BBA Ireland

The Aga Khan's recent Dundalk winner Ridhaz (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) highlighted what proved to be a strong horses-in-training section of the Autumn Sale at Goffs at €220,000 to BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe.  Ridhaz has been brought to the boil steadily by Michael Halford and Tracey Collins. The three-year-old gelding was last seen winning an extended 10f handicap at Dundalk by over three lengths and rates a horse with a good future.  A winter campaign in the Middle East beckons for the dual winner, according to Donohoe, who revealed the horse...

Lynne Lyons's hitherto untried €155,000 Keeneland September graduate Ethical Code (Justify), a Ger Lyons-trained daughter of G1 Phoenix Stakes heroine Damson (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}), failed to sell when stalling on the €300,000 mark at Arqana's Breeze-Up fixture earlier in the year and dug deep to make a winning debut in Wednesday's DundalkStadium.com Fillies Maiden at Dundalk. A half-sister to dual Group-winning sire Requinto (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), she raced along the rail in fourth for most of this seven-furlong contest. Taking closer order in the home straight, the 7-1 chance was...

Tattersalls Ireland has rightly earned a reputation as being a place where the younger brigade can prosper and Conor Mahon could well be the latest to play a star role at the September Yearling Sale this week.  Under his own Archersgrove Bloodstock, one of the newest consignments on the sales circuit, the 30-year-old will offer a Space Blues (Ire) filly and a Make Believe (GB) colt who were purchased as foals for €26,000 and €10,000 respectively.  Archersgrove Bloodstock is already up and running for the year. A combined £46,000 was...

DEAUVILLE, France--As of Tuesday morning it's been six days since Adam Potts landed in Deauville, but there's no time to slow down as the newest recruit to the team of bloodstock agents at BBA Ireland. With the Arqana August Sale fast disappearing in the rear-view mirror, attentions now turn to the v.2 Yearling Sale and the catalogue of 189 lots scheduled to go through the ring when bidding gets underway at 11am local time. For Potts the task until then is simple: to get through as many of the lots...

Maiden winner Wizard Of Odds (Ire) (Arizona {Ire}) topped the ThoroughBid July Sale on Thursday. BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe bought the juvenile for £50,000. Sold as lot 28 by Baronrath Stables, he was trained by Charles O'Brien to win at Down Royal two weeks ago. Donohoe said, "I've been keeping my eye on the ThoroughBid sales ever since they kicked off and was interested when I saw Wizard Of Odds entered. He's a horse I've been following all season. "He'll be staying in-training in Ireland for some Irish clients and...

Adam Potts has joined BBA Ireland as a bloodstock agent, the organisation announced on Friday. A graduate of the Irish National Stud Course, Potts has a Bachelor of Science in Economics with Finance from the Queen's University Belfast. He previously worked for the Racing Post, as well as European Bloodstock News, Thoroughbred Stallion Guide and International Thoroughbred. More recently, Potts worked with trainer Ken Condon, in addition to his work as a bloodstock agent. He selected G1 Irish 1000 Guineas runner and 'TDN Rising Star' Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB})...

Goffs has paid tribute to its former managing director Jonathan Irwin, one of the most influential people in the history of the sales house, who died aged 82 on Sunday. Irwin joined Goffs in 1975 and oversaw the construction of the world's first purpose-built bloodstock sales complex in Kill, County Kildare. He was also appointed CEO of the Dublin International Sports Council (DISC) in 1993 and established the Jack and Jill Foundation along with his wife Mary Ann after the birth of their son Jack. Since 1997, the foundation has...

White Hot (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (hip 170), the dam of 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), was knocked down to the BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe for $2.1 million to take the lead at the Keeneland November Sale Wednesday afternoon. The 10-year-old mare, offered by Stone Farm in foal to the all-conquering Into Mischief, comes with a world of pedigree, as she is a half-sister to 2011 G1 Investec Derby hero Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and MGSW/MG1SP Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), the dam of...

Classic winner Magician (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been purchased by Chinese interests and will continue his stallion career in that jurisdiction for the 2024 season. The deal was brokered by Mattia Cadrobbi, who had been steward of the stallion in 2021 with Renew Italian Breeding during his single season at Allevamenti della Berardenga in Italy. Dr. Bernard Stoffel handled the veterinary clearance and Marco Bozzi acted as agent followed by Kevin Ren, who is now trustee of Magician. A winner of both the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and the GI...

Royal Ascot-placed Balalaika (Ire) (No Nay Never) was the headline act at the July Sale on Thursday when selling to BBA Ireland's Eamonn Reilly for 330,000gns with the agent coming out best in an entertaining tussle for the Rebecca Menzies-trained filly.  Bred by the late Sir Robert Ogden, Balalaika is out of an unraced Frankel (GB) daughter of G1 Matron S. winner Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and boasts a rating of 90.  Also involved in the bidding for the Sandringham third were Gavin Hernon, Matt Coleman, and Mark McStay but...

The opening session of the four-day July Sale at Tattersalls revolved around the well-bred mares on offer and Mick Donohoe of BBA Ireland was once again on hand to take home the top lot when going to 350,000gns to secure Galileo (Ire) mare Sweet And Lovely (Ire) for 350,000gns from WH Bloodstock.  In foal to Wootton Bassett (GB), one of the most exciting sires in Europe, Sweet And Lovely (lot 212) is a full-sister to Aidan O'Brien's Irish and Lancashire Oaks winner Seventh Heaven (Ire).  The sale marked a memorable...

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....