John O'Connor

This year's Prix du Jockey Club winner Look de Vega (Fr) will join his sire Lope de Vega (Ire) on the stallion roster at Ballylinch Stud next season, the operation announced on Monday. He has been introduced at a fee of €20,000. Look de Vega was bred by Joelle Mestrallet of Haras De La Morsangliere and Lucien Urano of Ecurie des Charmes, who raced him in partnership with his trainers Carlos and Yann Lerner, as well as Patrick Madar, before it was announced in July that Ballylinch--in association with Al...

Ballylinch Stud has released the fees for its five stallions, with its flagship sire Lope De Vega (Ire) receiving an increase in price to €175,000, up from €125,000, though he is set to cover a smaller number of mares in 2025. "Lope de Vega continues to prove himself as a global sire sensation," said Ballylinch Stud's managing director John O'Connor. "He has again proven his effectiveness at the very highest level with the most Group 1 winners, European Classic winners, and black-type horses of any stallion worldwide this season. His...

GSW Stay Hot (Summer Front) may have been the 6-5 choice in the GII Twilight Derby after finishing in front of Atitlan (c, 3, The Factor--Armanda {Ger}, by Acatenango {Ger}) in both a La Jolla Handicap win and a GII Del Mar Derby placing, but it was the latter who is an improving sort and inverted the results Saturday at Santa Anita to secure his first stakes win. Cathal (Ire) (No Nay Never) finished third in his first stakes try. With Curlin's Kaos (Clubhouse Ride) speeding to the front early...

It's not often a stallion based outside the continent gets graded winners in the U.S. keeping pace with the leading sires here. Ireland's Lope De Vega (Ire) is not only keeping pace, but more than holding his own. When Carl Spackler (Ire) won Sunday's GI Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, he became the second U.S. Grade I winner in 2024 for his sire, joining Program Trading (GB), who won Churchill's GI Turf Classic Stakes on Derby day. For comparison, only one stallion (Gun Runner) has three Grade I winners in the...

With two Classic winners to his name already this season, Lope De Vega (Ire) peers down at his peers from on high in the stallion table. In an era of great depth to the European sire ranks, it is hard to begrudge the son of Shamardal his time in the spotlight with an increasingly burgeoning record of excellence. The Aga Khan's Rouhiya (Fr) landed the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches for Francis-Henri Graffard, followed by Sunday's easy victory for Look De Vega (Fr) in the Prix du Jockey Club. The latter...

In November, American racing will celebrate the 40th running of the Breeders' Cup, with $28 million in prize-money for 14 races across two days. Breeders' Cup Limited, the organising company for this global highlight of the Flat racing programme, was founded in 1982 from an original suggestion by John Gaines, who proposed that the prize-money for the Breeders' Cup races would come from contributions made by stallion owners. The contributions paid were decided on a sliding scale relative to each stallion's nomination fee and number of mares covered in a...

Ballylinch Stud's John O'Connor has been named the new Chairman of the European Breeders' Fund. He replaces Philip Freedman, who served two terms in that role. O'Connor, who has also been Chairman of the Irish EBF and ITBA in the past, said, "I am delighted to take on the Chairmanship of the EBF in its 40th year. The EBF plays a significant role in supporting the racing industry at many levels. Due to the calibre of stallions that now stand in Europe and through the commitment of stallion farms large...

It is never a chore to pay the team at Ballylinch Stud a visit. The winding road that leads to the stone entrance is hugged by greenery and pastures as well as a resplendent view over the River Nore which separates the Mount Juliet Estate and the stud. Once on the grounds, history is preserved amongst the new infrastructure as The Tetrarch's grave greets you on your way to the stallion yard. It is a yard which houses horses who need little in the way of introduction. The newest member...

Tom Lacy received a heartwarming reception at the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Awards last week. And rightly so. A legendary figure in Irish racing, Lacy rode 50 winners on the Flat and found only Arkle and Flyingbolt too good aboard Height Of Fashion in two Irish Grand Nationals.  As a trainer, Lacy sent out hundreds of winners from Rhode, County Offaly, including Ingabelle (GB), who later became a hugely important foundation mare at Ballylinch Stud. His sons Barry and Tony rode multiple winners for the stable down through the years....

Roster stalwart Lope De Vega (Ire) enjoyed another excellent year with his progeny and will remain at a roster-topping €125,000 at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland. Now the sire of 103 black-type winners since reaching his centennial earlier this year, the chestnut also sired a 1.8 million guineas yearling during the Tattersalls October Yearling Sales. No less than 26 of his progeny have won stakes worldwide in 2022, led by dual Group 1 winner turned $2.7-million Keeneland November alum Dreamloper (Ire). He is also the sire of G1 Prix Vermeille heroine...

Group 1 winner Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}--Alava {Ire}, by Anabaa) has been retired and will stand at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland in 2023. A fee will be announced in due time for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero and a limited number of shares will be available to breeders. Bred by Ballylinch and raced by Teme Valley Racing and Ballylinch in partnership, the Roger Varian-trained bay won the G2 Champagne S. as a juvenile and was also third at Group 1 level in both the Dewhurst S....

  Rare are the days that John O'Connor of Ballylinch Stud enjoyed at Ascot on Champions Day last Saturday. No sooner had the G1 QEII celebrations died down after Bayside Boy (Ire) (New Bay {GB})'s victory, a horse the stud bred and co-owns with Teme Valley, when another runner that the stud owns jointly, Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), lowered the colours of Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Champion S.    It was an afternoon that propelled Ballylinch resident New Bay into the spotlight and...