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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Cathal Beale reflects on a momentous run of sales results for the Irish National Stud as well offering his thoughts on new addition to the stallion roster Arizona Blaze Credit where credit is due, the Irish National Stud knocked it out of the park at this year's breeding stock sales. The stud netted just shy of €2 million at the Goffs November Foal Sale. That haul placed the Irish National Stud second only to the Castlebridge Consignment by €46,500, despite selling 33 fewer foals than that outfit. What was most impressive about the performance the Irish National Stud put in at Goffs this year was that the majority of the foals sold by the stud were out of mares that CEO Cathal Beale and his team went out and sourced at sensible digits. The team's Night Of Thunder filly, who sold to Ed Sackville on behalf of TBT Racing For €500,000, is out of Oceanie (Dansili), a mare that was sourced for just €75,000 at Arqana in 2023. Then there was the €340,000 Wootton Bassett filly out of €80,000 mare Loyale (Turtle Bowl), also sourced at Arqana, as well as the €220,000 Palace Pier filly out of Big Break (Dansili), who looks exceedingly good value now at only 30,000gns. The Irish National Stud's performance at Goffs provided one of the fascinating subplots to what was a memorable sale and, despite labelling that achievement as one of his finest moments in the business at the time, Beale is keen to deflect any praise now that the dust has settled. “I've been selling foals in various different guises for the past 25 years so I know how hard it is,” he explained. “Many things can go wrong and I have walked out of the sales ring with my tail between my legs before. It wasn't lost on us how hard it is to enjoy a day like that. “I said it at the time, but I had never been at a sale like this year's Goffs November Foal Sale before. The footfall and the raw enthusiasm for foals was unbelievable. The Sunday and the Monday at Goffs is unique. The amount of enthusiastic young pinhookers who come through the gates is brilliant. Goffs and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing do a brilliant job getting so many people through the door and that's why we go to that sale. It's because we know we're going to have hundreds and hundreds of shows. Like, we had foals that had upwards of 250 shows, which is unheard of for any sale. So huge credit must go to Goffs.” Explaining the years of investment in the broodmare band that led to that “moment in time” performance at Goffs, Beale continued, “It started with John Osborne [former CEO], really,” he says. Off the back of Invincible Spirit, we had a little bit of money to invest in broodmares. If you can remember, it was a different world back in 2010 with the whole country coming out of the recession. It was very much touch and go with regards to what the stud could do. But, as Invincible Spirit started to get better and better, there was a little bit of money to invest in broodmares. John invested in a few broodmares that left a lot of money behind – Propaganda, Lethal Quality and more. We also had a couple of mares who were left over, the likes of Nebrass, whose daughter Aimhirgin Lass is still in the broodmare band. “So there have always been a couple of nice mares there but, definitely, we needed to be a bit more strategic and start investing properly in broodmares. I suppose, through investing in mare syndicates and the board allowing us some capital, we have been able to buy some nicer mares. It doesn't just happen overnight. It can take five, six or even seven years to find out if a mare is good, bad or indifferent. The foal sales at Goffs was just like a moment in time where three or four happened to bounce into the back of the net on the same day. At the same time, there has been a steady stream of investment over the past number of years that allowed us to get to a day like that.” With more money comes more choice, and there has definitely been a change in philosophy as to how the stud recruits its mares. That is not the only shift in modus operandi, though, with the support of the foal sales a relatively new phenomenon. Beale said, “Obviously, if you've got more money you can do more. You can't do it without money. But we definitely made a conscious decision to focus more on the foal sales because, when you see end-users turning up to Goffs, you just can't ignore how strong that market has become over the past few years. On top of that, it shortens our window in being able to turn a profit on the stock that we are raising. We had dipped our toe into the foal market in the past four or five years but, in the last couple of years in particular, we have sent out best foals to Goffs. If it doesn't happen on the day, you always have a second chance at the yearling sales.” Elaborating on the recruitment policy for mares, he added, “I suppose people are kind enough not to mention the mares who didn't work out but you're going in there and you're really trying to find value. I could have 100 mares I'd like to take home from a sale but it's just a matter of taking them home at a price that will give you a chance of having a commercial turnaround in the next three to four years. That's really all we try to do. It just so happened that, over the past couple of years, some of those mares have bounced but, over the past five or six years, there are some who haven't worked out the same way at all.” The big-ticket sales were not confined to the foal section at Goffs, either, as the Irish National Stud enjoyed a quicker-than-expected commercial lift with La Gloire (Churchill), who sold in foal to Sioux Nation to Michael O'Leary's Plantation Stud for €250,000. Out of Date With Destiny (George Washington), La Gloire's sky-rocketing value