Michael O'Callaghan

For the last several years, Kentucky Downs has been the track that had almost everything. Big fields, huge purses and a betting handle that increases exponentially every year. But one thing has largely been missing--European shippers. Despite an all-turf meet, the purses and the fact that Kentucky Downs is much like a European turf course, the meet hadn't really registered with European horsemen. That has changed. According to Martin Panza, the co-director of racing at Kentucky Downs, which kicks off its annual seven-day meet Thursday, as many as 16 European-based...

A Trio of European horses running at Kentucky Downs this weekend hit the track for the first time after clearing quarantine at Churchill Downs Monday morning. Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Stromberg (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), who came over for Saturday's $3.1 million DK Horse Nashville Derby, and 2-year-old Black Forza (Complexity), slated for Sunday's $1-million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint, went out together at 9 a.m. ET for some light exercise. They are scheduled to take a two-hour van ride to Franklin, Kentucky after training at Churchill Tuesday...

Full-time hairdresser and small-time breeder Ashley Hillyard admits to having been left dumbfounded by the victory of Black Forza in Thursday's Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.  Why so? Well, the Kentucky-based 38-year-old snapped up Harlee Honey (Harlan's Holiday), the dam of Michael O'Callaghan's bright young star, for just $11,000 at Fasig-Tipton Digital from Legacy Bloodstock last August. It's a purchase that even the most shrewd of breeders would be proud of.  And in less than a year, Hillyard is now fielding offers that she admits would be life-changing to her and...

Eleanora Kennedy's Black Forza (Complexity--Harlee Honey, by Harlan's Holiday), a £220,000 Goffs UK Breeze-Up graduate, shed maiden status at Fairyhouse last month and stepped forward to notch a landmark win for his Airdrie Stud-based freshman sire (by Maclean's Music) in Thursday's G2 Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. A share in the stallion will be auctioned at Fasig-Tipton's August Sale next week. The Michael O'Callaghan trainee was steadied after the break and settled several lengths off the tempo in seventh through the early fractions of this six-furlong dash. Coming under pressure...

Airdrie Stud's first-crop sire sensation Complexity (by Maclean's Music) continued the barnstorming start to his second career with a first winner in Europe on Wednesday as Eleanora Kennedy's Black Forza captured Fairyhouse's six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. Breaking smartly from his wide stall, the Michael O'Callaghan-trained 6-1 shot who had been fifth on debut in The Curragh's hot Barronstown Stud Maiden at the Irish Derby meeting closed powerfully to take control a furlong out under Seamie Heffernan. Readily asserting from there, the dark bay who was a £220,000 Goffs...

Nobody could accuse Katie Walsh of going around with her head in the clouds but, in the case of Tuesday's 525,000gns top lot, a colt by New Bay (GB), the leading breeze-up consignor revealed that she felt she had something worth dreaming about in the build-up to this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale.  And so it proved after the colt was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin. Bought for 125,000gns from the Ogden family's dispersal at Book 1 last year, the already-named Anno Domini (GB) (lot 26)...

Michael O'Callaghan trainee Kairyu (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}--Vegatina {GB}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}) was the clear-cut winner of a five-furlong Naas maiden last month and franked the promise of that debut score with an upset win upped in trip for Saturday's G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey S. at the Curragh. Kairyu employed patient tactics from flagfall and lobbed along off the pace in sixth through the early fractions. Making smooth headway once past halfway, the 4-1 chance quickened beyond rivals to seize control approaching the final furlong and...

I Am Invictus (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), fourth in the G2 Railway S. earlier this month, has joined the Tattersalls July Sale as a wildcard and will be offered as part of The Castlebridge Consignment. Placed in maidens at Naas behind future G2 Coventry S. winner River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Navan in the wake of the subsequent listed-placed Pearls And Rubies (No Nay Never) in May and June, respectively, the Michael O'Callaghan trainee is out of Asrafairy (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) and will be consigned as lot 516B....

Tally-Ho Stud's Roger O'Callaghan has paid tribute to the record-breaking Harry Angel colt who sold for £500,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale on Tuesday but died less than two days later in a transport accident. The Harry Angel colt was sold to trainer Michael O'Callaghan, who held off the persistent challenge of Amo Racing's Kia Joorabchian as underbidder. Roger O'Callaghan told TDN Europe on Saturday morning, "It's a crying shame but accidents happen. We'll never know how good he really was." The horse was pinhooked by Tally-Ho Stud for...

Late in the day, a colt by Harry Angel (Ire) (lot 191) brought £500,000 from Michael O'Callaghan to take the lead at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale at Doncaster. The price is a new record for the sale. Consigned by Tally-Ho Stud, the chestnut colt is a son of Listed Stonehenge S. winner Go Angellica (Ire) (Kheleyf), herself a half-sister to stakes winner Brendenbury (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). Another half-sister produced dual group winner Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}). The colt was a €38,000 purchase out of the...

Michael O'Callaghan is eyeing big-race riches in Dubai with half-brothers I Am Superman (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Fastnet Crown (Ire) (Hallowed Crown {Aus}) before making the move to a new purpose-built yard near the Curragh ahead of the turf season proper.  However, the leading Irish trainer has said that he remains in the dark over his position with Amo Racing despite sending out Crypto Force (GB) (Time Test {GB}) to secure G2 Beresford S. glory for Kia Joorabchian's major ownership vehicle at the Curragh last season.  Crypto Force joined the...

Amo Racing's £900,000 Goffs London graduate Crypto Force (GB) (Time Test {GB}--Luna Mare {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) bounced back from a first reversal, when seventh in Royal Ascot's June 18 Listed Chesham S., to loosen Aidan O'Brien's stranglehold on Saturday's G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. over one mile at the Curragh. He had earlier accounted for subsequent 'TDN Rising Star' and G2 Golden Fleece S. victor Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in his June 1 debut over seven furlongs here and employed patient tactics at the tail of...