National Stud

Anyone who attended the European yearling and breeding stock sales last year won't have failed to have picked up on the heightened appetite for the stock of Time Test (GB). The exploits of his early runners had caught the imagination and backed up by the promise of more to come, demand for his yearlings and foals soared, at one point reaching a high of 400,000gns (paid by SackvilleDonald for a colt from John Foley's Ballyvolane Stud who had been pinhooked for 52,000gns as a foal). Time Test's retirement to the...

A breeding right to young National Stud stallion Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was last year's leading European first-season sire by black-type winners with four, topped the Goffs Online Sale of Stallion Breeding Rights when fetching a bid of £100,000 from Dash Grange Stud. A breeding right to last year's champion European first-season sire Cotai Glory (GB) was purchased by Paul Harley Bloodstock for €40,000, while Joseph Burke purchased a breeding right to Profitable (Ire) for €35,000. Burke, who brokered the deal for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners to purchase Profitable's...

Tours of The National Stud will begin again from Feb. 18 through Discover Newmarket. Visitors will be able to view new stallion Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), as well as Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). The 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour will allow visitors to hear about the history of the stud and the work that goes into producing future champions. They will also be able to view mares and foals at close range. The tours run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holiday...

The real Lope de Vega, dubbed the Spanish Shakespeare, was as prolific a playwright and poet as he was a lover, and is believed to have fathered about 15 children, some legitimate, others not so.  That's small fry for a stallion, of course, and the horse who has carried his name with such distinction, both on the racecourse and at stud, could well end up with at least that many sons following him to stud. So far, in Ireland, he is represented by Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) and Lucky Vega...

William Stone trainee Romantic Time (GB) (Time Test {GB}), who snagged five-furlong heats at Great Yarmouth and Sandown in July, stepped forward off a three-length eighth in Newbury's Listed St Hugh's S. last month to pounce for victory in Thursday's G3 IRE Incentive Scheme Dick Poole Fillies' S. at Salisbury. She was an unconsidered 28-1 outsider for this first outing over the six-furlong trip and an attempt at becoming the second pattern-race winner in two days for her freshman sire (by Dubawi {Ire}), following the success of Rocchigiani (GB) in...

Wood Hall Stud's 2-year-old filly Tardis (GB) (Time Test {GB}), who hit the board contesting five-furlong heats at York and Haydock in June, graduated in a July 13 maiden tackling an extended five furlongs at Bath last time and continued on the upgrade with a first black-type win for her freshman sire (by Dubawi {Ire}) in Friday's Listed BetVictor St Hugh's S. at Newbury. Breaking with the tailenders and in rear through the initial fractions, the 11-1 chance made relentless headway from halfway to go seventh entering the final furlong...

Paddy Meehan, the former head stallion man of the National Stud, died at home on Wednesday, July 28 at the age of 56. Born in Co Meath, Ireland, Meehan grew up at Ballymacoll Stud where his father Oliver was stud groom. He moved to Newmarket in 1987, initially to work for Lanwades Stud, and remained in the town for more than three decades. He also worked at Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs but was best known for his long association with the National Stud, where he was a popular face...

Normarie Santiago Cruz has been named the first recipient of three annual scholarships by the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation. The scholarship is named in honor of the horseman who passed away this past March and is intended to promote and encourage young people who are seeking a career in the bloodstock industry. Cruz has been selected by the board to receive the funding so that she might enroll in the world-famous National Stud course in Co. Kildare, Ireland. She is a former KEMI student and is currently enrolled at...

Dual Group 1-winning juvenile and accomplished sire Bahamian Bounty (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}-Clarentia {GB}, by Ballad Rock {GB}) has died aged 26 at the National Stud, where he stood his entire stud career from 1998 until he was pensioned in 2015. "Bahamian Bounty has had a wonderful career both on the racetrack and at stud, producing group winners year after year and achieving fantastic results in the sale ring for breeders," said National Stud Director Tim Lane. "His gentle nature has always made him a firm favourite with staff and...

NEWMARKET, UK—The February Sale may present a relatively low-key start to the sales year at Tattersalls but it has nevertheless drawn a decent crowd of potential buyers from many countries and trade during the first session was well ahead of that produced 12 months ago in only the third time that the sale has been extended to two days. The major boost came predominantly from the former Mark Johnston trainee and listed winner I'll Have Another (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}), who led the first day of trade when sold to...