ]
For Irish Shipper Cadillac, Saratoga is a Perfect Fit

With their horse coming off a win in a Group 3 stakes race, the connections of Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) could have easily pointed their horse to some of the major stakes remaining on the European calendar. Instead, the 3-year-old colt will be in Saratoga Saturday for the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational. With so many lucrative opportunities available, it is growing increasingly difficult for European stables to ignore a stakes schedule laden with rich, winnable races. "This is a very valuable race, it's a Grade I and it...

[ Read More ]
Jessica Harrington: Covid Casts A Different Light On Communication

It has been a strange year and the Covid pandemic has meant that we have had to revolutionise the way we try to keep owners informed. We use a very good system now called Racing Manager and we do a lot of videoing of the horses, talking to their lads, talking to the jockeys. Because people haven't been allowed to come racing we interview the jockeys in the parade ring before racing, take photos of the horses in the parade ring and afterwards and then another video with the jockey's...

[ Read More ]
The Jessica Harrington Column: Breeders' Cup Triple Threat

   The trainer originally best known for many high-class jumps winners that has made an eye-catching advance on Flat racing's top contests in recent years will share her thoughts with the TDN on a monthly basis in this most unusual of seasons. The Breeders' Cup is a fantastic meeting, one that serves as an end-of-year championship between Europe and the U.S. In a year such as this it is fantastic that we are still able to go over and have those great match-ups. I had my first runner at the...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.