Coolmore

The Coolmore team went to $1.6 million to secure the broodmare prospect Prank (Into Mischief--Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit) (hip 77) during Monday's first session of the Keeneland January sale. The 4-year-old bay, a half-sister to GI Belmont S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a scintillating debut victory at Saratoga in 2022, but was injured and never raced again. She was consigned to the sale by Gainesway, which campaigned her in partnership with LNJ Foxwoods and StarLadies Racing.

Today we reach quite a crossroads in the market, between $20,000 and $29,999. It takes a degree of affluence to roll the dice at this level, but you'd do so hoping to reach blood of genuine elite potential. As usual, we've sieved out the new sires, having given them a separate treatment at the outset. Instructively, however, it's a tier dominated by stallions still in the early stages of their careers. And there is an auspicious flux here. One or two, if building on a promising start on the track,...

A new incentive for the 2024 breeding season was announced by the Coolmore National Hunt division on Thursday. Any breeder of an open 4-year-old or 5-year-old only Irish point-to-point maiden during the 2024 spring season sired by a Coolmore NH stallion past or present will receive a €1,000 credit. This can be offset against any nomination to a Coolmore NH sire purchased by them for the 2024 breeding season. Breeders are entitled to receive an unlimited number of credits but only one may be used per nomination. "Point-to-points are the...

Bolshoi Ballet (Ire), the dual Grade I-winning son of Galileo (Ire) and  Alta Anna (Fr) (Anabaa), has been retired from racing to join Coolmore's National roster. He will stand at the McCarthy family's The Beeches Stud in Co Waterford.  Having been named a 'TDN Rising Star' when breaking his maiden at Leopardstown at two, Bolshoi Ballet, bred by Lynch Bages and Rhinestone Bloodstock, then emulated his sire, as well as Yeats (Ire) and High Chaparral (Ire), when winning both the G3 Ballysax S. and G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial the...

Last year's Eclipse Champion 3-Year-Old Epicenter is the first stallion that Coolmore's Ashford Stud has stood for Winchell Thoroughbreds and the partnership got off to a blazing start as the son of Not This Time was one of the most popular stallions in Kentucky this year, covering 262 mares in his debut season. Now, Coolmore has teamed up with the same racing and breeding operation to debut another Grade I-winning stallion--this time a homebred son of Winchell's own Gun Runner. Gunite, who claimed the GI Hopeful S. as a juvenile...

With the foal sales at Goffs and Tattersalls confined to the rear view mirror, perhaps now is the time to get a good gauge on the young sires coming through.  Bragging rights belong to St Mark's Basilica (Fr), who topped the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls when a filly by the multiple Group 1-winning stallion out of Oaks winner Talent (GB) sold for 575,000gns.  The St Mark's Basilica sale-topper was consigned by Ashbrittle Stud and bought by agent Jill Lamb on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, with the former labelling...

Friday marked a breakout result for five-time Group 1-winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) as a filly by Coolmore's freshman sire out of the Oaks winner Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) topped the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls on 575,000gns. The aggregate fell 11% compared to this day 12 months ago to 17,943,000gns while the clearance rate climbed 7% to 87%. The average fell 13% to 95,952gns and the median dipped 9% to 62,000gns. It was bloodstock agent Jill Lamb, bidding on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, who came out on...

A nomination to brilliant four-time Group 1 winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) will be auctioned to raise funds on behalf of injured jockey Graham Lee during the first day of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale on Monday, Dec. 4, Coolmore announced on Wednesday. The lot will be up for bid immediately prior to the first 'Sceptre' lot (1527).  Lee was injured in a fall as the horses left the gates at Newcastle earlier this month and sustained neck and spinal injuries. "Our partners Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, George Von Opel...

It is the most wonderful time of the year. No, I'm not talking about Christmas, but the upcoming foal sales.  What is it that we all love about this time of year? Surely much of the attraction about the foal sales revolves around seeing the progeny of first-season sires and predicting who is here to stay and who will be banished to the memory banks in the years to come.  The best part of the whole thing is you get to put your money where your mouth is and there...

Our man in Ireland, Brian Sheerin, timed his run to the altar to perfection, leaving his colleagues to sort through and try not to miss any of the plentiful stallion fee announcements over the last week or so. He's now back from his Tuscan honeymoon and has been banned from getting married again. In case any of you were similarly distracted by nuptials, holidays, or binge-watching The Dry, here's a handy TDN overview as to who's up, who's down, and who's new on the stallion scene. (And a tip to...

It may be November but Aidan O'Brien has already whet the appetite for next season by announcing that dual Derby and Breeders' Cup winner Auguste Rodin will stay in training as a four-year-old. Auguste Rodin capped off a brilliant campaign with a sensational success in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita under an inspired Ryan Moore just over a week ago.  It was viewed by many as the perfect swansong by the coveted son of Deep Impact but, when Auguste Rodin did not feature on the list of stallion...

Coolmore has introduced three new names to its Irish roster for next year with Paddington (GB) heading the list of newcomers at €55,000. The son of Siyouni (Fr) won six of his eight races this year, including four Group 1 victories in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace, Eclipse, and Sussex S. Little Big Bear (Ire), winner of the G1 Phoenix S. at two followed by the G2 Sandy Lane S. this year before finishing runner-up in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, will stand for €27,500. The Antarctic (Ire), a...