Wednesday, February 4, 2004
IRISH THOROUGHBRED NEWS
IRISH-BREDS HAILED AT ECLIPSE AWARDS
Irish-bred champions High Chaparral and Islington have won prizes at America's prestigious Eclipse Awards.
Aidan O'Brien's Breeder' Cup Turf winner High Chaparral was named male turf champion for a second time and the Ballymacoll Stud-bred Islington, winner of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf was named champion female turf horse.
By Sadler's Wells, the two horses were the only European-based runners to win awards at the gala event.
EPSOM DERBY WINNER TO STAND IN IRELAND
High-Rise, the 1998 Epsom Derby winner is to stand at Paddy Byrne's Park House Stud in County Carlow.
The Epsom hero is returning from Japan and will stand along side Needle Gun and Sonus at the Tullow stud.
Byrne said, "High-Rise was a superior racehorse and he is an impressive individual. I have heard good reports about his stock in Japan and I have no doubt that he will appeal to breeders here. Being of Northern Dancer blood, he should be an ideal cross for mares from that line, Sadler's Wells in particular."
The sire's first Japan-bred foals are two-year-olds this year.
UPMANSHIP SCORES ANOTHER GRADED SUCCESS
The evergreen Native Upmanship scored his eleventh victory at graded level when winning the Grade 2 EUR50,000 MacLochlainn Road Markings Limited Kinloch Brae Chase for the third time at Thurles on Sunday.
The 11-year-old son of Be My Native was eased on the run-in by Conor O'Dwyer to win by a length from leading Aintree Grand National contender Davids Lad and will now go for the Newlands Chase at Naas in three weeks time.
Arthur Moore, the winning trainer, said, "We feel the horse is as good as ever. The plan is to run him next at Naas followed by the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and the Aintree for the Grade 1 Melling Chase."
KAHUNA MAKES ALL FOR GRADE 2 WIN
The Eamonn Sheehy-trained Kahuna made every yard of the running to win the EUR55,000 Grade 2 Byrne Group Plc Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.
Unlucky to be brought down at Fairyhouse last time out, Kahuna was winning for the fourth time. Although entered for both novice hurdles at Cheltenham, the winner is only "50-50" to make the cross-channel trip in March according to connections.
GRADE 3 WIN FOR NATIVE SCOUT
Native Scout, who really has been up against it in his last two races, was the deserved winner of the EUR40,000 Grade 3 Byrne Group Plc Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.
Second to the outstanding Moscow Flyer at Leopardstown at Christmas and then fourth behind Isio and Azertyuiop in the Victor Chandler Handicap Chase at Ascot, Native Scout got back on the winning trail in convincing style with an eight-length success over Rathgar Beau in the two-mile event.
Both trainer Donie Hassett and owner Noel Glynn indicated that the winner could run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but only if the ground was soft at Cheltenham.
THURLES GRADE 3 ROMP FOR STASHEDAWAY
Trainer Michael O'Brien and his new stable jockey Davy Russell added to their initial success together at Leopardstown last week when winning the EUR52,000 Durkan New Homes Anaglog's Daughter EBF Mares Novice Chase at Thurles on Sunday.
Owned and bred by Tim Conroy, Stashedaway drew clear from the third last fence to win by 11 lengths from Rose Perk to score her second success over fences and her fifth in all.
The winner could take her chance in the Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase at Leopardstown next Sunday and will probably be kept to novice races.
AIG RUNNER-UP A LIKELY RUNNER AT NEWBURY
Trainer Francis Flood has hinted that his AIG Europe Champion Hurdle runner-up Georges Girl is likely to run in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury in the middle of next month.
The six-year-old, who ran the race of her life when beaten a head by Foreman in the two-mile Leopardstown event, has been raised 13lb by senior Irish National Hunt Handicapper Noel O'Brien.
Flood said, "She seems to have taken the race well and she was probably a bit unlucky. We don't really have that many options other than to go to Newbury."
STABLE STAFF HONOURED AT AWARDS DINNER
The Irish Stable Staff Association and Horse Racing Ireland combined to host the inaugural Irish Stable Staff Association awards dinner at the Stand House on the Curragh on Saturday night.
Over 650 people were present to see a total of 15 awards presented by John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism.
The stable staff to win awards were Eamonn Leigh, Mick Kelly, Cathy O'Leary, Mandy Gilson, Ben Delmer, Pat Keating and Joe Malone. The latter was presented with the Special Achievement Award.
The best team (jumps) award went to the Dessie Hughes yard while the Michael Halford yard won the best team (Flat) award.
Galway and the Curragh were decorated as the best jumps and flat racetracks in the country while the most improved racetracks were Sligo (jumps) and Listowel (flat).
A Hall Of Fame award was presented to Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh T.D. while the stable staff welfare award went to Michael Clower of the Racing Post and the Sunday Times.
RED RIOJA WINS GRADE 2 AT GOLDEN GATE FIELDSM
A former winner of the Group 3 C.L. Weld Park Stakes in Ireland, the Ben Cecil trained Red Rioja won the Grade 2 Brown Bess Handicap for fillies and mares at Golden Gates on Saturday. Bred and owned by Dr Karen Sanderson, this was the fourth win from 15 career starts for the daughter of Ballylinch Stud's King's Theatre.
STATES SUCCESS FOR NEWFOUNDLAND
The former Aidan O'Brien trained Newfoundland took the Canadian Turf Handandicap at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Newfoundland is a half brother to the 2004 Epsom Derby entry The Mighty Tiger and was recording his sixth career success having previously won his first start at Fairyhouse in May 2002 for trainer Aidan O'Brien.
UPCOMING IRISH SALES
Tattersalls (Ireland) February National Hunt Sale begins tomorrow at 10am and runs for two days. There are 552 lots in the catalogue with horses in and out of training, untried and unbroken stock and yearlings selling on the first day and yearlings and broodmares selling on Thursday. For further information please contact Tattersalls (Ireland) on +353 1 8864 300. Goffs February Sale (9-12th Feb) boasts a record number of entries. The horses have been catalogued by age, starting at 12 noon on Monday 9th with older horses (two year olds, store horses and horses in training) and is followed on Tuesday and Wednesday with flat and NH yearlings. The second half of Wednesday's sale sees the start of the Breeding Stock which concludes on Thursday. For further information please contact Goffs on +353 45 886600.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
Archive
|
