Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes

The fifth running of the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S., which is to be held at Naas on August 5, has attracted 322 entries. Worth a total of €300,000, with €150,000 to the winner and prize-money down to tenth place, the race is for EBF-eligible two-year-olds by sires with a median auction sale price of €75,000 or less. Hugo Palmer was the winning trainer in 2023 with Golden Trick (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}) for the Bronte Collection, which also owned the runner-up Jungle Mate (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). The Bronte...

Following its successful inaugural running in 2020, the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S. has attracted an entry of 369 juveniles for its return on Aug. 2. With guaranteed prize-money of at least €200,000, the juvenile contest, which is run over six furlongs at Naas on the August Bank Holiday Monday, has understandably proved popular. It also offers a bonus of €50,000 if the winner is by a Ballyhane Stud stallion. "We are delighted to co-sponsor with the Irish EBF and have been thrilled with the response from a large variety...

The inaugural Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas Racecourse on Aug. 23 has had its purse upped to €320,000 from €200,000-making it the richest Irish 2-year-old race of the year--and a consolation race has been added due to high demand. The Irish EBF Ballyhane S., open to the progeny of sires with a median of no more than €75,000 at last year's yearling sales, attracted an initial 563 entries-an Irish record. The winner will receive €150,000 and prizemoney will be paid to all 20 runners, with the final five finishers...

On a typically busy day last week at Ballyhane Stud, Joe Foley was asked by a visitor, "What do you actually do?" It's a good question, and one which it would be hard for the master of Ballyhane to answer definitively. That's not because he's idle, but because there are few facets of Irish breeding and racing in which Foley is not actively involved. On that particular day he had just delivered 100 questions—some of them fiendishly difficult—for the popular quiz named in memory of his friend Mark O'Hanlon and...

LEIGHLINBRIDGE, Ireland—It's all systems go at Ballyhane Stud with the breeding season underway and its new stallion Soldier's Call (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) already in demand, and on Tuesday the Co Carlow stud hosted the official launch of a valuable new race sponsorship. The Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, to be run over six furlongs at Naas on Monday, Aug. 3, is open to juveniles by a sire registered with the European Breeders' Fund whose median sales price is no more than €75,000, with weights allocated on a sliding scale according to...