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HURRICANE FLY FEATURE CONOR SMITH INTERVIEW DOWN ROYAL DERBY REVIEW TWITTER TROLLING AIDAN O BRIEN FEATURE BRIAN HUGHES FEATURE GAELIC BLOODSTOCK
PLUS MUCH MORE
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CONTENTS 4.BRIAN HUGHES INTERVIEW
18. BORN WINNERS
6.BIG ORANGE FEATURE
19..PRO SYNDICATES
7.ONTOAWINNER SYNDICATE
20.TOALS BOOKMAKERS
8.CONOR SMITH INTERVIEW
21.ADVERTISING
9.COLIN MC BRATNEY
22.SOCIAL MEDIA TROLLS
10.HURRICANE FLY FEATURE
23.JP FESTIVAL
11.LATEST NEWS & VIEWS
24..GAELIC BLOODSTOCK
12.BETTING SYSTEMS
25.TOALS BOOKMAKERS
13.TOALS BOOKMAKERS
26.EUROPES BEST 3YR OLDS
14.DAY AT DOWN ROYAL
27.TIPPING EMPIRE
15. O’BRIENS CLEAN SWEEP
28.BRUCE BETTING
16.CARAVAGGIO
29. ADVERTISING
17.BRUCE BETTING
30.TOALS BOOKMAKERS
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INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN HUGHES NORTHERN IRISH JOCKEY BASED IN THE UK credit to the ones who helped him find his feet including trainers Alan Swinbank, John Wade, and Diane Sayer, and in his first season in the UK, he got the recognition for his determination and became the champion conditional jockey and this got him taken more serious by other trainers who were keen to book him for their horses because of his talent in the saddle and this really propelled his career. Hughes appreciates the importance of his booking agent Richard Hales in his recent success “Richard decides what I ride, recommends me where to go and gets it right more than he gets it wrong. Nine times out of ten it’s his decision and I go along with it, we talk twice a day about different rides and he invariably has the last word. Without him I wouldn’t be in the happy position I am today”. One notable success that Hughes won’t forget anytime soon is his extraordinary five winners at Musselburgh racecourse last year on Monday 14th November, he claimed victories in the first four races on the well-backed quartet Mitcd, Thank you Very Much, Mondlicht and Blue Kascade then landed the final event with Smart Ruler and for good measure Hughes was also runner-up in two of the other races on the card , but the modest jockey tells us “A lot of lads in the weighing room would win on these horses I won on, so I am fortunate for have ridden them and I am very thankful for the opportunity, he also joked I'm a bit embarrassed Born in the quiet village of Newtownhamiltion in the heart about all the attention if I’m honest”. of South Armagh, Hughes started off his jockey career Another massive milestone in this talented hardworking with an apprenticeship as a 16-year-old with legendry Curragh based flat trainer Kevin Prendergast but the flat jockey’s career is the winner at the high profile Aintree festival this year on ‘Double W’s’ in the lucrative Grade 3 racing scene was never the direction he saw himself going as there are low weight restriction and that meant contest over the extended 2mile trip in which Hughes he was wasting and became very weak and that was not was seen at his strongest and many pundits an option as he needed to be at his strongest to be seen commended him the difference in winning and losing the race on this occasion, it was extra special as the trainer in the best light in this competitive sport. He started Malcom Jefferson is one of Brian’s biggest supporters riding out for Markethill trainer James Lambe, and his and he states to us ‘”To get a winner for any trainer is first memory of getting hooked on jumps racing was at great but to get a big one for a trainer who has really Down Royal when he went to ride track work the given me so many opportunities is extra special and a morning after the James Nicholson Chase day and he nice way of repaying him for his faith”. states to us “I presumed we’d be going around on the Flat but when we went got out onto the track we suddenly seemed to be showing the horses a fence” and he has never looked back since that day. We recently caught up with South Armagh native Brian Hughes who is a jockey in form, in fact, he is in the form of his life and enjoying his best season to date. With major success this season including a five timer earlier on in the year and over 145 winners and counting, he is still getting to grips with his new-found fame and states to us “I prefer to be on the outside looking in and not the centre of attention. I just want to get on riding the horses as best I can and maintain a low profile. I’m not one for all singing and all dancing; I like to keep my head down and kick on”.
