Katie McGivern

Henry Beeby has opened the door to Goffs embracing the publication of official times and other data at its newly slated breeze-up sale at Naas racecourse next year but admitted that such a move was unlikely to be met with universal approval from the breeze-up fraternity.  No consignor would be more staunchly against the re-introduction of official times at the breeze-up sales in Europe than Brendan Holland. The Grove Stud operator says official times would create an increased reliance on the clock and would ultimately drive down clearance rates at...

Top breeze-up handler Katie McGivern has put Queen Mary favourite Born To Rock (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}) up there with the best horses that she has been associated with and described producing a two-year-old with leading Royal Ascot credentials as "ridiculously exciting". Born To Rock confirmed herself to be aptly named when romping to victory for trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam on debut at Yarmouth just 20 days after being sold by McGivern's Derryconnor Stud to Amanda Skiffington for 110,000gns at the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale.  "To have a winner at Royal...

DEAUVILLE, France--Deliverance came a day early for Katie McGivern at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale as lot 64, a Sioux Nation filly and lot 66, a filly by Siyouni (Fr), finished in the top five fastest times overall in the session. It was McGivern's fillies, the only two that she brought to one of the premier breeze-up sales in Europe, who emerged from the cavalry of 130 juveniles as being up there with the fastest on show. McGivern stuck her neck out in going to €68,000 for the Siyouni filly out...

NEWMARKET, UK--Much like the trainers who brought members of the preceding crop up the road to the Rowley Mile a couple of weeks ago, rehearsing for this weekend's Classics, consignors at the third juvenile auction of the European sales calendar have returned here with a much better sense of where they stand. When they arrived for the Craven Sale, they could only hope for signs of stability after the chaos of last year, when they had been the very first to be soaked by the Covid tsunami. And that is...

DONCASTER, UK--Look, we all know to refrain from any bold pronouncements in such an uncertain world. But the same market that was last year first to be broadsided by the pandemic has now made consecutive statements: first one of cautious optimism and now, remarkably, one of record-breaking confidence. For if we left Newmarket last week reminding ourselves that a single swallow does not a summer make, then flight after flight seemed to fill the air at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale. Whatever the ups and downs that inevitably still await,...

Derryconnor Stud, vendor as 2-year-olds of G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner and Classic-placed Daban (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Le Brivido (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), will showcase its 11 juveniles for the 2020 breeze ups on a new website. Derryconnor's Katie McGivern said, "As we find ourselves in these testing and changing times, we feel that we need to change our approach and be more proactive in promoting our stock to potential clients. We have a lovely selection of 2-year-olds that are ready to rock when...