Dandy Man

On the back of the eagerly anticipated stallion fee announcements in Europe, Gary King chatted with a number of leading industry figures to talk about value. First up is Dermot Cantillon of Tinnakill House. GK: Who have you identified as a first year stallion at an appealing opening fee? DC: It has to be Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) at €6,000. He has many qualities that are synonymous with a stallion destined for greatness. Undefeated over five and six furlongs out of a top broodmare stallion in Shamardal from the...

Ballyhane Stud, home to five stallions, has released its fees for 2021, with newcomer Sands Of Mali (Fr) set to stand at €6,500. Established sires Dandy Man (Ire) and Elzaam (Aus) were both represented by Group 1 winners this year, and Dandy Man's fee will remain at €15,000, while Elzaam's has been set at €5,000. Ballyhane Sud owner Joe Foley said of his stalwart Dandy Man, "Our flagship stallion has had another stellar season with another Grade 1-winning colt in River Boyne (Ire) and four stakes-winning 2-year-olds including the explosive...

Fledgling consignor Clare Manning of Boherguy Stud stole all the headlines during the opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale on Monday when selling her grandfather Jim Bolger's Teofilo colt (lot 165) for a sale record price of £325,000, and it was more of the same on Tuesday when Manning sold Bolger's New Approach (Ire) colt out of the dual Group 3 winner Maoineach (Congaree) (lot 260) for a session-topping £190,000 to Robson Aguiar acting on behalf of Amo Racing and trainer Roger Varian. Like the Teofilo colt...

If we can view Europe's largest training centre of Newmarket as a microcosm of the wider racing world, then events in the last week give a pretty concerning snapshot of the future of the sport. On the positive front, there was a first winner for the town's newest trainer, Terry Kent, who, at 53, is also one of the longest-serving members of its workforce, having previously been a jockey and worked for trainers Michael Jarvis, Julie Cecil, Saeed Bin Suroor and Roger Varian. Another recent recruit to the training ranks,...

Imperious when taking the G3 Albany S. by storm, Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) made her syndicate members sweat in Friday's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. at a rain-afflicted Newmarket but ultimately prevailed to complete the notable double. Reluctant to load and a touch tardy from the gates, the even-money favourite raced up the centre of the track in fourth early before being asked to close by Ben Curtis approaching the two-furlong marker. Working hard to gain the lead a furlong from home, she was unable to put the contest...

Last week's eye-catching G3 Albany S. winner Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) will step up to Group 2 company in either the Duchess of Cambridge S. at Newmarket on July 10 or the Prix Robert Papin against colts at Chantilly the following week, according to Nick Bradley, who co-owns the filly with Elaine Burke, wife of trainer Karl Burke. Dandalla was a €22,000 yearling purchase by the Burkes' daughter Kelly. Bradley said offers have been coming in for the filly since her Royal Ascot victory, but that they likely will...

Back in April, when major sporting events across the world were being cancelled left, right and centre, the management team at the Queen's racecourse took the decision that, if racing had resumed in time, Royal Ascot would go ahead behind closed doors. The announcement was met with incredulity in some quarters, particularly by those keen to blame the spread of coronavirus on the Cheltenham Festival, but thank goodness Ascot stuck to its resolve to go ahead, even in extraordinary circumstances. Of course the meeting lost some of its lustre, just...

Off the mark over five furlongs at Newcastle June 2, Nick Bradley Racing and Elaine Burke's Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) really turned it on in Friday's G3 Albany S. as she came home alone. Sent off at 13-2, the bay travelled with zest anchored in rear early by Ben Curtis as Flying Aletha (Tiznow) cut out the running. Moving between rivals with menace approaching the two pole, she was in front soon after and galloped resolutely to the line for an emphatic six-length success from the 11-4 favourite Setarhe...

On a typically busy day last week at Ballyhane Stud, Joe Foley was asked by a visitor, "What do you actually do?" It's a good question, and one which it would be hard for the master of Ballyhane to answer definitively. That's not because he's idle, but because there are few facets of Irish breeding and racing in which Foley is not actively involved. On that particular day he had just delivered 100 questions—some of them fiendishly difficult—for the popular quiz named in memory of his friend Mark O'Hanlon and...