Ireland

Tom Marquand will represent Ireland in Racing League 2022 having been the first pick at this morning's jockey draft at Doncaster Racecourse. A total of 108 jockeys signed up for the inaugural draft, with the seven team managers each selecting seven riders in a pre-agreed order to ensure a fair allocation. Ireland team manager Kevin Blake said, "I am really happy. Six out of the seven were selections I thought I might get and the exception to that I am very happy with. It is a nice mix of British-based...

The approach of Storm Eunice, which will impact Ireland and the United Kingdom on Friday, has caused some racecourses to cancel their cards as a precautionary measure. Fakenham was called off on Thursday due to the severe weather warnings, and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has cancelled Dundalk's Friday card, too. The storm is expected to bring high winds and, in some cases, snow. "We discussed the situation with Jim Martin of Dundalk Stadium and Met Eireann this morning and again this afternoon and we felt with the current forecast...

Five mares broke the six-figure mark during the fifth and final day of the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale, and Benie des Dieux (Fr) (Great Pretender {Ire}) was undoubtedly the star of the show. Offered by Closutton Stables, the bay went for €350,000 to MV Magnier/Bective Stud. Sold as lot 1253, she is a three-time Grade 1 hurdle winner and was in foal to Walk In The Park (Ire). Closutton also offered the third- and fourth-dearest lots-- lot 1254 and lot 1257, Buildmeupbuttercup (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) and Salsaretta...

The Weatherbys Return of Mares, through Oct. 20, was published on Thursday. A total of 12,920 live foals were registered so far in The General Stud Book. In 2020 the number was 12,778 and in 2019 13,443 were registered. Of the 12,920 foals, 4,282 (+1%) are registered with the GB suffix and 8,638 (+1%) in Ireland. In 2020 those numbers were 4,236 (GB) and 8,542 (Ire), while two years ago the number of registered foals stood at 4,655 (GB) and 8,788 (Ire). Currently there are 22,720 broodmares at stud, an...

Staffordstown Stud Manager Julian Lloyd, who runs the yearling operation for Lanwades Stud's Kirsten Rausing, will retire at the end of 2021. Lloyd's current role will then be split between retired trainer John Oxx as Director and long-term Stud Groom Paddy Moloney, who will be the new Manager of Staffordstown. "After 30 years at Staffordstown, with my 75th birthday on the horizon, it is time for my work here to come to a close and for me to change gear for the last couple of furlongs of my allotted span,"...

The LCA Work Skills pilot programme, hosted by the Irish National Stud, was launched on Aug. 7. An initiative of Together for Racing Ireland (TfR Ireland) under the umbrella of Together for Racing International (TfRI), the programme brought together students and teaching staff from Curragh Post Primary, Kildare Town Community School and St. Paul's Secondary School. Students were welcomed by INS CEO Cathal Beale at the Michael Osborne Centre, with Godolphin Managing Director Joe Osborne providing some insight into the Irish bloodstock industry. Jane Mangan was the guest speaker, while...

Following a nationwide poll, interest in horse racing in Ireland has increased, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Wednesday. A poll of over 1,000 people, conducted by the Red C research company between Feb. 8-Feb. 15, aimed at understanding the adult population's attitudes toward horse racing. The results are as follows: In 2021, 39% of the population have an interest in horse racing versus 23% last year A total of 85% of racing fans are missing attending race meetings 19% of racing fans plan to attend more race meetings than previously...

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale is now online. A total of 226 lots will go under the hammer at Park Paddocks for the second consecutive year, as the sale was moved from its traditional Irish venue due to continued COVID-19 restrictions. The breezes will take place at the Rowley Mile at 9 a.m. on June 2, with the sale proper slated for June 3 at 10:30 a.m. John and Thady Gosden and HH Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum celebrated a win in the Lincoln with...

Racing success makes the name of a horse just right in most cases, and this is likely to happen with very promising 3-year-old filly JOAN OF ARC, a winner at The Curragh Mar. 21, the first day of spring. Still, this beautiful name seems so appropriate even now, because of the underlying historical connection between the French heroine Joan of Arc and the great scientist Galileo Galilei. In fact, both Joan of Arc and Galileo got in trouble with the Inquisition--to put it mildly. It was, and it was not,...

Grade I winner River Boyne (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) has his first few mares scanned in foal, Tara Stud announced via Twitter on Tuesday. The GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile hero's first three mares bred were all pregnant. He stands for €5,000 this year. "Excited to announce that River Boyne has his first three mares covered all scanned in foal," the stud tweeted. "The Grade I winner has taken very well to his new career and is proving very popular with breeders."

An outbreak of the neurological form of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) has been reported in Valencia, Spain, the Irish Equine Centre (IEC) announced via a statement on Twitter Monday. The virus was discovered at an FEI competition, and the FEI Veterinary Department is collaborating with the Spanish authorities. Additional veterinarians have been brought in to assist with the 160 horses quarantined on site. The IEC statement read in part, "Currently 84 horses are showing clinical signs, 11 are being treated in external clinics and four have died. Horses that left...

Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) made an impressive U.S. debut for trainer Phil D'Amato by taking Sunday's GIII Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita. Formerly trained by Mick Halford in Ireland, the 3-year-old filly was purchased privately this winter in a deal structured by BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe and Niall Dalton. Gary King caught up with Donohoe on Monday morning to chat about the win. GK: What attracted you to Going Global? MD: Her first run at Limerick really caught my eye and Niall's [Dalton]. We liked her action and...