Willie Mullins

Princess Vega (Ire) (Beat Hollow {GB}), a winning daughter of six-time Cheltenham festival scorer Quevega (Fr) (Robin Des Champs {Fr}), proved to be worth the wait at the Goffs February Sale when selling as one of the last lots through the ring [431G] on Thursday evening for €150,000 to agent Gerry Hogan on behalf of Swanbridge Bloodstock .  It was Liz Lucas's Swanbridge Bloodstock who signed for the Order Of St George (Ire) filly out of Princess Vega at the November National Hunt Sale at Goffs for €48,000 last year....

Capital Stud boss Ger O'Neill has revealed that Authorized (Ire) will stand for a similar fee to dominant National Hunt stallion Walk In The Park (Ire) and outlined his hopes that the new recruit to the County Kilkenny operation will help raise the relatively new outfit's profile amongst Irish breeders.  O'Neill's perseverance paid off in securing the 20-year-old Derby winner and sire of Tiger Roll (Ire), one of the most famous jumps horses of the modern era, from the Jockey Club of Turkey for what he described as "a frightening"...

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...

There are few more recognisable figures on the breeding circuit than David Stack. The ever-enthusiastic stallion master at Coolagown Stud has a five-strong roster to look forward to in 2024 and confidence has never been higher in the County Cork camp.  That is in no small part due to the emergence of Storm Heart (Fr), who made a blisteringly-hot start to his hurdling career for Willie Mullins, and more importantly, is by Coolagown's emerging force that is Storm The Stars. Stack revealed that over 100 mares have been booked into...

After 130 lots went through the virtual ring, including stallion nominations, mornings on the gallops, paintings, and memberships to various syndicates, over £70,000 was raised in the Racing For A Reason Online Charity Auction, announced ThoroughBid on Monday. The sales topper was the donation from Capital Stud consisting of a nomination to NH sire Triple Threat (Fr), which sold to Richie Cleary for £3,750, but nominations to Dawn Approach (Ire) (£3,000); Ocovango (GB) (£2,750); Shaman (Ire) (£2,500); and Inns Of Court (Ire) (£2,250) saw lively bidding as well. A two-year...

The much-loved Robert Hall, who fronted Ireland's terrestrial television coverage of racing on RTE for 37 years before retiring in 2020, says he is optimistic of "a forward showing" but more importantly "something to build on" with his first horse, Frogman (Ire) (Ol' Man River {Ire}), who makes his eagerly-anticipated debut in the closing bumper at Naas on Sunday.  Frogman may be Hall's first runner but eagle-eyed observers may recognise the black and red silks that the four-year-old will carry as they are the exact colours of the old Stablemate...

Irish Racing Yearbook 2024, an annual chronicle of horse racing in Ireland, the achievements of Irish people on foreign soil while covering the entire spectrum of the sport of racing and thoroughbred industry in the form of interviews, profiles, analysis and more, is now available for purchase. The collection is a collaboration of the best writers and photographers with the leading protagonists in all spheres from breeding to sales, from point-to-point tracks to the racecourse. The cover story is written by Donn McClean, providing insight from three-time Gold Cup winner...

Arqana's Autumn Sale, which began on Saturday with a session of Flat yearlings, resumed with a lively session of horses in training, headed by Make Me King (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at €380,000, one of two six-figure purchases on the day by Wathnan Racing. Sold as lot 420 by the Channel Consignment, the three-year-old has been in training with Andre Fabre and has won in both his seasons to date, as well as finishing runner-up in last year's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon. Out of the Listed-winning juvenile Miss Infinity (Ire)...

Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton will ride Willie Mullins trainee Absurde (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November. "The Melbourne Cup is the race that Zac wants the most," Purton's manager Paul 'Popup' Webster told Racenet. "Earlier this year we discussed targeting Willie Mullins. "Whatever he brings over, lets do everything we can to get on it and it's come to fruition. We've picked up the ride on Absurde." A winner of the Ebor H. in August, Absurde and his Mullins stablemate Vauban (Fr)...

The Barney Curley Charity Cup, featuring teams led by Frankie Dettori and Willie Mullins, will be held at Bellewstown on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The racecourse has already raised over €200,000 for Curley's charity Direct Aid for Africa (DAFA), and the second edition of the contest will raise money for the charity. Each team consists of seven jockeys, who will go head-to-head over two races, sponsored by Gannon City Recovery & Recycling Services Limited and The Gallagher Group. Points will be awarded to the first six placed horses on a scale...

The weights for the 133 horses still in the running for the Nov. 7 G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup were released on Tuesday and early 4-1 favourite Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) was assigned 55kg, 3.5kg below highweight and 2022 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}). The Willie Mullins-trained 5-year-old former hurdler, who won the G3 Ballyroan S. at Naas last month after taking the Listed Copper Horse H. at Royal Ascot in his first flat attempt in June, sits sixteenth on the weights list. Vauban's stablemate and Ballyroan runner-up...

Doctor Dino (Fr)'s Hubrisko (Fr) (lot 23) took top honours at the ThoroughBid September Sale on Wednesday. He was knocked down for £50,000 to Normans, Ramsay, Tufnell & Bishop and was consigned by trainer Willie Mullins.   The 6-year-old won a beginner's chase three weeks ago and is rated 137 over fences. The mixed sale featured 25 lots, with 12 sold (48%) for a gross of £99,500. CEO of ThoroughBid, James Richardson, said, "It's been a real pleasure to have handled the sale of another smart horse at a great price...