Hughes took a bold move and relocated from South Armagh to the north of England nearly two decades ago and really had to put the head down though it wasn’t always plain sailing, when he first moved over he struggled with getting rides and even considered returning home. He settled for getting a trade as his father was a joiner he thought that would be the ideal starting point, although the advice of his father was to stick with being a jockey and do the miles to gain the respect and rides from trainers over there and thankfully his father’s knowledgeable words worked out to be the best piece of advice he had ever received. He also pays
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INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN HUGHES NORTHERN IRISH JOCKEY BASED IN THE UK The most significant victory of his career was in the early days when he won the Cleeve Hurdle on Tidal Bay when he was only just out of his claim which meant a lot at that stage of the development of his career, Hughes adds to the conversation “A couple of winners over the Grand National fences about 8 years ago also gave me a great feeling Including Always Waining in the Topham and Frankie Figg in the Sefton”. This past few seasons Hughes has been going from strength to strength and there has been so much talk about the possibility of becoming English champion jockey now the likes of the great AP McCoy has retired and we feel it a viable option, he replied “Of course people talking in terms of me becoming Champion jockey does boost your confidence but It’s a case of the more winners you have the more people want you, and that’s a great situation to be in and one that I will keep trying to do”. On a concluding note, we put the question to this busy jockey who travels hundreds of miles up and down the motorways and backroads of England on a weekly basis in search the next winner how does he wind down and relax and he replied with a grin ‘I don’t seem to have too much spare time but when I do I enjoy going out to dinner with friends, and spending time with my wife Lucy but generally I am kept fairly busy”. The jumps racing game is unpredictable it has its ups and downs though no matter what Brian has the full support of his family and friends in the Newtownhamition area and beyond.
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BIG ORANGE TAKES THE GOLD CUP CROWN BY OUR EDITOR DARREN CONNOLLY
BIG ORANGE NOT IN THE MOOD TO BE DENIED ORDER OF ST GEORGE was stalled in his effort to The winning trainer Michael Bel then stated, “It is an retain the Gold Cup title as Big Orange defeated unknown quantity as to whether he will get the extra distance, but he does have every chance of getting him at the line in on Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot the trip. “Given he got two miles as a Four-year-old, No horse since Yeats, who gained triumph four times running from 2006 to 2009, has won back-to- he is two years older now and with that in mind, I'm pretty hopeful that he will stay." back Gold Cup titles but the bookies were selfassured the five-year-old would change that trend. He went off as an even-money favourite with Big Orange at 5/1 a clear second in the betting. The Michael Bell horse went straight to the front in the early stages and never surrendered the lead, fending off a huge late surge in the final furlong from the gallant Order Of St George , who lost nothing in defeat. Frankie Dettori had been booked to ride Big Orange as he had to victory at Sandown last time out but the Italian was forced to withdraw with an unfortunate arm injury. Jockey onboard James Doyle stated, "Frankie was just telling me about the horse and he was spot on., “He also told me not to restrict him because he knows when he's going quick enough."
JAMES DOYLE AFTER WINNING THE BIG RACE
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We had a fantastic month in June, notching up 4 winners throughout the month and hitting the crossbar a good few times also. The Karl Burke trained Made Of Honour, a beautiful chestnut filly by Casamento won a nice maiden early in month at Ayr on only her 3rd racecourse start. Raydiance, a Mason colt also trained by Karl won a nice novice race at Haydock under PJ Mc Donald. He was a winner at the second time of asking and bagged a Plus 10 for his owners in the process. He is a nice type that will continue to improve. Congratulations to his owners and all the team at Spigot Lodge. Dandy Highwayman notched up his third career victory at Hamilton during the month. He has very impressive form figures, he is genuine and will win again this season. Finally, Parnassian won a fantastic race at Royal Windsor under Ben Curtis. It was a peach of a ride from the former champion apprentice to land the spoils and earn some fantastic prize money for his owners, a well-deserved victory for all involved. We had some bad news at the start of Royal Ascot week when our star filly – Quiet Reflection got a slight injury that ruled her out of the meeting. It is always a disappointment when these things happen but the welfare of the horse is our main priority. G Force did line up in the Wokingham with the very talented Irish claimer Danny Sheehy taking the mount. Unfortunately, the ground had gone against him as he wanted some juice in the ground but to have a runner on the Saturday at
Royal ascot made it a very special and memorable occasion. We have been busy again at the sales and purchased 2 cracking horses at Goresbridge breeze up sales that are both trained by Ben Haslam. You can view them at
www.ontoawinner.net.
