Team Valor

Ebony Flyer, a triple Grade 1 winner from six to eight furlongs when racing in South Africa for Team Valor International (TVI) and Gaynor Rupert, has died from complications after foaling a Bradsell filly on February 4. The daughter of Jet Master was euthanised on Saturday at Rossdales Equine Hospital in Newmarket. Bred in the Western Cape by W. J. Engelbrecht Jr., Ebony Flyer and her dam were purchased privately in a deal struck by TVI CEO Barry Irwin after her three-year-old half-sister Captain's Lover (Captain Al) emerged as a...

Trainer Jerome Reynier has been dealt a hammer blow with the news that recent G2 Cape Verdi runner-up Quid Pro Quo (Lance) would face a period on the sidelines following a "freak accident" on the training grounds at Meydan.  The Team Valor-owned filly had been gearing up towards a tilt at the G2 Balanchine Stakes at Meydan. However, her Dubai campaign has now been cast in serious doubt after connections believe she has sustained a stress fracture to her pelvis during a routine canter.  Team Valor's Barry Irwin said, "I...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Barry Irwin's Team Valor will offer a handful of accomplished racemares, consigned by Bluewater Sales, during Monday's Fasig-Tipton November Sale. And in a business where timing and asset appreciation is everything, the operation's Special Wan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) (hip 155) comes into the boutique sale just as her connections might hope. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 5-year-old mare has won four of her six starts in this country and enters the 'Night of the Stars' off victories in the GIII Ladies' Turf Stakes at Kentucky Downs on...

Just outside of 48 hours before she is set to take her place as hip 155 at Monday's Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Special Wan (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) enhanced her resume with a straight-forward success as the favorite in Saturday's GIII Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar. Away neatly from the three hole, Special Wan was with the early pace, but was wisely taken a hold of by Joel Rosario as 77-1 Violeta M (Arg) (John F Kennedy {Ire}) opened up a sizeable advantage through enervating early splits of :22.82 and :46.29. Kept...

Barry Irwin is the first person to admit that he wasn't a fan of digital sales when they first came on the scene about a decade ago. "I make my living buying and selling in the private marketplace, and when the digital sales first came around in Europe, I was very upset," he said, adding that he thought that at the time, sales companies were promising owners unreasonable prices on their horses which made it harder to buy privately for an appropriate price. "I didn't like the fact that I...

Over the past week, the TDN has been asking racing personalities with no family involvement in racing what the moment was that got them hooked. Jason Beem, track announcer and podcast host I grew up about five miles from Longacres Race Course in the Seattle suburb of Renton, Washington. My dad was a gambler and loved the playing the horses and started taking me from a very early age. I thought jockeys were the coolest thing ever and my dad has photos of me at age three sitting on the...

National Hunt stallion Triple Threat (Fr) sustained a mortal injury in his paddock, Capital Stud announced on Wednesday. The 14-year-old son of Monsun (Ger) was standing his first season at the stud for a private fee. "The whole Capital Stud team is devastated by the news," said the stud's Ger O'Neill. "He was very popular in his first season here and we were looking forward to covering many more mares with him in future, but sadly it wasn't to be. "However, we look forward to seeing his first Irish foals...

Last month's Listed Star Stakes runner-up Anshoda (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}--Silk Fan {Ire}, by Unfuwain) was acquired by Team Valor and Gary Barber after that black-type debut and stepped forward to claim a career high in Saturday's G3 William Hill Prestige Fillies' Stakes at Goodwood. Anshoda was positioned behind the leaders in fourth for most of this pattern-race bow. Nudged along to reduced arrears soon after turning for home, the 4-1 chance came under sterner urging to go second approaching the furlong pole and was driven out to defeat...

Arqana's Autumn Sale, which began on Saturday with a session of Flat yearlings, resumed with a lively session of horses in training, headed by Make Me King (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) at €380,000, one of two six-figure purchases on the day by Wathnan Racing. Sold as lot 420 by the Channel Consignment, the three-year-old has been in training with Andre Fabre and has won in both his seasons to date, as well as finishing runner-up in last year's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon. Out of the Listed-winning juvenile Miss Infinity (Ire)...

Group 3 winner Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) will likely start next in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on British Champions S. Day at Ascot if the anticipated wet weather holds, Team Valor's Barry Irwin said Sunday. The 4-year-old gelding was most recently third behind Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) in the G1 Prix Du Moulin de Longchamp on Sept. 3. "It's the plan and he could run on any type of surface, but he's better with some give in the ground and the wetter the better, like when he...

The Breeders' Cup is calling for the connections of Mansa Musa (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) after the Diego Dias-trained colt acquitted himself well in Group company at the Curragh.  Mansa Musa was last seen finishing a good second in the G3 Round Tower S. and now Barry Irwin, who heads Team Valor, the part-owners of the speedy juvenile, is dreaming of a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Irwin said, "I think six furlongs for him at this moment is just a little too far against the really...

Baroda Stud were responsible for two of the three six-figure lots on day one of the Goffs February Sale, including the €115,000 top lot, a colt by Sottsass (Ire), who was purchased by Tally-Ho Stud. Of the 2017 lots offered, 128 were sold, which represented a clearance rate of 59% and an aggregate spend of €2,056,250. The average for day one of first sale for 2023 at Goffs was €16,064 with Cox explaining that the nice horses had no trouble in finding new homes. He said, "A few people said...