14 minute read
COLREEVY This special mare retires unbeaten over fences
Colreevy and Paul Townend (near) lands over the last from Elimay (Mark Walsh) to win for owner Mrs Niall Flynn and trainer Willie Mullins
SPECIAL MARE COLREEVY RETIRED UNBEATEN OVER FENCES
COLREEVY SUCCESSFULLY ENDED HER RACING CAREER AT PUNCHESTOWN WITH A FIFTH WIN FROM FIVE OVER FENCES. OWNER AND BREEDER NIALL FLYNN DISCUSSES HIS OWN INTRODUCTION TO RACING WITH BREANDÁN Ó hUALLACHÁIN AND LOOKS BACK OVER THE CAREER OF THE STAR MARE HE UNFORTUNATELY NEVER GOT TO SEE IN THE FLESH WINNING OVER FENCES.
Owner-breeder Niall Flynn enjoyed a purple patch with his mare Colreevy last season, with the mare successfully ending her career in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival.
Dungarvan, Co Waterford-based Niall traces his racing links back to 1973 when his parents purchased a mare from trainer John Kiely’s father, Matt.
“My parents were into racing. ey bought a mare from Matt Kiely and it went on from there. ey had a winner in Cheltenham in 1977 when Meladon won the Triumph Hurdle (with Tommy Carberry in the saddle) and it went from there.”
While his four brothers followed their parents into the hospitality industry, Niall went farming when he le school in 1979 and the following year bought some broodmares.
“It started o when my parents bought that mare. She had three or four llies and we started breeding from them – that was the Shúil family. Since then there were always broodmares here. Liss A Paoraigh would be the best of them,” he con dently says.
Mares Flat Race at Punchestown.
Following a third place finish to Gypsy Island in the Listed Irish EBF Total Enjoyment Mares INH Flat Race at Fairyhouse, it was decided to run her against the geldings in the Grade 1 Racing Post App Champion INH Flat Race for The Conyngham Cup at Punchestown, where the five-year-old duly beat her rivals.
“It was really by default,” concedes Niall, “as I didn’t want to run her against the mares, so she had to run then in the Champion Bumper and she won that. She beat Abacadabras who was no slouch. We knew then at that stage that we had a very good mare.”
The 2019-20 season saw the mare take to obstacles, and broke her maiden at the second attempt, at Limerick over the Christmas period. With a runner-up finish to Minella Melody in the Grade 3 Eco Friendly Cups Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle, the Grade 2 Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival soon beckoned with Colreevy taking fifth there, her final race of that season.
November 2020 saw a winning chase debut for Colreevy in the Ballymore Group Rated Novice Hurdle at Punchestown, before claiming a Grade 1 victory over fences a month later in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick. With a win in the Grade 2 Coolmore N.H. Sires Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase at Thurles to follow, she returned to Prestbury Park and took the scalp of her stable companion Elimay in the Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.
“She came into her own over fences,” her proud owner says, “it was just
Liss A Paoraigh is the dam of six-time winner Gusty Rocky and three-time winner Goodbye Someday, while the Liss name was also carried by Liss Na Tintrí, Liss Cróga and Liss Na Síóg.
Niall, who describes himself as “a dairy farmer with a few broodmares”, has had “quite a bit of success with them, no doubt.”
Another family that Niall Flynn and his wife Claire have successfully bred from is the line that produced his most recent star, Colreevy, a mare whose name has a fascinating story. 5 winners on the card for trainer Willie Mullins
“My mother’s ancestors were Colreevys from after Colreevy had won at Punchestown. Leitrim. We were at a removal in Leitrim a few years ago and I saw a headstone Colreevy and I unreal the progression she made. To win asked ‘where did that come from?’ The family’s that race (at Cheltenham) as a novice was surname was Colreevy but had to change it to unreal and then she went to Punchestown.” Grey at the time of the Famine as it was too Explaining the background to what would Irish a name. The British were in charge and you ultimately be her final race, Niall Flynn, states: wouldn’t get land or food with an Irish name “There was no other race for her at like that – that’s where the name came from.” Punchestown and I thought she would finish
Colreevy, by Flemensfirth out of the Saddlers’ third (behind Monkfish and Envoi Allen). Hall mare, Poetics Girl, was very difficult to I suppose in hindsight she was overlooked a handle when young, as Niall explains: little going into the Punchestown race. She
“When she was young, when she was a SHE CAME INTO HER had run there three times before and won all yearling she was very difficult to handle so we OWN OVER FENCES,” HER three, and she was definitely a better mare decided to break her early. Stephen Keane, who PROUD OWNER SAYS, going right-handed. broke her, liked her. He always thought she was “IT WAS JUST UNREAL THE “She was covered by Walk In The Park 10 special. We ran her in a point-to-point to settle PROGRESSION SHE MADE. days before Punchestown and then she came her – she was a lunatic, a real head-banger. She along and won there. Five days later she scanned belonged to me and my brother John. She was in foal. I would say, if she hadn’t been in foal, we with Pat Doyle and ran in a point-to-point (at probably would have stayed racing her. She was Lemonfield) and fell at the last fence. We had in foal so that made up our minds.” numerous enquiries for her and Willie Mullins Reflecting now on Colreevy’s career, her was one of them – he was anxious to buy her. appreciative owner-breeder Niall Flynn says: I was anxious to sell her but my brother John “She was an amazing mare, an amazing wasn’t. I came to a financial agreement with mare. She won three bumpers, five chases and John and then we decided to keep her. As Willie one hurdle. She really kept us going. She ran Mullins had wanted to buy her, we said we’d five times over fences and won the five times. give her to him to train. We never had one It was huge for us.” with Willie Mullins before but thought if Willie wanted her that much, we’d give her to him.”