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INTERVIEW WITH CONOR SMITH BY OUR EDITOR DARREN CONNOLLY “Do not give up the beginning is always the hardest” is the motto of strong-minded jockey Conor Smith who was in involved in a horrendous car crash in the UK but thankfully he only suffered a fracture to his lower back however it could have been far worse though now that has he had three months out to recuperate Smith states to us “I am fitter and stronger than I have ever been and I am very appreciative of everyone who has supported me through this tough time but I am ready to start repaying their faith and get back in the winners enclosures. Modest 'Smith' who grew up on his father's farm in the rural village of Ballykinlar just on the outside of Downpatrick, his father always had a few horses about the yard and his siblings John and Darren had an keen interest in point to point racing, so the headway into the direction of the sport was always going to be high on the agenda Smith adds "my brother John owned a decent mare called ‘Mrs Matt’ that gave my family some really good days out and give me the further interest to start riding horses” Smith was Sixteen when he first sat on a horse and from them onwards he has never looked backed he then adds in to the discussion "Once I got on a horse there was never going to be any other job that I would be the slightest bit interested in". The first proper working experience in the horse industry was in ‘Scarvagh stud’ where he had a job there breaking and riding young horses which he really strived at the task and enjoyed every minute of it which definitely gave him a great start in the early part of his career. After about a year and a half in the Scarvagh stud he gained enough experience and took the incentive to get a job in a racing yard with handler George Stewart where he started his point to point career Smith adds "I had about 20 rides point to Points to Points in Ireland then I got a job in Richard Barbers and worked there for a year and had five winners on a decent horse Barneys Mate and won the novice riders championship’. After a profitable spell in England Smith came to the conclusion there was a lot more opportunities to be gained over there rather than in Ireland due to more frequency of jumps racing as generally the Irish racing calendar is on Thursday till Sunday and the jumps racing ends in April but in England it’s on a more daily basis and doesn’t stop in the summer, so he decided to move there permanently was best option for his career and was very fortunate to get full time job as conditional jockey to high class handler Philip Hobbs in the picturesque village of Somerset in 2012 and still to this day remains a key team player in the winning team at the Sandhill stables where UK Champion jockey Richard Johnston is the stable number one jockey. We asked this determined jockey the all-important question is there opportunities out there for young
CONOR SMITH HAS BIG AMBITIONS jockeys up and coming and he responded, “it’s difficult enough with most stables having two or three jockeys of their own, there's getting fewer outside rides but just if you keep the head down and keep working hard and trying you will be rewarded”. When asked about his general day to day work Smith replied, “Its hectic, I would generally be riding out 4 or 5 lots at Philip Hobbs yard in the morning then evening stables, if I'm not there I am off racing somewhere chasing my next winner”. “I really enjoy being kept busy and the fact my back is strengthening up all the time is a massive plus and I don't receive any hassle with it now things are definitely on the up. “I am hungrier now for winners than I have ever been before”. Jockeys are all highly competitive and self-driven athletes and we asked Smith what his aims where for the upcoming jump season and he stated to us “I will be aiming to stay fit and injury free and keep among the winners this term and ride out my claim . Only a concluding note we put this question to Smith , did he have any hobbies outside the demanding world of Horse racing and he responded “I really enjoy most sports including football, pool, and the occasional game of golf and also a bit of farming when I am back home in Ireland
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INTERVIEW WITH COLIN MC BRATNEY BY OUR EDITOR DARREN CONNOLLY “You’re only as good as your last winner” is the
philosophy of successful horse racing trainer Colin McBratney who trains from Templeburn stud stables close the townland of Crossgar that is not too far away from Downpatrick.
Mc Bratney came from a staunch farming background with his Father always having a horse or two around the yard from as far back as he can care to recall, though mostly show jumpers or hunters. McBratney adds “Myself and my brother David would have done a lot of hunting, sometimes up to four days a week and then we sold them on but then when we got points to point horses it was all changed we were hooked on racing”. McBratney had his debut ride in a point to point race at 16 years old which was coincidentally a winning one and from that day on he had a plenty of successes in point to points and the racecourses up and down the country though modest McBratney adds in “I won a few races but nothing outstanding, I always had trouble with my weight and when I broke my arm at a May meeting at Downpatrick I had the summer off and got heavy. It was then I decided to train horses instead of being a jockey and fortunately, I already had a few owners in place which gave me a great start in being a handler”. Currently McBratney’s ever-growing yard has facilities to stable thirty horses which he insists “is a nice number to look after “though his amenities are always on the upgrade to challenge and better the rest with his Impressive four furlong circular all weather gallop along with a three furlongs woodchip gallop on a steep incline in conjunction with various grass gallops, schooling fences and hurdles, a lunge pen and a horse walker which all of these helping to get the best potential out of all his horses in training which the results speak for themselves. Currently there seems to be a fewer young people getting involved in horse racing but McBratney insists “Yes’s getting harder to get staff though luckily for me I have great staff at the minute who all get on well which is a great help for the whole operation”People have the premonition that race horse trainer turns up to the races with the horses and there work is done but that is definitely not the case as McBratney’s day normally starts at 6am which is feeding time then he has to check the horses legs and look for any other abnormalities or injuries which may have happened during the night by that time his staff started McBratney then adds “Then normally get my daily morning call from fellow trainer and friend Liam Lennon when we catch up on the racing gossip” then the first lot of horses are ready to go out at roughly 8am then after three lots head to the gallops which after that we have a short well-earned tea break and its back out to finish the remainder of the lots which takes to about one o’clock or thereabouts. after the lunchtime feed while my staff groom and rug the horses and make sure they are all ok after their exercise then his staff usually finish around 3pm provided they are not
