Lucky Vega

It's too soon, isn't it, to be thinking about this year's first-season sires? Well, not according to bookmaker Paddy Power, which has already released a market on this year's championship for Britain and Ireland, installing Starman (GB) as odds-on favourite to take the crown. There are a number of good reasons to imagine that this might be the case. For a start, the Group 1-winning sprinter stands at Tally-Ho Stud, which enjoys loyal support from many commercial breeders as well as backing their own stallions to the hilt. In recent...

Group 1 winner Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {Ire}) has returned home to Ireland and will stand at Kiltown Stud this year. Best known for landing the G1 Prix Jean Prat when in the care of Curragh-based trainer Ken Condon, Laws Of Indices showed high-class form as a juvenile, beating Lucky Vega (Ire) in the G2 Railway Stakes.  He had spent the latter years of his career in Australia, the majority of which was spent with trainer Annabel Neasham, for whom he ran creditably in a number of races at...

Conor Hyland is a graduate of the celebrated Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Breeding Course. Since completing the course in 2019, he has been based at the stud, where he holds the role as nominations and sales assistant.  This year represents a big one for the INS with long-time star of the roster Invincible Spirit (Ire) retired from stallion duties. Hyland discusses the new stallions on the roster, including first-season sire Shouldvebeenaring  (GB) and Lucky Vega (Ire), whose first two-year-olds are set to hit the track in Europe this year.  [caption...

What is in store for the bloodstock industry in 2025? From a shoo-in for the first-season sires' championship, market predictions, a word or two on Amo Racing and much more, TDN Europe's Brian Sheerin has come up with 10 predictions for the new year. Yearling Sale Momentum Can Continue Into The Breeze-Up Market It can be hard enough to predict how strong or weak trade will be on the eve of a sale, not to mention three or four months out, but there are a few good reasons to believe...

You cannot guarantee much when it comes to the yearling sales. But one thing is for sure, lot 206 will be the only horse offered at Part 1 of the Tattersalls September Yearling Sale that was raised on Polish grass.  Bartek Radzikowski admits that consigning the first Polish-reared yearlings at Tattersalls Ireland this week under the banner of Baroda Stud will help him fulfil a lifelong ambition and said that he hopes a good result in the ring could provide a springboard for his unorthodox pinhooking programme to grow. The...

With the foal sales at Goffs and Tattersalls confined to the rear view mirror, perhaps now is the time to get a good gauge on the young sires coming through.  Bragging rights belong to St Mark's Basilica (Fr), who topped the December Foal Sale at Tattersalls when a filly by the multiple Group 1-winning stallion out of Oaks winner Talent (GB) sold for 575,000gns.  The St Mark's Basilica sale-topper was consigned by Ashbrittle Stud and bought by agent Jill Lamb on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, with the former labelling...

Pa Doyle of Galbertstown Stables labelled the pinhookers who were out in force at the Goffs November Foal Sale "as brave as lions" with the popular consignor capping off a memorable week by topping the Thursday session with a €90,000 Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) colt.  The Thursday sale-topper was bred by Tony Cosgrave, who Doyle described as one of the best show people in the business, and it played a part in Galbertstown ending the week as one of the top consignors with 17 horses selling for €632,000. The Phoenix...

Billed as the star attraction of the Goffs November Foal Sale, the brother to Ghaiyyath (Ire) did not disappoint when selling to powerhouse owner Zhang Yuesheng under the banner of Lucky Vega for €700,000. Bred and consigned by legendary trainer Dermot Weld's farm Springbank Way Stud, the Dubawi (Ire) colt (lot 767) boasts one of the most coveted pedigrees in the book being a brother to champion older horse and exciting first-season sire Ghaiyyath. He is out of the trainer's own blue hen Nightime (Ire), reported to be happily in...

Almost the last horse in the ring on Wednesday, Springbank Way Stud's lot 767, a full-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), was knocked down for €700,000 online by Lucky Vega, the current buying arm of Yulong's Yuesheng Zhang, to top the third session of the Goffs November Foal Sale. Also a half-brother to GI Man o'War S. victress Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), the colt is from the family of champion Caumshinaun (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), being out of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Nightime (Ire)...

It was a day for the young guns at the opening session of the Goffs November Foal Sale on Monday with a colt by Earthlight (Ire) sharing top lot status with a filly by the already proven Mehmas (Ire) at €80,000.  The progeny of the Irish National Stud-based Lucky Vega (Ire) also played a leading role on the day with Yeomanstown Stud's Supremacy (Ire) going down similarly well with buyers.  But the main story of the day was the positive start to the week in terms of trade, highlighted by...

The Irish National Stud is either maintaining or reducing the fees for its six stallions "after a challenging yearling sales season, especially in the middle and lower tiers", according to a press release sent out on Thursday. The venerable Invincible Spirit (Ire), who turns 27 in 2024, is listed with a private fee, having stood for €60,000 in 2023 following a career high of €120,000 between 2016 and 2019. His top runners this season include the unbeaten G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Ghostwriter (Ire) and he covered 89 mares earlier...

Few stallions who stand in and around the €15,000 bracket can boast a book of mares quite like Lucky Vega (Ire). The Group 1-winning juvenile has been supported by his owner Yuesheng Zhang from the outset and, judging by the Chinese businessman's spending at the premier mare sales through BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe last year, that backing is set to continue.  While the majority of the prominent owner's European-based mares will visit Lucky Vega this year, a number will also be spread out between Frankel (GB), Baaeed (GB), Sea The...