Roger O'Callaghan

Roger and Tony O'Callaghan talk about Tally-Ho Stud's new addition Maranoa Charlie, buying into Group 1 winner Zavateri and more "We prefer not to say too much, we rather row in behind the horses and let them do the talking," says Tony O'Callaghan from his kitchen table at Tally-Ho Stud.  Both he and his son Roger don't bother to conceal the fact that this is their least favourite part of the job. There is, of course, a silver lining to the fact a journalist with an expectant face and a...

Bloodstock agent Jason Kelly reflects on a memorable year highlighted by Group 1 scorer Maranoa Charlie There will be people who won't want 2025 to end. Bloodstock agent Jason Kelly is one of those people. The highlight among a slew of big-race successes was that of Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett), an inspired mid-summer buy who delivered a breakthrough Group 1 victory for Bond Thoroughbreds in the Prix de la Foret before being snapped up by Tally-Ho Stud, where he will stand for an opening fee of €20,000 next year. There...

Pinhookers have their say on the market ahead of the November Foal Sale at Goffs Philipp Stauffenberg, Fearghal Hogan, Roger O'Callaghan and more have weighed in on what many pinhookers have described as being one of the trickiest yearling sale seasons in recent times and outlined how they will be approaching next week's Goffs November Foal Sale.  Pinhookers definitely didn't have it easy at the yearling sales this year, yet the first chapters of some of the most spinetingling stories of life-changing profits were written at a sale that has...

This year's G1 Prix de la Foret winner Maranoa Charlie has been retired from racing and will stand at Tally-Ho Stud in 2026. Trained by Christopher Head, Maranoa Charlie was beaten just once in four starts as a two-year-old, notably winning the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud by eight lengths. "I don't think I've ever trained a horse like Maranoa Charlie, one with his desire to run and who can take the others on like that," said Head in the aftermath of that impressive victory. "He gets better with...

Tally-Ho Stud put in a dominant display at this year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale by selling 24 yearlings for a combined £1,743,000, which included the £150,000 day two session-topping colt by Mehmas, who went the way of Jason Kelly on behalf of Bond Thoroughbreds just minutes before the final whistle was blown on Thursday.  To illustrate how strong Tally-Ho's performance was this week, the Westmeath-based outfit finished the sale over £1 million clear of their nearest pursuer in the consigning ranks which was Baroda Stud, who sold 13 horses...

Sandra Russell, breeder of Grade I winner Excellent Truth, opens up about the emotion surrounding that top-notch triumph  Much of the attention surrounding Excellent Truth's breakthrough success at the highest level at Saratoga last weekend revolved around the game's larger than life owner John Stewart. And rightly so given it was the man behind Resolute Racing who forked out €1.6 million for the daughter of Cotai Glory at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale last December. But a little over 3,000 miles away from Saratoga, the magnitude of what Excellent Truth...

ASCOT, UK -- It was a day when so many of those engaged at Royal Ascot were thinking also of a great man gone away in Ireland. Kevin Prendergast would undoubtedly have revelled in the splendid results for some of his fellow Irish trainers on Ascot Heath as they in turn paid tribute to him. And there was even a winner for his old friend Awtaad, the last of the trainer's Classic winners, whose son Ethical Diamond triumphed in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes after another, Ascending, had won Tuesday's...

Deauville, FRANCE-The breeze-up circus rolls onto Arqana this week and, following the breeze on Thursday, where 162 of some of the best-bred horses in Europe were put through their paces, a number of key industry stakeholders weighed in on what might come to fruition this week.  From market predictions, to revealing their highs and lows of the breeze-up season thus far, heavyweights Roger O'Callaghan, Roderic Kavanagh, Tessa Greatrex, Valfredo Valiani and Matt Coleman have answered some of the key questions ahead of what promises to be another blockbuster sale on...

Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar's 2023 G2 Norfolk Stakes hero and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Valiant Force (Malibu Moon--Vigui's Heart, by Quality Road) broke a seven-race winless streak--which included a two-test Stateside stint with Jorge Delgado--when snagging a five-furlong heat at Dundalk in early October and the 4-year-old opened his 2025 campaign with a Friday-evening victory upped to six furlongs back at the Co. Louth track. The Adrian Murray trainee, a last-out fourth tackling five furlongs here in the Oct. 25 G3 Mercury Stakes, broke swiftly...

Another manic sale season is upon us. Goffs kick-starts what promises to be an exciting few weeks with the November Foal Sale getting underway on Monday followed by the mares sessions on Friday and Saturday before the action rolls on to Tattersalls at Newmarket before concluding at Arqana next month.  So where does the value lie over what is usually a helter-skelter few weeks of trade? Gwen Monneraye of the La Motteraye Consignment, Mimi Wadham of WH Bloodstock and Tally-Ho Stud's Roger O'Callaghan weigh in on the big topics ahead...

Group 1-winning two-year-old Bucanero Fuerte (GB) has been retired to stand at Tally-Ho Stud next season, owners Amo Racing announced in partnership with the County Westmeath operation on Thursday. Bucanero Fuerte, who was bred by Gestut Zur Kuste AG from the Elusive City mare Frida La Blonde (Fr), was bought by Robson Aguiar for €165,000 at the Arqana August Yearling Sale and subsequently won four of his nine career starts for trainer Adrian Murray. Following a successful debut at the Curragh when winning the first two-year-old race of the Irish Flat...

DONCASTER, England--Clive Cox might not have a degree in mechanical engineering, but it's fair to say that there have been few better trainers than him over the years when it comes to masterminding the career trajectory of a 'Donny Rocket'. Think Harry Angel (Ire), the July Cup and Sprint Cup scorer bought by Cox for just £44,000 at the 2015 edition of the Goffs UK Doncaster Premier Yearling Sale, or the Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}), his very first Group 1 winner who he'd...