COLIN MCBRATNEY PICTURED WITH NOEL
away schooling or heading to the races after all of that is done McBratney then prepares the gallop so it’s ready for action the next morning and catch up on any paperwork which then takes me up to feeding time again around 5.15pm which takes roughly an hour then that’s him finished for the night though that’s only when things go to plan. We asked this self-driven trainer does the local people get behind his stable and runners and he replied “There's always plenty of support from local people from ways such as reading the local papers t’s amazing you think nobody notices then a neighbour would stop you out of the blue and say your horses are running well, it keeps me on my toes and it is great to see”. Horse racing is often addressed as the Sport of king’s due to the large money involved but we asked this relatively small trainer on the scale of things is it hard to become competitive or is there still opportunity out there and he responded, “It's competitive in every sport as everyone wants to win whether it be the trainer, jockey, owner and stable staff., that's why you need to be on the ball and make sure the horses are healthy and everything is in tip top shape”. A piece of advice that fellow trainer Michael Cunningham once told McBratney “never to be afraid of one horse as if where you would never run anything”. “Which makes perfect sense They won't win standing in their stable that's for sure. “It’s hard to come across a top-class horse but you can be lucky like we were with Ballyholland and Marito whom we brought back from injury adds McBratney
MC BRATNEY AFTER WINNING THE GALWAY PLATE
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HURRICANE FLY TRIBUTE COME FLY WITH ME - BY STUART WILLIAMS Dual Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdler. 5 time Irish Champion Hurdler. Unbeaten in 10 starts at Leopardstown. A record breaking 22 Grade 1 victories. 24 victories from 32 career starts over timber. There really is only one, Hurricane Fly. As the numbers became greater, so did the reputation of Willie Mullins crack 2 miler. It's safe to say many pints of Guinness have been both raised and dispatched in honour of the terrier like son of Montjeu, who's reign of supremacy certainly didn't come without drama. The former French flat performer took to hurdling the proverbial duck to water, only tasting defeat once in 6 outings in his debut season. That defeat came on his return to France when contesting the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil and finishing second. One place and 2 lengths ahead of stablemate and subsequent 6 time Cheltenham Festival winning wonder mare Quevega.
THE HORSE OF A LIFETIME
It's fair to say the Fly gave his legion of devout followers a fair few heart thumping moments as Ruby shook the It's fair to say the form worked out pretty well. Niggly reigns at his trusty companion going down the back. But injuries and small setbacks plagued the lightning quick the sight of the the 2011 hero coming back on the bridle leaper in his early days, preventing the Jewell in Closutton's crown from displaying his limitless raw ability before turning for home truly was poetry in motion. on the biggest stage of all - the Cheltenham Festival. Sprinting clear of the reigning champ Rock On Ruby up Many even crabbed the future Champion for beating the the hill, Hurricane Fly once again took his seat at the same horses time after time in Ireland, but as the old head of the hurdling division. Long live the King! Whist adage goes - you can on beat what is put in front of you. that proved to be Hurricane Fly's second and final Champion Hurdle success, the champ would go on to 2011 saw the coronation of a new National Hunt King. Willie Mullins delivered his superstar to Prestbury Park in register 7 more victories and place fourth and third A1 condition and Hurricane Fly did the rest. A ding dong respectively in the next to editions of Cheltenham's battle up the hill with the brave Peddlers Cross was met Championship 2 mile hurdle. And whilst it's great to see older horses still enjoying themselves on the racetrack, it by an Irish roar of the like normally reserved for a St. was a relief to many to see the Fly retired to the Irish Patricks Day winner. Now the British knew what those National Stud after finishing sixth in the French from the Emerald Isle had learnt long before. A Champion Hurdle of 2015. A well earned retirement for a Champion had been born. However as previously record breaking King of the racecourse. Hurricane Fly intimated, the path to supremacy didn't always run simply had it all. The ability to glide over hurdles, the smooth for the pride of Ireland, and once again small setbacks curtailed any plans the master of Closutton had speed to put his opponents in trouble, the grit and determination to put his head down and fight and the for his Champion Hurdler in the opening encounters of the 2011/12 season. And despite a breath-taking victory aura of a Champion every time he set foot on a racetrack. Opponents such as Solwhit, Peddlers Cross, in the Irish Champion Hurdle on his belated Thousand Stars, Rock On Ruby, Jezki, Our Conor and reappearance in January, the King lost his crown in the many more besides fell at the sword of Willie Mullins' Cotswolds come march. pride and joy during a career that spanned 9 magical Many were quick to write off the floundering Fly, and a seasons. And it's safe to say the name Hurricane Fly will below par performance at the Punchestown Festival, go down in history not only for his Grade 1 record, but albeit it in victory, did little to dispel to doubters who also his sheer brilliance. feared the Fly had flown his best races and had finally hit the ceiling of what until then had appeared to be a limitless clear blue sky. Convinced the apple of his eye had simply not been right in the 2011/12 campaign, Willie Mullins made sure Hurricane Fly was ready to return to action early in the Autumn, with the former Champ landing the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown following the late departure of the talented and sadly much missed Go Native. A second Irish Champion Hurdle success arrived in January, but the big test was to come at Prestbury Park in March, the Champion wanted his crown back.