from a 40,000gns purchase at last year's December Mares Sale at Tattersalls is in no small part down to the emergence on the page of her half-brother Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), who finished third in the Dewhurst and holds genuine 2,000 Guineas claims next year. Arizona Blaze: new to the Irish National Stud for 2026 | Racingfotos.com Beale commented, “We put her in the sale as an insurance policy as much as anything. We had a pretty average yearling sale season this year so we knew the foals had to go well. And then, if the foals didn't go well, we had a few mares in the sale there just to try and make ends meet as an insurance policy. Thankfully, the foals did sell well but, when we were there, we said we'd put a sensible price on her and if she sells, she sells. I would have been more than delighted to bring her home but she made a fair price and I'm delighted she went to a big farm so she'll have a chance.” You will be hard pressed to find a man more allergic to self praise than Beale. Instead, he prefers to shine a light on the countless people behind the scenes – the likes of Gary Swift, Helen Boyce and Conor Hyland – who have played an important role in the changing fortunes for the stud. “I always say the place is a teaching hospital,” he says. “We're used to people coming through the place and hopefully they're adding a little bit of value by spending five or six months by doing the breeding course or by coming back and working with us after the course is finished. The vast majority of the people working at the stud, myself included, are graduates from the Irish National Stud course that went away and did something else before coming back. So, they understand it, they get it and they have an awful lot of pride in it. Above all else, they are very capable. I pride myself on the fact that, when a person comes down to view our stock, the horses are presented well number one but, also, the people are met with a warm welcome. From top to bottom and everyone in between, they are met with a smile. For the Irish National Stud, I think that is extremely important.” Warm welcomes at the ready then for breeders and general racing fans who will be hoping to catch a glimpse of the Irish National Stud's newest addition to the stallion roster, Arizona Blaze, whose opening fee has been set at €12,500. Campaigned by Amo Racing , Arizona Blaze proved himself one of the toughest horses in training over five and six furlongs, culminating with a brilliant top-level triumph in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh at the Irish Champions Festival. Beale is confident that he will complement Phoenix Of Spain, Lucky Vega, Nando Parrado and Shouldvebeenaring on the roster. The post Cathal Beale: ‘It Was A Moment In Time For Us At The Irish National Stud’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Zelzal has been deemed fully fit to cover mares in 2026 following an examination. The Haras de Bouquetot resident's 2025 season was disrupted due to health reasons. Amelie Lemercier, sales manager at Haras de Bouquetot, said, “Leader among sires of two-year-olds in France and responsible for 10 black-type performers in 2025, Zelzal confirms his position as one of the most dependable stallions in France thanks to the quality and consistency of his progeny, both on the track and in the sales ring. There are very few proven stallions, in France or in Europe, offered at such an accessible fee.” The son of Sea The Stars will stand for roster-topping €10,000 next year. The post Zelzal Fully Fit To Cover Mares In 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Bob Baffert, who has won 14 renditions of the Los Alamitos Futurity, has entered Litmus Test, Provenance, and Blacksmith this year.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Local Horses, led by Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising, look like solid bets in at least three of the four races comprising the Longines Hong Kong Internatiional Races Dec. 14 at Sha Tin Racecourse.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
HONG KONG, CHINA — There is likely never a bad time for a horse racing fan to visit Hong Kong, which conducts racing twice a week alternating between a pair of breathtakingly beautiful racetracks, but the action is extra special this week. It kicked off Wednesday night with the Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley–a racetrack which fairly glitters against a backdrop of skyscrapers–and will conclude Sunday with four Group 1 races comprising the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin. Even before the jockey championship–which pitted 12 world-class jockeys against each other in a four-race series–got started in Wednesday's fourth race, the track was buzzing with Jockey Club members dressed to the nines juxtaposed with a less formal 'Happy Wednesday' crowd in the trackside beer garden. In the end it was Ryan Moore dramatically coming back from injury to register his third victory in the championship and his first since 2010. Moore won the second of the four races on the front-running Corleone (Aus) (Dundeel {NZ}) and was part of a four-way tie heading into the final race of the championship where he got the appropriately named longshot Triumphant More (Aus) (Star Turn {Aus}) up in time to earn the title. Moore received a rousing welcome back to the winner's circle by the crowd–including one patron loudly (and repeatedly) professing his love for the veteran jockey from above. “Hong Kong, we've said it for many years, they have the most competitive racing,” Moore told the assembled press later in the night. “And when you have the most competitive racing and you have a strong product and good prize money, that's going to bring the best people here. I've always been very much aware of Hong Kong from a young age