Ronan Whelan

Maintaining the theme of first-season sires having their first black-type winner at Dundalk on Friday evening, Castle Hyde Stud's resident Arizona (Ire) (by No Nay Never) was off the mark in that sphere as his son Right And True (Ire) captured the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Star Appeal Stakes. Off the mark at the fifth attempt over a mile at Listowel last month, the 13-2 shot was in front initially before being steadied by Ronan Whelan to take a lead from fellow Ballydoyle runner Bernard Shaw (Into Mischief). Mastering...

As a daughter of the six-times top-level-winning dual champion grass mare Tepin (Bernstein), Ballydoyle's Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has a lot to live up to, but she went some way to doing that on Wednesday with a hard-fought success in Fairyhouse's G3 Darley Irish EBF Stanerra Stakes. Having only her fourth career start in the 14-furlong feature and her third in just over a month after breaking her maiden at The Curragh and finishing sixth in the Listed Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial last month, the 12-1 shot raced prominently...

Craig Bernick and John Camilleri's 3-year-old filly Sounds Of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Ring The Bell {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) did not have the benefit of an early-season outing heading into Friday's Listed Oaks Farm Stables Fillies' S. at York, but that was of little consequence as she found plentiful reserves at the business end of a thrilling renewal to emerge with a career high. The Jessica Harrington trainee shaped with promise when posting a debut fourth at Gowran Park in September and shed maiden status going one mile at Leopardstown...

Hot on the heels of Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) tearing up the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed S., Village Voice (GB) (Zarak {Fr}--Sensible Way, by Street Sense) brought up a black-type double for the Jessica Harrington stable in Navan's Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil S. Anchored in rear early by Ronan Whelan in the 10-furlong Oaks trial, the 7-1 shot who had been third in the G3 Eyrefield S. at Leopardstown in October was threaded through a gap on the rail to overhaul the 11-10 favourite Jackie...

The spotlight was cast on the burgeoning breeze-up operation of jockeys Gary Halpin and Sean Davis, best known for riding winners rather than producing them, when their graduate Song For Whoever (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) ran out an impressive winner of the opening six-furlong maiden at Dundalk on Friday evening.  Song For Whoever, who Halpin and Davis bought for €28,000 at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale last year before selling to Howson & Holdsworth Bloodstock for £42,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale, was getting off the mark at the third...

Fast-becoming renowned for his lethal finishing kick, Gary Devlin's A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) had just missed out in the G1 Flying Five but the line was there in time for him in Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November. Having only his second start at this five-furlong trip, the 3-year-old who was supplemented following his Curragh flourish on Irish Champions Weekend needed every centimetre of it to break...