Far Above

Noel Meade has provided an upbeat bulletin on Classic hope Caught U Looking (Ire) and said it would "be a dream" if the daughter of Harzand (Ire) proved herself good enough to compete in the Oaks this season. Caught U Looking, winner of the G3 Weld Park S. at the Curragh last year, will get her campaign underway in the G3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on April 7.  Owned by Tally-Ho Stud's Tony O'Callaghan and popular bloodstock agent Peter Kelly's wife Sabina, Caught U Looking was bought for...

Never has the demand to get horses into the breeze-up sales in Europe been higher. It begs the question; how do the big sales companies limit their catalogues?  Inspectors from Tattersalls, Arqana and Goffs have been out in force in recent weeks trawling through the breeze-up consignors' barns to come up with their shortlists.  According to Harry Fowler, one of the main inspectors at Goffs, entries for the company's only breeze-up sale have sky-rocketed this year. With most of the viewing done at this stage, the Goffs inspectors will meet...

Kevin Blake and Jack Cantillon have secured French sprinter Bouttemont (Ire), who they are targeting at a rare Group 1 double in the Flying Five and Prix de l'Abbaye, before standing the highly-rated son of Acclamation (GB) in Ireland.  Bouttemont will see out his career with current trainer Yann Barberot and will race in the colours of Syndicates.Racing, the successful ownership group which is headed by Cantillon.  A number of packages that include racing and breeding rights are available in the Group 3 winner with Blake describing the opportunity to...

For this final part of the series, we are looking at stallions who have retired to stud since 2021 and will thus have either first foals or yearlings at the sales this year or are about to cover their first book of mares. There is plenty to digest from three years' intake and of course prices can often drop after a stallion's first year at stud, so there could be some value to be found for breeders willing to roll the dice on a stallion about to embark on his...

Micheál Orlandi has spoken of his excitement at being able to offer an accessible son of Dubawi (Ire) to breeders after announcing Dubawi Legend (Ire) will join the roster at Compas Stallions' Starfield Stud for the upcoming breeding season. A classy sprinter for Hugo Palmer, Dubawi Legend chased home Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket before signing off on his juvenile campaign with a rating of 115. He achieved Group 3 success as a 3-year-old and put in another notable performance to finish...

The Havana Grey (GB) train is showing no sign of slowing down and, after a booming debut season at stud that saw his fee at Whitsbury Manor Stud bumped up to £18,500, he supplied the sales-topping filly on the final day of what Henry Beeby described as a "sensational" November Foal Sale at Goffs. That €68,000 filly (lot 962) was signed for by renowned judge Paul McCartan of Ballyphillip Stud, best known for breeding speedballs Harry Angel (Ire) and Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and was consigned by Olive O'Connor...

King Of Change (GB), the 2019 QEII winner and 2000 Guineas runner-up in that same campaign, has relocated to Micheál Orlandi's Starfield Stud after standing for two full seasons at Derrinstown Stud.  He will be the second son of Farhh (GB) to join the roster at Orlandi's up-and-coming Starfield Stud on the outskirts of Mullingar, County Westmeath, joining speedster Far Above (Ire), whose first foals will go under the hammer next month.  Orlandi revealed that he tried to strike a deal to stand King Of Change upon his retirement from...

Tattersalls has catalogued 233 2-year-olds and 36 horses in training for its Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale at Park Paddocks on Apr. 29 and 30, with the 2-year-olds set to breeze on Newmarket's Rowley Mile on Apr. 28. The breeze-up horses will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Guineas graduates like Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), the winner of last year's G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup, and Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}), who took the 2020 G3 Palace House S. In addition to 43 proven,...

Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) has joined the Compas Stallions roster for the 2021 season. Micheal Orlandi spoke with TDN's Alayna Cullen about the new stallion who showed blistering speed throughout his racing career. AC: Micheal, Far Above, although lightly raced, was a racehorse of note. What were some of the highlights of his racing career? MO: He was a fantastic racehorse and exceptionally fast. He started off as a breeze up horse and I liked the fact that he came through the breeze ups and developed into top-class racehorse....

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...

Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}-Dorraar {Ire}, by Shamardal), the eye-catching winner of last weekend's G3 Palace House S., has been retired from racing after emerging from that victory with an injured sesamoid. "Unfortunately it was the news we didn't want," said trainer James Tate. "It's a small injury, but a particularly awkward one in a tricky place." An 18,000gns yearling turned 105,000gns 2-year-old, Far Above ran just five times but flashed talent in that short career. He won three of his four outings last year after debuting in April, including...

There were days when we were drumming our fingers on our at-home desks or dining tables wondering what on earth to write about for tomorrow. But now that the shock of racing's shutdown has been completely erased by the return, finally, of racing in Ireland to complete a European full set, the panic is not what to write but how on earth to keep up with it all. No complaints here. The last few weeks since the French return in mid-May and Britain just over a week ago have provided...