Q&A

One of the youngest consignors in the business, Fearghal Hogan has enjoyed some brilliant pinhooking results under his own Churchland Stud banner and at just 33 years of age, he can boast something that the majority in this business can only ever aspire to achieve, through his joint-ownership of Group 1 winner Laws Of Indices.  The County Carlow native is refreshingly honest about the fact he found the going tough at the yearling sales in 2024, opens up about some of his biggest touches in the game and shares plans...

Caravaggio's name has been plastered all over the TDN recently on the back of Porta Fortuna and Whitebeam's exploits. TDN's Gary King chatted with Dr. Shigeki Yusa, Manager of the JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station, about the well travelled stallion who now calls Japan home. GK: How proud are you of Caravaggio's recent successes? Most notably Porta Fortuna and Whitebeam. SY: The two wins in two days made us very happy, especially with Porta Fortuna winning two Group 1 races in a row with the recent Falmouth Stakes victory, and Whitebeam...

Harry Sweeney is one of Irish racing's finest exports. A qualified vet, he has been based in the Far East for 35 years, where he operates from the world renowned Paca Paca Farm as well as holding the position of President at Darley Japan.  From big-money pinhooks to sleepless nights after some frightening losses, breeding Japanese Derby winner Deep Brilliante and how he engineered a plan to be granted an owner's licence in the country, Sweeney makes for a fascinating and entertaining Q&A.  The Marco Polo of Irish racing sat...

by Keely Mckitterick/TTR AusNZ    Following the sale of the AU$10 million Winx (Aus) filly and his announcement to step back from full-time duties at the end of the year, Jonathan D'Arcy, Inglis's general manager of bloodstock operations, spoke with TTR AusNZ.    A few days after Jonathan D'Arcy, Inglis's general manager of bloodstock operations and auctioneer, made headlines for knocking down the Pierro (Aus) x Winx filly for a staggering AU$10 million to Woppitt Bloodstock, he took the time to sit down with The Thoroughbred Report for a Q&A...

There were few more deserving winners at this year's ITBA Awards than Amy Marnane. At just 30 years of age, Marnane has crammed a lot in. From breeding to pinhooking and even consigning horses under her own name, Marnane has accomplished plenty in the industry, which led to her scooping the Next Generation Award.  Of course, that award was tinged with sadness after the death of Marnane's mother, Theresa, at the age of 61 in December.  In this week's Q&A, Marnane discusses how the bloodstock industry has served as a...

Freddie McKibbin has established himself as one of the most recognisable auctioneers at Tattersalls in a short space of time. The achievement is impressive enough given McKibbin is just 25 years of age. But the fact that he didn't set out to be an auctioneer in the first place is all the more creditable.  McKibbin sat down with Brian Sheerin during the December Mares Sale to discuss his career to date and hopes for the future for the latest TDN Q&A. It's hard to believe that you've only been auctioneering...

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) provided this Q&A with questions submitted by Craig Bandoroff of Denali Stud. Although I've read explanations and have had people try to explain it to me I still don't understand why we test to such a small level.  As I understand it a picogram is one-trillionth of a gram.  How can that have any affect on a 1200-lb horse?  Why do we test to such a small level?  Are we using the ARCI recommended guidelines? It is important to remember that a picogram...

This past year was a good one for the Breeders' Cup. Returning to Keeneland for the first time since the pandemic year of 2020, the event generated a global wagering total of $189.1 million, which set a record, 3.4% higher than the previous mark. The Breeders' Cup also produced big numbers when it came to the total economic impact for Keeneland, Lexington and the surrounding community. It was announced Friday that a survey conducted by University of Louisville Economics Professor Thomas E. Lambert, Ph.D., showed that the Breeders' Cup was...

Edited Press Release With the anticipated March 27 implementation of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's (HISA) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program approaching, it's increasingly important for all racing participants to understand how the Program will work. The following are HISA's answers to five frequently asked questions about the ADMC Program. How will the new HISA ADMC Program impact the lives and workflow of horsemen? The ADMC Program is designed to create centralized testing and results management processes and apply uniform penalties for violations efficiently and consistently across the...

   One of the finest turf trainers in America, Phil D'Amato has done exceptionally well with his European imports in recent years, highlighted by Grade I winner Going Global and more recently American Oaks scorer Rhea Moon.     In this week's Q&A with Brian Sheerin, D'Amato explained how, with the help of Niall Dalton, Craig Rounsefell and BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, he has built one of the most competitive stables in America.      Read about his approach to finding 'diamonds in the rough' on a budget, his training methods and...

Mick Appleby will bid to begin the new year with a bang when stable star Raasel lines out in the Dubai Dash at Meydan. Appleby will run four horses in total at Meydan over the coming weeks and months, all of whom cost just over £60,000 combined, which illustrates the Northern England-based trainer's ability to sniff out a bargain at the sales.    In this week's Starfield Stud-sponsored Conversations Q&A, Appleby discusses his approach to sourcing talent, speaks out on the poor prize-money in Britain and how difficult it is...

   There have been a lot of football analogies in racing this week. Most have centered around a hypothetical situation whereby the Kevin De Bruynes or the Erling Haalands of this world were leaving the Premier League for sunnier-and more lucrative pay packets-in foreign leagues.     For all the Manchester City fans out there, you can relax, as the analogy was simply fictional. However, there is nothing fictional about the mass exodus of talent facing British and Irish racing.    Ger Lyons is better qualified than most to speak about...