Sat 21 Oct 2017
PRESS RELEASE
Saturday 21st October
The Irish European Breeders’ Fund has named Joe Foley of Ballyhane Stud as their Deputy Chairman. Joe replaces John Osborne after he took up the positon as CEO of HRI Racecourses. Joe will work alongside John O’Connor of Ballylinch Stud who is the current Irish EBF Chairman.
John O’Connor, Irish EBF Chairman, said; “Joe became a Governor of the Irish EBF in 2002, since then he has always brought a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas to everything the Irish EBF has worked on. All the Irish EBF Governors voluntarily give up their time and expertise to make sure funds raised from Irish Stallion Farms are best distributed to benefit Irish racing. Joe’s expertise will help to further strengthen Irish EBF’s position as Irish racing’s largest sponsor.”
Fri 13 Oct 2017
Red Persian and Kevin Manning in the centre winning the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race, Leopardstown Photo: Patrick McCann
A full field of 16 will line up in the €120,000 Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series Final at Naas on Sunday after this morning’s declarations stage, including a first British runner in the race with Apple Anni set to represent Mick Channon.
Among the leading fancies will be Dermot Weld’s Yulong Gold Fairy, who won a race in the series at the Galway Festival in the familiar Zhang Yuesheng silks and will be reopposed by Quizical and Captain Vancouver who followed her home that day. Quizical will be representing Sheila Lavery who won the inaugural running of the Auction Final in 2015 with Sevenleft.
Chris Hayes, who won the race last year on board Kevin Prendergast’s Trevanna, teams with the trainer’s nephew Patrick this time around to ride Red Persian, who followed home one of Europe’s top juveniles in Beckford in a series qualifier at the Curragh in May before winning the Leopardstown leg.
Tom Mullins’ Powerville, already a winner of two legs of the series, bids for a third success, while other winners of previous races in the series who will bid for the first prize of €72,000 include Johnny Murtagh’s Beach Wedding, Noel Meade’s Cocohulababy, Tom Cooper’s Lisard Lady and Tracey Collins’ Sollertia.
Andrew Slattery’s Spiorad Saoirse is another Galway Festival winner, while Ball Girl, one of two from the Ger Lyons yard who was third in a Group 3 at the Curragh, and Michael Grassick’s Verhoyen, runner-up in a Listed race at Naas in May, are others who bring a good competitive level of form to the table.
Ger Lyons, Trainer of Ball Girl and Burmese Blazer: “We run two on Sunday and hopefully one will collect some of the big prize. Ball Girl is in with a good chance and it would be a great end to the season for her to finish in the money. The Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series is a great addition to our yards targets and hopefully we will have more firepower for next year’s series.”
John O’Connor, Chairman, Irish EBF: “Sunday’s €120,000 final marks the third year of the auction series, significantly this year, the series was boosted by joining forces with Foran Equine. Their involvement enabled the series to grow and become an important element of the Irish juvenile racing programme. The Irish EBF trustees want the series to continue to flourish and we urge all purchasers of yearlings for €72,000 and under and who are EBF eligible to target the series in 2018.”
Gareth Connolly, Sales and Marketing Director, Foran Equine: “Sunday’s final is shaping-up to be a fantastic contest, with a €120,000 at stake it’s no surprise that a full field has been declared. It is particularly satisfying that the 16 declared runners where purchased for between €2,500 and €48,000, with an average auction price of just over €14,000. We’re very grateful to everyone who has supported the series and especially the Irish European Breeders’ Fund for working so closely with our team to promote and develop our partnership.”
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF DECLARED RUNNERS
Nessa Joyce, Manager, Irish European Breeders’ Fund
Greenhills, Kill, Naas, Co Kildare, W91 FY62
M: +353 85 7590970, E: info@irishebf.ie Twitter: @IrishEBF
Tue 10 Oct 2017
Presentation to winning trainer Tom Mullins and winning jockey Niall McCullagh from Nessa Joyce (Irish EBF) and Garrett Connolly (Foran Equine) after Powersville wins her 2nd Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race at Naas. Sunday 24th September. Photo: Patrick McCann
Eight auction maiden winners stand their ground ahead of Foran Equine Irish EBF Final
Twenty five horses remain in the €120,000 Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Race Final at Naas on Sunday after today’s forfeit stage. These include Tom Mullins’ Powersville who has already claimed two races in the series in the colours of his wife Helen. There is strong British interest in the race for the first time with Rufus King from the Mark Johnston yard still in the mix while Apple Anni is set to represent Mick Channon.
Other winners of previous races in the series who could run for the first prize of €72,000 include Johnny Murtagh’s Beach Wedding, Noel Meade’s Cocohulababy, Tom Cooper’s Lisard Lady, Ger Lyons’ Poetic Light, Patrick Prendergast’s Red Persian, Tracey Collins’ Sollertia and Dermot Weld’s Yulong Gold Fairy, a winner at the Galway Festival and could be reopposed by Quizical and Captain Vancouver who followed her home that day.
