Shane Foley

The Racing Academy and Centre of Education (RACE), which has produced luminaries of the saddle like Johnny Murtagh, Seamie Heffernan, Chris Hayes and Shane Foley, has been forced to cull two thirds of its workforce in order to save the institution's future. A massive 21 of the 31 staff have been told they are no longer needed at RACE and the decision is understood to have come as a major shock to the workforce. The 10-month residential trainee jockey course, which has also been completed by top-notch jump jockeys such...

Jessica Harrington-trained 3-year-old filly Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation--Gold Zain {GB}, by Aqlaam {GB}) posted a close-up fourth in Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup when last seen and was rewarded for her consistency with an all-the-way win in Sunday's G3 Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan S. at Naas. The March-foaled chestnut closed her juvenile campaign with a second in the G3 Round Tower S. at the Curragh and followed up a win in Navan's Listed Committed S. on sophomore return with a second here in the G3 Lacken S. in...

At first there are tears and then the words come tumbling out.  "We got a bit of bad news before the Curragh," Con Marnane explains. "Theresa's cancer is back again. That's why the whole thing was so emotional." Theresa is Con's wife and it is her yellow and black silks, made famous by Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) winning the Albany, that were carried to that stirring victory in the G3 Marble Hill S. by Givemethebeatboys (Ire) at Irish racing's HQ. He is one of two Royal Ascot-bound Bungle Inthejungle...

Continuing the stellar form of the Jessie Harrington stable, Theresa Marnane's Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}--Dromana {Ire}, by Dutch Art {GB}) edged a thriller for Saturday's G3 GAIN Marble Hill S. at The Curragh. Off the mark a fortnight earlier at Navan, the 11-1 shot was towards the fore from the outset under Shane Foley before being left in front two out. Headed by TDN Rising Star and 13-8 favourite Noche Magica (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) a furlong later, the bay battled hard between that rival and Ballydoyle's Listed...

Jessica Harrington has never won the Derby but that could change this season judging by the performance Sprewell (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) posted in winning a key trial at Leopardstown on Sunday.  Sent to post an 8-1 shot for the Group 3 Derby Trial S., Sprewell travelled into the race better than anything under Shane Foley, and quickened clear to win a cosy three lengths at the winning line.  It was a taking performance from the Churchill colt, owned by Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Abdulrahim, who was cut to 20-1 for Epsom. ...

Last seen being inched out by Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in The Curragh's G3 Round Tower S. in August, Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) returned with a vengeance at Navan on Saturday to stamp her authority on the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed S. Held together early by Shane Foley racing freely in third, the 10-1 shot brushed aside Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) passing two out en route to a categoric six-length dismissal of that G2 Futurity S.-winning TDN Rising Star, with the 4-5 favourite The...

Conspicuous by his colour if not his presence in the betting market, Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's recent acquisition White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}--Diagnostic {GB}, by Dutch Art {GB}) overhauled the customary representation of the O'Briens and Bolger in Leopardstown's G3 P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax S. to provide the John Joseph Murphy stable with a red-letter day. Anchored at the tail of the field early by Shane Foley, the almost-white grey who had opened his account by 6 1/2 lengths over seven furlongs sporting Murphy's own silks at Dundalk in November loomed...

Once viewed as one of the classiest riding prospects in Ireland, Tom 'Socks' Madden pointed to the harsh realities of competing in his home nation as the driving force behind him taking the plunge and bidding to emulate Declan Bates and Johnny Allen by turning to Australia in an effort to rejuvenate his career in the saddle.  Just over a month after he upped sticks to Australia, Madden rode his first winner for new boss Lindsey Smith aboard Glitter 'N' Gold (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), after which he credited fellow Irishman...

Classic heroine Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is in "perfect condition" in advance of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Nov. 14, according to assistant trainer Kate Harrington. Racing for Zhang Yuesheng, the 3-year-old filly, who won the G2 Ribblesdale S. prior to her G1 Irish Oaks heroics, was fifth to future Arc winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks in August. "This morning, she galloped for about six furlongs," said Harrington, who assists her mother, Jessica. "We just wanted to get a nice breeze into...

7th-Naas, €16,000, Mdn, 9-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:31.33, g/y. BOLD DISCOVERY (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Caribbean Babe, by Arch), sent off at 15-2, quickly established a clear advantage. Maintaining the gallop in game fashion in the straight, the bay hit the line strong with 2 1/2 lengths to spare over Peking Opera (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). "That was very impressive and he's a gorgeous horse," Kate Harrington said. "He only came to us in June and has always done everything so easy. Obviously his sire is a sensation in America on the dirt...

Yuesheng Zhang's Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Night Lagoon {Ger}, by Lagunas {GB}) displayed a willing attitude when annexing last month's G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot and her determination was to the fore again as she refused to yield and battled gamely to a career high in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Last term's G3 Flame of Tara S. victrix went off as the 5-4 favourite, in the absence of Epsom's G1 Oaks exacta Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and...

The Hurling for Cancer charity match, the brainchild of legendary trainer Jim Bolger, will return to St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, County Kildare on Aug. 16, with a number of sporting and television stars committed to play in the 10th renewal. Bolger and dual Aintree Grand National-winning jockey Davy Russell will bring a host of household names together to take part in the celebrity hurling match, all in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.  Kilkenny's TJ Reid, Richie Hogan and Tommy Walsh, Limerick brothers Tom and Dan Morrissey, Wexford's Damien Fitzhenry...