Wayne Lordan

One of the most respected racing and bloodstock journalists in Britain and Ireland for over 20 years, Ryan McElligott bid adieu to the press room at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale as he embarked on his new role as Chief Executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association. Admitting there was some emotion surrounding the move, McElligott looks back on over 20 years reporting on the sport he loves and looks ahead to the challenges he faces in his new position as the IRTA chief.  The 41-year-old wears many hats....

Leading owner J.P. McManus and the recently retired jockey Kevin Manning were among those honoured Monday at the annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards. McManus, who is a 19-time champion National Hunt owner in Ireland, received the Contribution to the Industry Award. He has been associated with many of the top jumps horses for over 40 years with more 4,000 winners, including Mister Donavan (Choral Society {GB}), Jack Of Trumps (Kings Theatre {Ire}) and Deep Gale (Deep Run {GB}). He is a six-time Champion Hurdle-winning owner, two-time Grand National winner with...

Coolmore and Westerberg's 2-year-old colt Alexandroupolis (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Jazz Cat {Ire}, by Tamayuz {GB}), who is a 240,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 graduate loaded with Group 1 entries, was let go at odds of 17-2 for Tuesday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over an extended mile at Galway and displayed a rare turn of foot in the closing stages to outclass overmatched opposition for a 'TDN Rising Star'. The eventual winner settled in a midfield seventh through the early fractions of this debut. Taking closer order rounding the home turn,...

Eight fillies will head postward for Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks following Thursday morning's confirmation of final declarations for the €500,000 Classic. The Co. Kildare venue will be denied the opportunity of a rematch between Epsom's G1 Oaks first and second, Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), with the former being the highest-profile absentee from the select field. Aidan O'Brien will instead rely on Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}, who is set to be partnered by Ryan Moore, Wayne Lordan's mount History (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}...

Stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time, Ballydoyle's Galleria Borghese (Ire) (Caravaggio--On Ice {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) showed the extra stamina requirement held no fears when making all to capture Wednesday's Listed Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial at Naas. Sent straight to the front by Wayne Lordan, the 12-1 shot who had been second at Limerick five days earlier showed resilience to hold Alizarine (GB) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) by half a length, with the strong-finishing Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) a nose...

Coolmore and Westerberg's hitherto unbeaten 2-year-old filly Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never--Pembina {Ire}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) impressed with a 3 1/4-length debut tally tackling five furlongs at the Curragh last month and was equally adept over the six-furlong strip at Naas to secure Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. en route to next month's G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot. Positioned in a close second after the initial strides, the 2-1 joint-favourite loomed large passing the quarter-mile marker and came under a late drive to assert superiority...

After Aidan O'Brien had taken Chester by storm to an even greater extent than usual, the Rosegreen purple patch continued apace at Cork on Friday evening when the closing race saw a TDN Rising Star performance by the newcomer Martinstown (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Named after J P McManus's famous Co. Limerick establishment, the May-foaled bay carries the colours of his daughter Sue Ann Foley who owns him in partnership with Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor and with his title there was an air of expectation surrounding his debut under Wayne...

Coolmore and Westerberg's newcomer River Thames (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) sported Michael Tabor's second colours for Tuesday's BetVictor Supporting Irish Racing Maiden at Punchestown, but was very much first choice coming home and shaped with abundant promise by earning TDN Rising Stardom with a neck defeat of stablemate Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). He was isolated in a mid-division berth as the field stretched out over many lengths through halfway. Making impressive headway under pressure off the home turn, the 5-1 chance quickened smartly to take second entering the final furlong and...

As a daughter of Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab), it was surely only a matter of time before Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made her presence felt in Irish racing's theatre royal and the moment came on Friday as she swooped in the G3 Kilcarn Stud Flame of Tara Irish EBF S. at The Curragh. A maiden after three starts entering this test, with her latest effort resulting in a fourth placing when ridden forward in a Cork maiden over this mile trip Aug. 8, Ballydoyle's full-sister to the Arc and Breeders'...

Aidan O'Brien had a duo engaged in Saturday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile at The Curragh and enjoyed a one-two as the middle-distance types begin to emerge from the stable's crop of juveniles. While the market favoured Wordsworth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full-brother to the G1 St Leger and G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Kew Gardens (Ire) ultimately had to give best to the stable's second-string High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who swooped late to score with authority at 7-1. Held up in rear early by...

With racemares like Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), there is a sense of point-and-shoot and Wayne Lordan had little trouble in steering her to a sixth top-level success in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh. Sent to the front almost from the outset, the 2-9 favourite merely had to repeat her effort when winning the course-and-distance G1 Pretty Polly S. June 28 and she gave generously to issue another beating to over-matched rivals. Kicking off the home turn, she stayed on strongly as expected as stablemate Sir Dragonet (Ire)...

Aidan O'Brien will be looking to bring down more barricades on Saturday as he chases the record of Sir Michael Stoute in The Curragh's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. With five wins in the mile-and-a-half Classic, he sits one shy of the tally wracked up over the decades by the Newmarket-based legend and it will be no surprise were he to join him in 2020. Four fillies contest the latest renewal from Rosegreen, with Evie Stockwell's G1 Epsom Oaks and G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) the current standard-bearer...