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LATEST NEWS AND VIEWS By Breandan O hUallachain (@bohual) Joe Osborne replaces John Ferguson at Godolphin An explosive interview to the Racing Post given by Sheikh Mohammed’s main UK-based trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, led to the quick resignation of Godolphin’s Chief Executive, the former National Hunt trainer, John Ferguson. It was suggested that the relationship between Ferguson and bin Suroor had been strained for some time. Ferguson’s silence and dignity over the whole affair has to be admired. Irishman Joe Osborne, the head of Godolphin’s operation in Ireland at Kildangan Stud, Co. Kildare, was appointed head of the worldwide operation in an interim capacity at first, but it was confirmed during the Royal Ascot meeting that Osborne’s appointment had been made permanent. It was slightly ironic that following Ferguson’s departure the Godolphin team tasted much success at Royal Ascot, and in a number of cases at the expense of Ballydoyle, something that must have given Sheikh Mohammed much satisfaction. It was Interesting that the UAE Vice President sided with his main horse trainer in the disagreement with Ferguson as Saeed bin Suroor wasn’t exactly coming from a position of strength himself having had his last Group 1 winner in Britain with Farhh in 2013
JOE OSBORNE THE NEW RECRUIT
Churchill out of sorts in the St. James’s Palace Stakes Churchill, the 2017 winner of the Guineas double at Newmarket and The Curragh arrived at Royal Ascot bidding to maintain his lofty position as the top three year-old colt of the season. His poor effort in the St. James’s Palace Stakes, however, when he could only finish a distant fourth to Barney Roy, a horse the Aidan O’Brien’s charge had previously defeated at Newmarket, damaged Churchill’s potential stud value. The fact that Lancaster Bomber, the Ballydoyle stable mate he had beaten every time they had met, finished ahead of Churchill, added salt to the wounds. CHURCHILL WILL BOUNCE BACK
The Galileo colt was off his food the night of his defeat according to his trainer, something that was described as being unusual for him. In order to rescue his reputation Churchill now needs to win the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood – his current intended next target – in impressive style.
. Maybe now Highland Reel will get the credit he deserves What does Highland Reel have to do to get the credit he deserves for his exploits on the track? The five-year-old son of Galileo has won Group 1 races all over the world but for some reason doesn’t seem to be held in high esteem by racing fans. Consider the amount of air miles he has clocked up with trips to Australia, America, Dubai, England, France, and Hong Kong for major races. How many horses have all of the following major wins on their C.V.: Breeders’ Cup Turf, Coronation Cup, Hong Kong Vase, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Secretariat Stakes and Prince of Wales’s Stakes? Highland Reel is a six-time winner at the highest level following his victory at Royal Ascot last week, a win which gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his 300th Group/Grade 1 success. Not alone has the horse won all the aforementioned major prizes but Highland Reel has also been placed in the Cox Plate, International Stakes, Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Highland Reel’s international achievements have been noted. In 2015, he was rated the 11th best three-year-old colt and the 27th best racehorse in the world. Last year, he was given a rating of 123 which made him the 12th best racehorse worldwide. As a five-year-old this may be Highland Reel’s last season on the racetrack. People should give him the credit and respect he has earned for his achievements and admire a true brave warrior ,while we still can.
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ALL SYSTEMS GO MONTHLY BETTING SYSTEMS WITH ROGER HAWKES LET’S KEEP IT REALLY SIMPLE THIS MONTH AND GO
“BACK TO BASICS”
All weather penalty carriers Horses that carry penalties have traditionally been used in systems as they are horses that have a decent chance of winning again before their handicap mark is reassessed. Of course, they have to carry a weight penalty but a good proportion of horses are capable of defying the penalty. This system is based on all weather penalty carriers: 1. All weather racing 2. Horses aged 3-5 3. Handicap races only 5 furlongs to 1 mile 2 furlongs in distance. This system sounds too simple to be true – but it has reaped dividends season in season out. Winners within 5 days (Flat) or 7 – 12 days (National Hunt) Horses, particularly sprinters are always worth following when reappearing quickly i.e. within 5 days. personally limit the distance to a maximum of 1 mile and 2 furlongs. Under National Hunt rules I AVOID horses running again within 6 days as the exertions and longer distances take more of a toll on the horse. I therefore recommend that you concentrate on winning horses appearing between 7 and 12 days. Outsider in 3,4 and 5 Runner Horse Races Maybe the key to this system is that fewer runners in a race can often result in a false pace to the race. Such a basic simple system but it keeps on supplying winners!! On the flat I like races of any distance. Over the jumps I prefer Chases to Hurdles as there seems to be less upsets over the smaller obstacles.
