Peter Molony

A colt by No Risk At All (Fr) from Ballincurrig House Stud took star billing on the opening day of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale, ultimately going the way of Rathmore Stud's Peter Molony for €80,000 after a bidding war with Charles Shanahan. "He's a gorgeous horse with a great pedigree and his sire speaks for himself," Molony said of lot 118, who is out of the unraced Walk In The Park (Ire) mare Another Walk (Ire), a half-sister to the top-class staying chaser Joncol (Ire) (Bob's Return {Ire})....

The Ballyboy Stables-consigned Swing Davis (Fr) (No Risk At All {Fr}) (lot 5) took top billing at Thursday's Goffs Punchestown Sale when selling to Mags O'Toole on behalf of Robcour for €320,000. The four-year-old was successful on the second of her two starts in points-to-points, having failed to complete on her first attempt, running out a commanding winner at Loughanmore last week. From the family of the top-class chaser Klairon Davis (Fr) (Rose Laurel {Ire}), Swing Davis is set to go into training with Gordon Elliott. That proved to be...

Peter Molony, racing manager to Kenny Alexander, says he cannot split the powerful owner's Jade De Grugy (Fr), Kargese (Fr) and previous Cheltenham Festival scorer Telmesomethinggirl (Ire) when it comes to picking the operation's best chance of a winner at Prestbury Park next week.  The Rathmore Stud boss also provided a passionate riposte to some of the criticism being levelled at the mares' races at the Cheltenham Festival by stating that their horse of a lifetime Honeysuckle (GB) may never have seen a racetrack had it not been for the...

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association promised "lively debate" ahead of its eagerly-anticipated National Hunt seminar and it didn't disappoint with the introduction of three-year-old bumpers, altering the sales programme, the importance of a strong broodmare band and polarisation of the market some of the major topics discussed on the night.  The event took place on Wednesday at The Lord Bagenal Inn, County Carlow, just a stone's throw away from where Willie Mullins, one of the greatest National Hunt trainer of all time, is based.  The panel featured Anthony Bromley, Walter...

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA) will stage a seminar to discuss the issues surrounding jump breeding in the country on Wednesday, January 17 at The Lord Bagenal in Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow. Entitled 'Jumping into the Future: The Challenges Facing Irish National Hunt Breeding', the debate will be led by trainer and breeder Lorna Fowler of Rahinston Farm and Stud. The panel consists of bloodstock agents Anthony Bromley and Bertrand Le Metayer, breeder and stud owner Peter Molony, vet and consignor Walter Connors, and Tattersalls Ireland director Richard Pugh. Doors...

Kenny Alexander's dual Champion Hurdler Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) will make her swansong in the G1 Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival. The 9-year-old was beaten for the first time in 16 starts when tackling the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December, in which she was third. She went on to finish runner-up to State Man (Ire) in last weekend's Irish Champion Hurdle, a race she had won for the three previous seasons. A 12-time Grade 1 victrix, Honeysuckle is also a treble winner at the...

The only man in history to win the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season, Henry de Bromhead is not content on tightening his grip on the major jumps races and is now taking aim at the Irish 1,000 Guineas with Star Girls Aalmal (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}).  De Bromhead signed off on another memorable National Hunt season at Punchestown last month by sending out Honeysuckle (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}) to win her 12th Grade 1 and extend her unbeaten record to 16. As the Flat...

It wasn't too hard to predict that Gigginstown House Stud's 11-time Grade 1 winner Apple's Jade (Fr) (Saddler Maker {Ire}) would be the star of the Goffs December National Hunt Sale and, entering the ring just a handful of lots before the end of the two-day auction, the 8-year-old mare (lot 515) duly commanded the top price of the sale, eventually bringing the hammer down at €530,000. Along with her own illustrious race record, an extra selling point was provided by the fact that Apple's Jade was offered carrying her...

The daily reality check comes via the evening news. Coronavirus by numbers: new infections and, brutally, the death toll. Otherwise, for people working day-to-day with racehorses and breeding stock, not an awful lot has changed. Yes, we take care not to get too close to other people, wash our hands more, wear latex gloves to the supermarket. But the horses still need to be fed, exercised, mucked out and to be prepared, as much as we all can be, for a return to some sort of normality. In our old...