Lucky Vega (Ire)

The four-strong roster at the Irish National Stud was revealed on Thursday, with all returning stallions' fees unchanged from 2024. After the retirement of roster stalwart Invincible Spirit (Ire) on Wednesday, Lucky Vega (Ire) heads the roster at €12,500. The Group 1-winning son of Lope De Vega (Ire) has his first runners in 2025, as does Nando Parrado (GB), who is listed at €6,000. New kid on the block is smart sprinter Shouldvebeenaring (GB) at €6,000. The son of Havana Grey (GB) has placed multiple times at the highest level...

The colt crowned Cartier Horse of the Year in 2021 when he retired as a five-time Group 1 winner; an elite miler who also won five races at the top level, notably at Royal Ascot in both 2020 and 2021; and the GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero of 2021, speedy enough to win the previous year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs. Those three summations alone should give some idea of the calibre of racehorse we're dealing with when it comes to the 2025 crop...

A total of 465 yearlings have been catalogued for the fourth edition of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, which will be held over two days at Park Paddocks for the first time this year. The opening session starts at 10am on Monday, September 2. Graduates of the Somerville Yearling Sale include Anisette (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}), who started her career in Britain after being bought for 26,000 guineas back in 2021. She later joined Leonard Powell in the US and was last seen gaining her third top-level win in the Gamely...

The 2024 seven-strong stallion roster at the Irish National Stud will parade daily while the Goffs February Sale is going on, the INS announced on Saturday. Parades, featuring stallions like Group 1 sire Invincible Spirit (Ire), Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) who has his first 3-year-olds this year, and Classic winner Mac Swiney (Ire), will take place at the stud on Feb. 6-8 from 11-3 p.m. each day. Please contact the stud office to arrange your time at +353 045-521251.

Group 1 winner Lucky Vega (Ire) sired his first reported Northern Hemisphere-born foal at Bobby and Honora Donworth's Round Hill Stud. Out of Grace And Virtue (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), the filly was bred by the Donworths, as was her winning dam, who is from the family of the G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}). Bobby Donworth said the new arrival was "a high-quality filly with plenty of substance, she'd encourage you to use Lucky Vega again this season. She's immediately related to champion fillies Rizeena (Ire)...

Invincible Spirit (Ire) tops the 2023 Irish National Stud roster in 2023. The sire of 21 Group 1 winners lifetime, the 25-year-old will stand for a private fee. His progeny won 10 stakes this year, led by Pearls Galore (Fr)'s victory in the G1 Matron S. and Shartash (Ire)'s win in the G2 Railway S. among his seven group winners. Classic winner Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)'s first runners will step out on racecourses next year and he has been priced at €12,000. G1 Phoenix S. winner Lucky Vega (Ire) will...

New recruits Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and Nando Parrado (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) have had their first mares scanned in foal, the Irish National Stud announced on Wednesday. In foal to G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. hero Lucky Vega is Solar Event (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a daughter of Group 3 winner Time Away (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) from the families of Group 1 winners Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Cursory Glance (Distorted Humor). The Iffraaj (GB) mare Cafetiere (GB), already the dam of G2 Norfolk S. third Imperial...

Denied a Classic double in Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, Jim Bolger's Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) will try again in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh, for which a dozen were confirmed on Thursday. His owner, breeder and trainer gave the expected all-clear to the May 1 G1 2000 Guineas hero after his sixth placing at ParisLongchamp, while he also saddles the G1 Futurity Trophy winner Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), who was only fourth on his return in the G3 Derrinstown Stud...

Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), the winner of the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, is among the 14 entries for the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas. The bay Jim Bolger homebred won the G3 Killavullan S. at two, and was first past the post in the Listed Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" 2000 Guineas Trial S. on Apr. 11 prior to his 2000 Guineas score. He most recently contested the G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp in very soft ground to finish sixth. His Group 1-winning stablemate Mac Swiney...

The Goffs November Foal Sale catalogue, which includes a Kingman (GB) half-brother to €1.1 million Goffs November alum and MG1SW Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), is now online. Scheduled for Nov. 16-18, the three-day sale features 759 foals going under the hammer at Kildare Paddocks in Ireland. The sale will be conducted using the "rising tide" format. The Ghaiyyath half (lot 683), also a half to GI Man O'War S. heroine Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and out of Classic scorer Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), hails from the draft of The...

A different venue is not the only deviation from the norm as the Goffs Orby Sale takes centre stage in the European yearling sales calendar at Doncaster this week. On the last three occasions she has been represented in this sale Galileo (Ire) has been the sire of the star offering out of stellar producer Green Room (Theatrical), but on this occasion it will be Gilltown Stud's Sea The Stars (Ire) who has the honour of aiming to continue the mare's spectacular sales results. As usual consigned by Ballylinch Stud...

Denied in the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh July 18, Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) returned to the same course and six-furlong strip on Sunday to dominate a competitive renewal of the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. Despite the presence of four group-winning colts Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), the market spoke mainly for Lucky Vega who was supported into 4-1 second favouritism and also Ballydoyle's maiden St...