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DOWN ROYAL ULSTER DERBY JAMIE LINDSEY’S DAY AT THE RACES
I have been to Down Royal many times over the
past number of years, although this was my first at the Ulster Derby. I arrived at the course at about half past one. After entering the gates and getting my race card I had a look around the horseboxes which are parked to the right of the parade ring. As a big Ballydoyle / Coolmore fan it was fantastic to see the big horsebox which brought Finn McCool up to Northern Ireland for the big race. I was grinning like a Cheshire cat! I made my way back to the stands for the races, where luckily enough I picked the first two winners of the day, Wolfofbaggotstreet for Johnny Murtagh and Miss Power who is trained by sprint king Eddie Lynam. The Ulster Derby was race number four of the day and a field full of nicely bred horses had been assembled. The eventual winner Clongowes by New Approach looked in peak condition in the parade ring and won the best turned out. His jockey
Ronan Whelan had Clongowes on the front end throughout the race with Finn McCool challenging him on the rail. Coming down the hill with two and a half furlongs to go, Clongowes wrestled control of the race with Finn McCool and Tillys Chilli in hot pursuit. The superbly judged ride from young Ronan Whelan had paid divenends as Clongowes stayed on well and held off the late challenge of the unlucky Winginit who stayed on well for second. Jessica Harrington’s progressive Tillys Chilli was home in third, just ahead of Ger Lyons’ two runners. It was Jim Bolger’s third win in four years in the Ulster Derby and Godolphin’s first. The atmosphere was fantastic all day and everyone was really enjoying themselves. I would highly recommend Down Royal as a great racecourse to visit for a day out. I look forward to attending the Ulster Derby again next year!
ULSTER DERBY WINNER GLONGOWES
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CLEAN SWOOP FOR AIDAN & CO By Breandan O hUallachain (@bohual)
Clean sweep of Royal Ascot titles for Coolmore, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore
Ballydoyle overcame a disastrous opening day to the five-day Royal Ascot meeting for the combination of trainer Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore and owners Coolmore to win their respective titles. The ever-reliable Highland Reel set things in motion in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday, with Sioux Nation in the Norfolk Stakes their only success on Thursday when Order Of St George suffered a narrow defeat in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Gold Cup. On Friday the brilliant pair of the six-time winner Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup and the dual 1,000 Guineas victor Winter in the Coronation Stakes justified their prohibitive odds. Coolmore went into Saturday’s final day trailing their fierce rivals Godolphin by two winners. The Co. Tipperary-based outfit achieved two wins on the day with September in the Chesham Stakes, a race won by Churchill in 2016, and Idaho, Highland Reel’s fullbrother, in the Hardwicke. As Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation drew a blank on Saturday, Coolmore went to the top of the owners list with better placed performances.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien, winning the Qipco-sponsored trainers’ award for the eighth time at Royal Ascot, and for the third year in succession, said: “I am delighted for everybody really. A lot of people put in a lot of hard work day in day out so I am delighted for everyone really. We always hope and we try and have the horses ready and that is all you can ever do really. You don’t ever expect anything. They are all very important. I suppose Caravaggio would be the one as he had only had the one easy run. He has always excited everyone. It was a tough race and the second and third were two good horses.” Echoing O’Brien’s comments, Derrick Smith, one of the Coolmore owners along with Michael Tabor and Sue Magnier, also mentioned the victory of Caravaggio in summing up the success of Coolmore’s week: “We always say if we come to Ascot and have three winners we are happy. Above three is a big bonus so when we get four, five and six winners we are very happy. I suppose Caravaggio would be the best of them because of the potential he has got. After that it would be Highland Reel as he is a great favourite of mine. Whenever you have a winner at Ascot it is special, though.”
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CARAVAGGIO MAY GO TO THE EVEREST Though what exactly is The Everest? Breandan O hUallachain (@bohual) In his post-race interview following the impressive victory of Caravaggio in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on Friday, trainer Aidan O’Brien suggested The Everest in Australia as a possible end of season target for the three-year-old son of Scat Daddy. But what exactly is The Everest? The Everest is Australia’s first AUD $10 million horse race which is scheduled for Randwick racecourse in Sydney in October. With its incredible value the race will be worth nearly two Melbourne Cups in terms of stakes, making it the richest race on turf in the world. The only races that boast more prize money are the US $12 million Pegasus World Cup, run over (1,800m) in Florida, and the US $10 million Dubai World Cup (2,000m), but both of those northern hemisphere races are run on dirt tracks.