and I am very thankful that I got to come back.” Moore took the time to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans as he walked through the crowd following the night's final race. Ryan Moore following his IJC victory | Jessica Martini One well-known rider flying under the radar at Happy Valley was Florent Geroux, who traded racing silks for a suit and tie as a spectator Wednesday. Geroux started riding in Japan under a short-term license just last week and greeted a friend by the walking ring with “Konnichiway,” and a chuckle before switching to his native French. “Ca va?” With the IJC concluded, racing fans began looking ahead to Sunday's so-called 'turf world championships' at Sha Tin, Happy Valley's sprawling big brother. After a day of gray skies Wednesday, the sun was out in full force and temperatures were well up into the 70s for the post position draw in the track's paddock Thursday. Much of the attention Sunday will be on a pair of local superstars, with Hong Kong's reigning Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), the world's highest-rated sprinter, going postward in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, and Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) seeking a record fourth straight win in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup following a strong victory in his return to action after a lengthy layoff in the Nov. 23 in the G2 Jockey Club Cup. Ka Ying Rising became the first overseas horse to win Australia's G1 The Everest Stakes–the world's richest turf race–in October and returned to Hong Kong to win the G2 Jockey Club Sprint just three weeks ago. The 5-year-old is only looking better as he aims for a 16th straight win–and second straight Hong Kong Sprint–Sunday, according to jockey Zac Purton. “He's come back even better,” Purton said. “He looks stronger, he's put on more muscle. Everything we've seen from him, we've been happy with. I'm really looking forward to this weekend.” Ka Ying Rising will break from post one in the 13-horse field Sunday. “The horse jumps fast and he puts him in a spot, and then hopefully he gets a trouble-free run,” trainer David Hayes said after the draw. “You can get blocked in from barrier one. I don't think he will. If he jumps fast, he can have a nice easy run to the home turn.” James McDonald, who will officially be recognized as the Longines World's Best Jockey during Friday's gala dinner at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, will be aboard Romantic Warrior, who breaks from post two Sunday. “It's pretty remarkable to think about what he's trying to achieve,” McDonald said of the 7-year-old's quest for a four-peat. “He has been such a good horse for such a long time. It's a competitive race and he'll have to bring his A-game, but he always brings his best.” McDonald continued, “He's a funny horse. I've had nothing like it in my life in terms of that I never feel like he's ever going to lose, no matter what. He's just a superb racehorse; he always gives his best, which is most important, he's got a great racing style. It's just a privilege to ride him.” Ten-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior, a courageous second to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G1 Saudi Cup in Riyadh in February, was a nose short of Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) when second again in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in April before being sidelined by injury. He was flawless when returning to action three weeks ago. “I was so sad when he had the surgery,” said trainer Danny Shum. “It was one screw, it wasn't too bad for him, but for me, it was very bad. I'm very proud of him. In Hong Kong, not just racing people, everyone knows him.” While the international contingent rolling through preparations for Sunday's championship races over Sha Tin's turf and all-weather surfaces Thursday didn't include any American challengers this year, the country was represented by several notable faces trackside, including Breeders' Cup's Drew Fleming and Keeneland's Chip McGaughey. Little Red Feather Racing's Gary Fenton was in attendance, as was bloodstock agent Ramiro Restrepo, making a Hong Kong stop on an extended work tour of the Far East and Oceania. Bill Nader, who served the Hong Kong Jockey Club for eight years before leaving in 2022 to become president and chief executive officer of Thoroughbred Owners of California, was back on his old stomping grounds and reconnecting with former co-workers. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has made an obvious priority of enhancing the fan experience at its racetrack, particularly looking to appeal to a younger clientele. 'Happy Wednesday' at Happy Valley has become entrenched in the local social scene with fans often staying well after racing concludes. Following Thursday's draw, officials were pleased to show off their latest attraction at Sha Tin. A transformed betting hall opened in September, offering patrons a whimsical, interactive experience–think Roald Dahl goes racing. The four-story enclosure offers fans the chance to interact with AI simulations of Hong Kong legends like Golden Sixty, and pet an eerily lifelike horse who responds to their movements, even an escape room with clues to the name of the Hong Kong star who will provide release. The enclosure also includes several food options, from local favorites to popcorn and chocolate. No expense is too much for the fan, one official summarized the club's philosophy. And it shows. With high-class racing and attention to every detail, horse racing in Hong Kong is one pilgrimage every racing fan should make. Jessica Martini photo The post Hong Kong Racing: A Trip Worth Making appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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