Ringfort Stud

NEWMARKET, England--Fifteen-year-old Ruairi Kilmartin was left speechless after his Dark Angel (Ire) filly--a mere €7,000 buy at the Goffs November Foal Sale--had provided him with a fairytale result when selling to Paul Corrigan for 70,000gns on the opening day of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale. "No, never," an incredulous Kilmartin replied when asked whether he'd dared to dream of lot 159 making that sort of money. "I thought she'd make 20 or 30 grand, but that's exceeded my expectations. We were flat out there yesterday evening with 40 or 50...

Shadwell's 140,000gns Tattersalls December foal Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}--African Moonlight {UAE}, by Halling) had been on a 439-day sabbatical after annexing last term's G1 Prix d'Ispahan and the 6-year-old gelding added to his victory in 2022's G3 Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes with a narrow victory in Saturday's latest renewal at Haydock. The 8-11 favourite raced in third through the initial stages, but slipped to fourth at halfway in this extended 10-furlong test. Nudged along with three furlongs remaining, he inched ahead passing the furlong pole and stayed on well...

There are few, if any other, 12-week-old babies with races named after them but Victor Veitch will have his name in lights early in life as the namesake for the EBF fillies' maiden which opens the card at Newmarket on Friday evening. In fact, Newmarket's entire meeting is sponsored by Victor's grandparents, Derek and Gay Veitch of Ringfort Stud in Rhode, Co Offaly. The second and third races on the card will be run in the name of two Shadwell Group 1 winners, Minzaal (Ire) and Anmaat (Ire), both of...

James Ferguson trainee Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}--Rocana {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) registered a 3 1/2-length tally in his Feb. 20 debut over one mile at Newcastle and made a smooth transition into stakes company with a game victory in Wednesday's Listed bet365 Feilden S. at Newmarket. The 15-2 chance broke well from the far-side stall and tracked the leaders in fifth for most of this straight nine-furlong contest. Easing into third approaching the quarter-mile marker, he took some time to engage top gear and, once doing so, devoured...

Shadwell and Derrinstown Stud report that both Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the highest-rated turf racehorse in the world for a decade, and Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), the highest-rated sprinter in Europe in 2022, have over 30 mares scanning in-foal as the stallions commence covering their first books. Baaeed's in-foal mares include G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. winner Eshaada (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}); Seeking Solace (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), dam of 2019 champion 3-year-old sprinter in Europe and joint champion 3-year-old colt in England & Ireland...

Derek Veitch, famous for producing Group 1-winning sprinter Minzaal (Ire) and high-class runners Threat (Ire), Miss Amulet (Ire), Ubettabelieveit (Ire) and Indigo Lady (Ire), has outlined his intention to dramatically scale back his broodmare band to 15 or less at his Ringfort Stud base in County Offaly this year.  The move will come as a surprise to many, given the Rhode-based Veitch has just enjoyed his greatest year as a breeder after Minzaal scorched the Haydock turf when landing the G1 Sprint Cup, not least his wife Gay, who is...

There is a charming tradition for the large crowd at Baden-Baden races to applaud the runners as the field passes the post for the first time, never mind in the closing stages. For Sunday's racegoers, many of whom arrived with well-behaved dogs and sometimes less well-behaved children, the excitement level reached near-fever pitch as Frankie Dettori urged home German racing's current hero, Torquator Tasso (Ger). At the post the pair went down by just a head to the winner Mendocino (Ger), another son of Adlerflug (Ger) ridden by the man...

Amo Racing's €225,000 Goffs Orby yearling Persian Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}--Vida Amorosa {Ire}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}) ran second to 'TDN Rising Star' Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. last month and, in the absence of late scratching Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never), justified odds-on favouritism to claim a first stakes success in Thursday's G2 Close Brothers July S. at Newmarket. He had previously debuted with a win in a stellar renewal of Doncaster's Mar. 26 Brocklesby S. and doubled up in a...

Banstead Manor Stud's first-crop sire Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) notched his first winner when the Ralph Beckett-trained debutant Sunny Orange (Ire) raced to an ultimately snug victory in Saturday's Madri Excepcional Maiden S. over five furlongs at Leicester. Juddmonte's 70,000gns Tattersalls December Foals acquisition went postward as the well-backed 2-1 second choice for the straight dash and was well away from an outer gate to track the leaders in fifth through the initial fractions. Making smooth headway from halfway, he was ridden to launch his challenge approaching the final...

KILDARE, Ireland--The fourth and final day of the Goffs Foal Sale saw prices return to a more affordable level for the average working man or woman, and while there were no dizzying highs there was a decent level of trade for those present. With an extra day of foals compared to last year, Thursday was always going to test the resilience of the market and not surprisingly the clearance rate dropped a couple of points from the day before to 79% while the session topper, a Mehmas (Ire) colt, fetched...

In hindsight, a starting price of 22-1 on a Cheveley Park Stud-owned filly trained by the Gosdens and ridden by Frankie Dettori at Royal Ascot was bordering on the ludicrous and despite her form deficiencies Indie Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) stepped up to make a mockery of those odds in Wednesday's G2 Duke of Cambridge S. Since Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) exited the stall closest to the stand's side in the meeting's opening G1 Queen Anne S. the day before, all bar one of the races staged on...

Bouncing back from a fourth in last month's Listed Feilden S. at Newmarket on seasonal comeback, Ahmad Al Shaikh's Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) dented a number of Classic aspirations with a determined victory in Wednesday's G3 Chester Vase. He had bettered a debut fourth over seven furlongs at Haydock when annexing a hot Newmarket maiden tackling the same trip next time and hit the board contesting Goodwood's July 28 G2 Vintage S. in the last of three juvenile outings. The April-foaled bay was let go at 15-2 and settled...