12-horse field with a three-year commitment for AUD $600,000 a year. It is similar to the Pegasus World Cup concept in America, and places can also be traded. While the initial concept is for 12 runners, racing authorities in New South Wales are prepared to extend the field if the interest is there, with the additional entry fees to be added to the purse. The organisers of the race will actively court the trainers and owners of the world’s best sprinters, particularly from Japan, Hong Kong and Europe, to bring their horses down under to compete in The Everest. The possible appearance of Caravaggio, owned by the Coolmore partners, and now regarded as Europe’s best sprinter would greatly enhance the international profile of the fledgling race.
The distribution of prize money for the Everest is as The Everest will target the best sprinters in the world and follows: be run over 6 furlongs (1,200m) at weight-for-age on 1st AUD $5.8 million; 2nd AUD $1.425 million; 3rd AUD October 14. The name was chosen as the race will be $800,000; 4th AUD $400,000; 5th AUD $250,000; 6th to the peak of racing. 12th AUD $175,000. Owners will have an opportunity to buy a spot in the
CARAVAGGIO “COULD BE HEADED DOWN UNDER”
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WINTER AND CARAVAGGIO BY MARK KEATING TWO DIFFERENT HORSES BUT BORN WINNERS
WINTER LOOKS SPECIAL On the Friday of Royal Ascot, Coolmore and Ballydoyle took home the days two feature races in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup and Group 1 Coronation Stakes. Caravaggio and Winter were both superb in their victories and also intriguingly opened the door to an interesting cross in the breeding sheds. The loss of Scat Daddy as a stallion was all too evident at the Royal meeting, as four of his progeny were successful while also advertising his influence on speed and strength. Along with Caravaggio, Lady Aurelia, Sioux Nation and Con Te Partiro made it into the winners enclosure but all wasn't negative on Scat Daddy's loss.The Commonwealth Cup win showed that Caravaggio to be the heir apparent and a cross that Coolmore were badly missing. It is well known that the great Galileo works brilliantly with mares from Danehill. Danehill was a sprinter whose finest hour came in the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock, winning by 2 lengths in 1989. He passed his speed onto his offspring and that speed combined with Galileo's Derby class has proved to be a massively successful nick. Danehill's speedy daughter, Kind, was best over five furlongs winning on a couple of occasions at Listed class. She was crossed with Galileo in the shed
and the result was a bay colt by the name of Frankel. Inverting that brilliant pedigree mix could see Caravaggio as the next big name on Coolmore's stallion roster as he could cross with the quality Galileo mares. Winter, by Galileo, could be one of those mares and could further enhance the stallion line of that speedy influence. This is because Winter's dam is by another sprinter in Choisir, the Australian speed king, so the result would have the speed of Caravaggio, Danehill and Choisir in it, while also combining Caravaggio's muscle with Winter's scope. Caravaggio is unbeaten in six starts and Winter's classic career has seen her do the English/Irish Guineas double before winning the Coronation stakes adding to their talents in terms of quality on the racecourse. It may seem that this potential pedigree is an over indulgence of speed influence but Coolmore may need to back up in this department and though there remains the sad loss of Scat Daddy, his son Caravaggio looks tailor made to fill his shoes and the legacy of Scat Daddy is far from over.
CARAVAGGIO HAS SPEED TO BURN
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ARMCHAIR JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS SOCIAL MEDIA BEING USED FOR THE WRONG REASONS Dreadful, bad-mannered, brutal and twisted at times, these words could be used to describe the offensive tweets that get directed at jockeys and trainers over social media platforms especially twitter on a day-to-day basis. Twitter have publicized they would push a national policy which would increase regulation of social media use among licensed individuals. The policy would monitor and punish social media trolls but the terrible insults keep on pending, too much of a regular occurrence for my liking But as I scrolled through Twitter last week the inappropriate use of social media was happening still in full strength with the nastiest case I seen was focussed at trainer Adrian Keatley , the message to him furiously stated “Your some piece of excrement ,you f*cking big head cunt” and that was only the start of this angry punters rant after Keatley’s contenders did not run up to this punter’s standards at Ayr Racecourse and I am confident in saying the trainer was as irritated about the horses performance as it’s not a cheap occurrence shipping the horses over without getting abuse after a hard day’s graft.
If a jockey is decent enough to make few enough mistakes, they can contentedly ride into their late 40s.But getting through their mid-20s is their principal struggle. As they come through the system as youngsters, they are gifted with weight allowances that make them attractive hires for owners. These same youngsters are also the most at threat on social media. They make easy targets due to their lower reputations and they are more active on social media than the veterans who were riding horses before the social media boom.