Colreevy won a bumper at Fairyhouse, under Patrick Mullins, in December 2017, and won at least once every subsequent year during her racing career.
With a third-placing in the Grade 2 Coolmore N.H. Sires Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race in February 2018, followed by a seventh place finish behind Relegate in the Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, the Flynn-bred mare was certainly going in the right direction. She ended that season by claiming the Grade 3 Weatherbys General Stud Book Irish EBF
Colreevy and Paul Townend Colreevy & Danny Mullins jump the last to win the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Champion Steeplechase at Punchestown.
ZHANG TEAM GOES FROM STRENGTH to STRENGTH
DONN MCCLEAN FINDS OUT WHY 2021 WAS A BIG YEAR FOR OWNER YUESHENG ZHANG, AND THERE COULD BE MORE BIG DAYS AHEAD
Yulong Baoju was the first. Bought for €40,000 at the Goffs Open Yearling Sale in October 2011 and sent to Eddie Lynam. A grey daughter of Acclamation out of the Wild Again mare Masaader, Yulong Baoju won on her racecourse debut. She got home by a head and a neck in a juveniles’ maiden at Dundalk in August 2012 from a colt of Aidan O’Brien’s and a gelding of David Wachman’s. Hit the front at the two-furlong marker and held on gamely in a three-way go to the line.
The form book says that that was the start of Yuesheng Zhang’s association with Irish racing, but actually, the roots go a little deeper.
“I first met Mr Zhang on a trade mission to China organised by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing,” says Michael Donohoe of BBA Ireland, also now racing and breeding manager in the northern hemisphere for Yuesheng Zhang. “I could tell from the beginning that he was passionate about horses, and he had a vision. I met him again when he came over to Ireland later that year. The first horses that I bought for him were actually eventers, at the Go For Gold sale at Goresbridge with my brother (Martin). One of those horses went on to represent China at the Asian Games. Then we went to the Open Yearling sale at Goffs, we bought five yearlings and it just went from there.”
Yulong Baoju won a five-furlong handicap at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend the following year as a three-year-old, she finished third in the Rockingham Handicap three weeks later and she won at Dundalk again in September that year. She won at Naas too as a four-year-old in July 2014. She was beaten at Dundalk the following month, but that race was won by Maremmadiavola, another filly of Yuesheng Zhang’s, also trained by Eddie Lynam. Earlier that month, Yulong Xiongba, trained by Johnny Murtagh, had won a nursery at the Galway Festival. Momentum was gathering and people were starting to take notice of the green silks with the green and white checked sleeves.
“Mr Zhang is from Inner Mongolia,” says Donohoe. “They race Mongolian ponies, and he grew up riding horses. There is a strong tradition in horses in Inner Mongolia, it’s an important part of their culture. So it’s not surprising that he’s such a judge of a horse. It’s great that he has taken such an interest in Ireland, and he gets lots of assistance here from lots of good people, including Kelsey Wang, who is a key part of the operation.”
Other winners followed, Yulong Baozuo for Johnny Murtagh at Dundalk, Yulong Xiongyin for Michael Halford also at Dundalk, Callender also for Halford at Navan. Then Yulong Baobei
SHANE WAS GREAT ON PLATINUM WARRIOR. HE STOLE THE RACE. HE GOT FIRST RUN ON THEM AND HE HAD ENOUGH IN RESERVE TO GET HOME.
came along and, after easily landing her maiden on her racecourse debut at Dundalk, landed the Listed Excelebration Stakes at Tipperary in July 2016.
As well as becoming more deeply involved with Irish racing, all the while Yuesheng Zhang was building up his bloodstock interests in Australia. A colt who had stallion prospects on both sides of the equator was always going to be an attractive proposition for the owner.