Andrew Slattery’s Spiorad Saoirse is another Galway July Festival winner, while Ball Girl, third in a Group 3 at the Curragh, and Verhoyen, runner-up in a Listed race at Naas in May, are others who bring a good competitive level of form to the table.
Sheila Lavery, Trainer: “It’s a great series and I try to target horses at it. It can be a great payday for those inexpensive horses and it gives the smaller yards a chance. Sevenleft won it the first year for us and we went home with over with €45,000, it was better than winning a Group race.”
Brendan Duke, Trainer: “The Broghie Man has won €26,500 and he cost €7,000. This has always being the plan to qualify him for the final and he will be difficult to beat over seven furlongs at Naas. The series is fantastic and Foran Equine and Irish EBF must be commended, some of the winners of the qualifiers only cost €2,500. It gives the small trainer and owner something to look forward to and a really good prize at the end of the rainbow.”
Andrew Slattery, Trainer of Spiorad Saoirse: “The plan is to run Sunday, I think he’ll run well, I think he’ll be a better 3yo, he ran over 6f at Naas the last day and it was a bit short for him. I think 7f will suit him better. The Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series is a great incentive, it makes it easier to get an owner. It gives trainers like us a great chance.”
Gareth Connolly, Sales and Marketing Director, Foran Equine: “The Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series has been an enormous success. Designed to create opportunity within the industry, Sunday’s final showcases the impact it has had. For us the sponsorship of this series has been a way to give back to the industry that has supported our business for over 40 years. I would like to thank everyone who has supported the series, including the owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders, racecourses and Horse Racing Ireland. I would also like to thank the Irish European Breeders Fund for working so closely with our team to promote and develop our partnership and we’re looking forward to a great final at Naas on Sunday.”
Nessa Joyce, Manager, Irish EBF: “The purpose of the series is to drive interest in the middle to lower end of the auction market. Based on feedback, we are very encouraged that the series is fulfilling a need for trainers and owners of two-year-olds. The purchase price of the entries in the final start from €2,500, with an average of just under €20,000, which demonstrates that you can get involved in ownership for a modest investment.”
Mon 9 Oct 2017
PEACH MELBA wins EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series 1m final 2017
The second EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series came to a close today with the running of its final four races of the 20 race series, an initiative available to 3yo+ fillies with a total prize money value of £625,000.
The four £50,000 open handicaps over six, eight, ten and 12 furlongs boasted competitive fields resulting in four very worthy winners from across the country. The Series has been specifically designed to give valuable opportunities to those fillies that fall just below black type level, encouraging their owners and owner-breeders to keep them in training rather than sell them for export or retire them.
PIXELEEN (Pastoral Pursuits ex Ballyalla) won the six furlong British EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series Sprint Handicap Stakes for Somerset based handler Malcolm Saunders, as well as giving Jockey Adam Kirby the second leg of his winning double on the card today.
The one mile British Stallion Studs EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series Handicap Stakes was won by PEACH MELBA (Dream Ahead ex Nellie Melba) who was one of three runners across the card who was eligible for the £25,000 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) bonus.* Peach Melba is also the fourth generation filly for Owner-Breeder, Lady Lonsdale’s, foundation mare.
Mark Johnston, Trainer of Peach Melba, said;
“The Owners are Breeders and they were actually thinking of retiring the filly in the middle of the season. I said well let’s not retire her until she stops earning her keep which she did very nicely today and she has also earned her place with a really nice stallion in the next year and that couldn’t have been better. She really deserves it as she is a decent filly, a model of consistency and I am sure she will make a great broodmare.
“The temptation with a filly like this is to have gone in search of international black type so it was nice to have an incentive [in the form of the EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series] to keep her here in Britain.”
Claire Sheppard, Chief Executive, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA), said;
“We are delighted that the TBA £25k Bonus was won once again on the finale of the EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series. Peach Melba has performed consistently on the track, and is a deserving winner of the stallion nomination voucher. It is hoped that the funds will encourage the owner-breeders to retain her for a broodmare career and to continue their bloodstock activities.’
The Hamdan Al Maktoum owned Neshmeya (Lawman ex High Heeled), was the very worthy winner of the British EBF Breeders’ Fillies Series Middle Distance Handicap Stakes over ten furlongs for Trainer-Jockey combination, Charles Hills and Harry Bentley.
The final contest of the eight race card, the EBF Breeders’ Fillies’ Series #thisfillycan Handicap Stakes over 12 furlongs, was won by Cribbs Causeway (Rip Van Winkle ex Bristol Fashion) for Beckhampton based Trainer Roger Charlton.
Rachael Gowland, Marketing and Communications Manager, British European Breeders’ Fund, said;
“We were delighted with the field sizes on today’s races and that PEACH MELBA came away from the day with the TBA bonus for a very good owner/ breeder. The series is establishing its place on the Racing calendar and we are looking forward to its renewal in 2018.”
Notes to Editors
About the British European Breeders’ Fund (BEBF)
Formed in 1983, the British European Breeders’ Fund is funded mainly by UK stallion owners and has contributed over £31.5million directly in to the prize money of British Racing; supporting over 600 flat races and 85 national hunt races each season.