“Twitter, has made communicating jockeys
and trainers easier than ever. In the space of 140 characters, an individual can vent their frustrations”. Twitter, has made communicating jockeys and trainers easier than ever. In the space of 140 characters, an individual can vent their frustrations by directing offensive comments toward them and how their horses have been running or how they ruined the bet they were waiting on by a bad ride. It’s a high-pressure environment where jockeys put their lives at risk every time those gates open. Confidence is paramount and without it, jockeys frequently fall into form slumps, lose rides and lose support. When a jockey produces a bad ride, they know it. They don’t need to be abused by punters via social media. As with most professional sports, errors are most commonly made by younger athletes and the same happens in horse racing. It’s why there is such longevity in the senior riding ranks.
Punters seem most frustrated when a short-priced favourite gets beaten but seem to ignore the fact that jockeys have absolutely no control over their mount’s odds.
Market prices are dictated by the punters, so when an odds-on favourite gets beaten, the punters did it to themselves. Rarely do we see venting when a long shot bolts. In racing, jockeys are required to make split-second decisions. When they lack confidence, they make mistakes. Everyone does. Rather than voicing rage towards jockeys, punters should be looking at themselves. In this escapade, you should never be betting with anything you’re not prepared to lose, and if a punter’s reaction is so heated that it warrants abusing a jockey or trainer they should not be betting full stop.
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HOW WE STARTED We have been buying horses on behalf of friends, owners and trainers for a number of years. Whilst we are very much a global operation primarily our roots are in Scotland and Ireland so Gaelic Bloodstock felt like a natural evolution. We decided to launch it officially at the end of last year.
WHAT WE DO An all-encompassing service but I suppose what we are primarily associated with is purchasing horses in training both private and public and identifying talent before the market does We also manage clients Racing Portfolios and advise on race planning.
HOW WE CAN HELP BUYERS The best way to help buyers is to understand exactly what they want so we can find the right horse for them. For some a winner at Galway is the aim, for others it could be Royal Ascot or could it be a winner at their local track you tell us and we will do our very best to find the right horse. Patience and good communication are key.
phil@gaelicbloodstock.com Phone - 0044 7962027505
�You tell us and we will do our very best to find the right horse�
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WHO ARE EUROPE’S BEST 3 YEAR OLDS? ARTICLE BY JAMIE LINDSEY Over the past two months many Colts and Caravaggio: Perhaps the most touted three year old coming into the spring was Ballydoyle’s Caravaggio. Fillies have thrown their hat into the ring He had danced every dance at two, and all reports surfor Europe’s best three year old. Let’s dive rounding him were positive heading into his reappearin and take a look at who has impressed me ance. And he certainly lived up to the hype, winning a G3 with a stunning turn of foot. Connections had decided to the most so far… stay on the sprinting route and it paid further dividends at Royal Ascot, where he took the Commonwealth Cup under a brilliant Ryan Moore ride. The scary thing for his rivals is that I think there is so much more to come from Caravaggio.
Barney Roy: Richard Hannon’s colt has been
the unexpected star of the 2017 flat season so far. With an impressive win at Newbury in the Greenham Stakes, that put him spot on for the 2000 Guineas. Travelling well into the race Barney Roy didn’t seem to handle the dip very well, perhaps due to his inexperience, but did pick up well to finish a close second to Churchill. At Royal Ascot he gained revenge on Churchill to win the St James’ Palace stakes. A third rematch between him and Churchill at Goodwood could decide the Champion three year old mile crown.
Brametot: France’s leading three year has cer-
Churchill: Last year’s Champion two year old was all the rage for the 2000 Guineas throughout the winter. When the big day at Newmarket came he lived up to his reputation. His victory was all the more impressive given that it was his first race of the campaign. He followed that by completing the Guineas double in soft ground at the Curragh. Connections however were left bemused by his poor run behind Barney Roy at Royal Ascot, whether it was the heat or that Curragh race took a lot out of him I don’t know. I expect this one to bounce back at Goodwood though. A fresh Churchill will declare war on the Sussex downs.
tainly impressed me. Jean Claude Rouget’s charge likes to come from off the pace so he’s never going to win by ten lengths. He has defeated the smart Le Brivido twice this season in both the French 2000 Guineas & Derby. Coming into the flat season winter had just The runner up gave the form a great boost when winning a maiden win to her name. In the space of seven weeks at Ascot. Rouget could aim his star at big races like the Eclipse, Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion she has two classics and a Royal Ascot win on her CV. The grey daughter of Galileo beat her more fancied StaStakes. He’s for sure got a lot of potential to improve ble mate Rhododendron to take the 1000 Guineas in cosy fashion. Three weeks later she was even more impressive in the Irish version, blasting away from her rivals to win by nearly five lengths. A further win over the same horses followed at Royal Ascot. We will find out how good she is when she takes on the older fillies, and the boys.
Winter:
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