Yulong Gold Fairy won two races as a juvenile for Dermot Weld, including the valuable Foran Equine Irish EBF Final, and went on to win the Listed Corrib Fillies Stakes at Galway and the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Concorde Stakes the following season, before winning the latter race again as a four-year-old for Jim Bolger. Yulong Gold Fairy had been bought for just €8,000 at the Goffs Sportsmans Sale as a yearling.
Platinum Warrior cost considerably more at the Orby Sale two days earlier but, turns out, it was still money very well spent. Sent into training with Michael Halford, the son of Galileo won his maiden at Dundalk on his third attempt in November 2017, and he won the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes at The Curragh the following May. After that, the Irish Derby was the obvious plan.
“He banged his head in the stalls in the Irish Derby,” says Michael, “which was a shame, because we thought that he would run a big race. After that, we sent him to America, to be trained by John Sadler. Michael did a great job with him, but we just thought that the American style of racing would suit him better.” After a couple of runs in America, Platinum Warrior was targeted at the Grade 2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita in February 2019, and Shane Foley was sent out to ride him. “Mr Zhang is a huge fan of Shane’s. He loves his riding style, he loves the way that he never
Lucky Vega and Shane Foley gives up. And Shane was great on Platinum win for owner Warrior at Santa Anita. He stole the race. He got
Yuesheng Zhang and trainer Jessica first run on them and he had enough in reserve Harrington. to get home by three parts of a length.” Whitefountainfairy was the first horse that Yuesheng Zhang had with Jessica Harrington. Bought for €3,000 at the Goffs Sportsman Sale in 2016, she won a maiden at Fairyhouse on her second run, in June 2017, and was sold at the Goffs London Sale to King Power Racing for €300,000 before Royal Ascot that year. Others followed in Whitefountainfairy’s hoofprints to Commonstown: Yulong Knight, Dandys Ocean, Indigo Balance, Elite Legion, Yulong Voice, Tauran Shaman, Leo De Fury. Then, in 2020, the owner decided that he would have all his horses in Ireland trained by Jessica Harrington.
Three days before Leo De Fury finished fourth in the Group 2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp on Arc de Triomphe weekend, the BBA Ireland and Yulong Investments signed for a Lope De Vega colt at the Goffs Orby Sale. That colt would be called Lucky Vega, and he would be a game-changer.
“We loved everything about Lucky Vega from the start,” says Michael Donohoe. “His pedigree, his conformation, his attitude. Mr Zhang usually comes to the sales, he loves to look at the horses. He was very keen on this colt. Also, Lucky Vega’s sire Lope De Vega was doing really well in Australia from a relatively small number of runners.”
Sent into training with Jessica Harrington, Lucky Vega won his maiden at Naas on his racecourse debut in June 2020, on the first day back after the Covid-19 lockdown. He finished second in the Group 1 Railway Stakes at The Curragh on his next run in July, before going back to The Curragh the following month and winning the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes. That was a big day.
“That was obviously massive,” says Donohoe. “A first Group 1 win for Mr Zhang, with a colt who had the potential to be a top-class stallion. That was a great day. The only pity was that, because of all the restrictions, Mr Zhang couldn’t be at the races to see it live.” Lucky Vega didn’t win as a three-yearold, but he only raced three times: third in the }2000 Guineas, fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas, second in the St James’s Palace Stakes. After that, he went to Australia to take up stallion duties at Yulong Investments’ Nagambie Farm in Victoria. “People were disappointed that he didn’t race on for the rest of the European season, but they understood. The timing was right for Australia. Mr Zhang has over 300 mares in Australia, and it made sense to send Lucky Vega down there after Royal Ascot. He has done very well there, covering 120 mares.”
Lucky Vega came back to Ireland on 16 December and he is set to stand at the Irish National Stud for the coming season. Mr Zhang with Michael Donohoe, BBA Ireland “That was an easy decision for Mr Zhang to make. He is a big fan of the Irish National Stud, and of the concept of a national stud in general. Government in China is important to him.” They were busy too at the sales in 2021, building for the future. “We have a nice group of two-year-olds to look forward to now. We bought some nice yearlings at the sales, so it will be exciting to see how they go. And I’m looking forward to seeing Magical Lagoon as a three-year-old, she won the Group 3 Flame Of Tara Stakes at The Curragh in August, and she could develop into an Oaks filly.” More big days ahead.
Kelsey Wang, Yuesheng Zhang and Eimear Mulhern, Chairperson Goffs at the AIRO Awards 2017
251566_2L_Navan_AIRO 2022_ND_V1.indd 1 24/01/2022 10:49
