Invincible Spirit (Ire)

Michael "Daffer" Kelly, a longtime stallion man at the Irish National Stud, passed away peacefully on March 5. Kelly was synonymous with many of the Irish National Stud's stallions over the years and was particularly associated with the outstanding sire Invincible Spirit, whom he handled throughout the horse's distinguished stud career. A respected and familiar figure to breeders and visitors alike, Kelly was widely admired for his horsemanship and dedication. Having joined the Irish National Stud in 1988, Kelly devoted his career to the Kildare operation. Said Irish National Stud...

Being a leading broodmare sire is so often a posthumous honour. It is also one that tends to come on the back of a stallion either having been sent strong books of mares from the outset, or having earned that right through eye-catching early results in his stud career.  Of the top 20 broodmare sires in Europe in 2025, only half of them are still living, and of that 10, eight remain active. It is hardly earth-shattering news to reveal that Galileo's name was at the top of the list,...

A colt and a filly by Sioux Nation and Gleneagles, respectively, each brought €70,000 on Saturday to share topper duties during the SGA Yearling Sale in Milan. Sold as lot 15, the Gleneagles filly was snapped up by John Kalmanson from the Razza del Velino consignment. A half-sister to two stakes horses anchored by G2 Derby Italiano hero Keep On Fly (Rip Van Winkle), the chestnut is a full-sister to G2 Oaks d'Italia heroine Shavasana, who also prevailed in the G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas). The trio are...

Invincible Spirit's Marvelman has been sold to Bond Thoroughbred Limited, the organisation's Charlie Bond revealed. The 3-year-old G2 Park Stakes hero is likely to be supplemented to the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day, October 18 at a cost of £70,000. Trained by Andrew Balding, the colt was winning his first stakes race at Doncaster last weekend and was previously owned by Mr and Mrs Rex Gorell. Bred by Gigginstown House Stud, Marvelman sold for 140,000gns out of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to Balding from the...

Coming off a third in the Hungerford, Marvelman (Invincible Spirit) turned Saturday's G2 Park Stakes at Doncaster into a procession to provide more big-race success for the Andrew Balding stable in 2025. Always travelling easily on the rain-deadened ground under Oisin Murphy, the 13-2 shot took command two out en route to a 3 3/4-length success from King's Gamble (Kingman). "He's really found his spark of late and was impressive today," Balding said of the three-year-old, whose latest effort behind More Thunder at Newbury was already a marked step up...

Without a doubt, one of the great privileges of working in racing journalism is being able to get close to the equine stars and hear first hand from the people who bred, own, train, or ride them, as well as the countless people who look after retired racehorses and give them a meaningful life long after their last race is run. At TDN, we try to bring our readers a wide range of stories, from the paddocks, breeding sheds, sales rings, training grounds and racecourses around Europe and beyond. We...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Slick and Eternal Reign at Santa Anita. Slick As Can Be Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify's Slick (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) claimed a Santa Anita maiden victory on Dec. 26 (video). Trained by Phil D'Amato, the 2-year-old filly was bred by Newtown Anner Stud in Ireland. Out of the Dubawi (Ire) mare Shurooq (GB), Slick was sold for €48,000...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a pricy auction grad. 16.10 Kempton, Nov, £6,800, 2yo, f, 7f (AWT) Shadwell's ALFAREQA (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is an Owen Burrows-trained daughter of G1 Cheveley Park Stakes victrix Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and was the top-priced filly when knocked down for 1.6-million guineas at last year's...

A consequence of massive book sizes is that it has become even harder for a less obvious prospective stallion to break into the elite tier. However, just as many seemingly excellent stallion prospects over the years have failed to make the grade, and there is still scope for a stallion to succeed against the odds, to 'pull himself up by his bootstraps', to join the elite after having started out considerably farther down the ladder. One such has been the admirable Invincible Spirit (Ire), whose retirement from active service at...

Invincible Spirit (Ire), the sire of 22 individual Group 1 winners worldwide, has been retired from covering duties, the Irish National Stud announced on Wednesday. Now 27, Invincible Spirit was a fixture on the Irish National Stud roster of stallions for 22 consecutive seasons, starting in 2003 after his breakthrough Group 1 victory in the Sprint Cup at Haydock the previous autumn. As a racehorse he won seven of his 17 starts for trainer John Dunlop and owner-breeder Prince Faisal, with his other wins including the Duke Of York Stakes...

Arc hero Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) has been sold and he will stand under the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association banner at Shinzunai Stallion Station beginning in 2025. The news was confirmed by Coolmore to TDN Europe on Saturday morning. Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, the €340,000 Arqana August grad and Jean-Claude Rouget trainee also won the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and ran third in the Arc at three. Kept in training at four, he added the G1 Prix Ganay besides his Arc heroics for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm...

Group 1 winner and sire Territories (Ire) has been sold to continue his stallion career at Poonawalla Stud Farms in India next year, according to published reports. The deal was brokered by bloodstock agent Ajay Anne. The Godolphin runner and son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), who stood for £10,000 this year at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud, won the Prix Jean Prat at the highest level for Andre Fabre. At stud, he has sired 17 stakes winners, nine of them Pattern scorers. His current flagbearer is G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest...