Dermot Weld

Vinnie Roe, who won the G1 Irish St Leger from 2001-2004, has died. The pensioned son of Definite Article was 27. Bred by Virginia Moeran, the bay was out of Kayu (Tap On Wood) and sold for 48,000gns as a foal. In 1999, he made IR£50,000 to subsequent trainer Dermot Weld at Goffs. Vinnie Roe carried the silks of Irish film director Jim Sheridan and Antonio Balzarini, and was partnered by the legendary late Irish jockey Pat Smullen in all bar one of his 29 starts. A stakes winner and...

Thursday, Cork, Ireland, post time: 19:22, IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF GIVE THANKS STAKES-G3, €39,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 12f 0y Field: Ameerat Jumaira (GB) (Australia {GB}), Chorus (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Elana Osario (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Elizabeth Jane (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Royal Entry (Ire) (Fracas {Ire}), Uluru (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Calrissiana (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Island Hopping (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Medici Venus (Tiz The Law). TDN Verdict: The Dermot Weld stable has dominated this contest, with a record eight renewals since its 2003 inception, and is represented by last...

Justin Curran, assistant trainer to Michael McCarthy, has described the Kentucky Derby as "the holy grail" and said Journalism (Curlin) winning the first leg of the American Triple Crown would complete a long-held ambition of being associated with a winner of the great race.  The Irish native, who spent time working with Dermot Weld and Todd Pletcher before joining McCarthy seven years ago, has been around some genuine top-notchers but freely admits that Journalism is close to entering that elite bracket.  Journalism has mopped up some of the key Kentucky...

Monday, Cologne, Germany, post time: 16:10, SAUREN DACHFONDS PREIS (GERLING-PREIS)-G2, €70,000, 4yo/up, 12fT Field: Lordano (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Alleno (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Augustus (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), Duraji (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Lion's Head (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), Padre Palou (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Rashford (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}). TDN Verdict: In an unsual move by Dermot Weld, the veteran supremo pitches the inexperienced Leopardstown maiden winner Duraji against some hardened German campaigners. Late to come on to the scene, the son of his late mother Gita's G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Nightime...

It's going to get a little confusing this year with all these painters coming to the fore. Even more confusingly, Henri Matisse (Ire) and Camille Pissarro (Ire) are both by Wootton Bassett (GB) out of mares by Pivotal (GB), and, unsuprisingly, they are no ordinary mares.  Immortal Verse (Ire), the dual Group 1 winner bought for 4.7 million gns as a five-year-old, had already produced the Group 1 and Group 2 winners Tenebrism (Caravaggio) and Statuette (Justify) before Henri Matisse came along and, from a hard-working and high-scoring juvenile campaign...

Coming back to the scene of her debut win, Juddmonte's Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}) mastered some significant peers to take Leopardstown's G3 Ballylinch Stud "Priory Belle" Stakes. Off the track since scoring over a mile in July, the daughter of the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes winner Hot Snap (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was fine-tuned to perfection by Dermot Weld and after swooping a furlong out readily held Ballydoyle's Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to score at 6-1 by 1 1/4 lengths, with Cercene (Ire) (Australia {GB}) half a length away in third....

The Aga Khan's Studs' Tarima (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) was a warm order for Leopardstown's opener on Sunday and the half-sister to Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) read the script to open her account. Sent off the 4-7 favourite, the Dermot Weld-trained newcomer delivered a flourish from rear under Chris Hayes to take command inside the final furlong and register a 1 3/4-length success from Noli Timere (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). "Chris hadn't planned to sit quite so far back on her, but she just got turned...

It was perhaps fitting last week that the inaugural edition of Winter Watch going to print should coincide with the arrival of snow across many parts of Britain, albeit we now find ourselves with one less meeting to report on after the cold snap brought terminal consequences for a certain all-weather track in Nottinghamshire. Consider yourself lucky if you spent that particular Monday evening in the warmth of home, cup of tea in hand ready to find out what this Winter Watch was all about. Meanwhile, all of those involved...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a half-sister to a Group 1-winning sire. 13.55 Punchestown, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 7fT BEYOND DREAMS (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is a rare Michael Tabor runner for the Dermot Weld stable and as a half-sister to the dual group 1-winning sire Zoustar (Aus) has plenty to...

Leopardstown staged the mile maiden on Thursday which had seen Opera Singer (Justify) prevail 12 months earlier and there was another promising winner as Juddmonte's Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Hot Snap {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}) made a winning start for the Dermot Weld stable. Out of the operation's G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes-winning and G1 Nassau Stakes-placed half-sister Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), the homebred was held up in rear early by Chris Hayes. Looming wide on the home turn, the 12-1 shot swooped on the experienced 11-4 favourite Valencia (Ire) (Lope...

Ezeliya (Fr), winner of this year's Oaks for HH Aga Khan and trainer Dermot Weld, has been retired from racing. The news was announced on Saturday morning by the Aga Khan Studs. A post on the operation's social media accounts read, "The Aga Khan Studs regret to announce that 2024 Oaks winner Ezeliya has been retired from racing. The filly suffered a setback in training and will join the broodmare band." In June, Ezeliya, ridden by Chris Hayes, became the first daughter of Dubawi (Ire) to win the Oaks at...

The Curragh's Barronstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden that opened Saturday's rain-hit card is a race with a rich history and despite the failure of Ballydoyle's trio to make the frame there was no reason to believe this year's renewal was not up to scratch. Emerging best was the Aga Khan's Hazdann (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Hazmiyra {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}), who had no space to express himself in the straight when a non-representative ninth in the seven-furlong Gowran Park maiden won by Ballydoyle's The Parthenon (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) 13 days...