Tally-Ho Stud took the unprecedented decision earlier this month to announce that Starman, the runaway winner of the first-season sires' championship in Britain and Ireland, was fully subscribed at a fee of €40,000 – up from €10,000 this year – for 2026.  So, did the O'Callaghans make a boo-boo by setting the fee too low [...]

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 [...]

Oli Rix, the most recent addition to the training ranks in Newmarket, harbours dreams of sending out a breakthrough winner with Trouble Man before the year is out. The 31-year-old, who has spent time working with Andrew Balding, Chris Waller and most recently Roger Varian, has assembled a team of 15 horses to run in [...]

It may not have rivalled the headline acts Romantic Warrior, Ka Ying Rising or even Sosie, but for Justin Timmons, the success of his graduate Helene Supafeeling (City Light) in Hong Kong on Sunday provided the popular breeze-up consignor with reason to celebrate. And why wouldn't it? Helene Supafeeling, formerly known as Port Light in [...]

Nobody wants to be late to the party. That statement applies to just about every aspect in business and is especially pertinent with a view towards breeding.  Everyone would love to send mares to Mehmas and Starman but, the reality of the situation is that many breeders' mating plans are dictated just as much by [...]

Cathal Beale reflects on a momentous run of sales results for the Irish National Stud as well offering his thoughts on new addition to the stallion roster Arizona Blaze Credit where credit is due, the Irish National Stud knocked it out of the park at this year's breeding stock sales. The stud netted just shy [...]

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted and entertaining auctioneers in the business, John O'Kelly brought the curtain down on his time on the rostrum at Tattersalls during the Sceptre Sessions on Tuesday evening.  And what a way to do it. O'Kelly brought the hammer down at 4.5 million gns to MV Magnier on [...]

The aptly-named Easy has been billed as one of the star attractions to Monday's Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale and Brian Slattery says that the Listed-winning daughter of Kodiac boasts “international appeal” and a successful sale would put the cherry on top of what has been a dream year for his brother [...]

Oh to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Coming in at 170,000gns, West Moor Stud's Havana Grey colt didn't just stand out on the final day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, he towered above the opposition. Bought on behalf of Yeomanstown Stud by bloodstock agent Hamish Macauley, the Havana Grey colt was [...]

Right arms and legs were made to be given for the Tattersalls December Foal Sale-topping Frankel colt who, at 1.15 million gns to Coolmore Stud, became the most expensive foal sold anywhere in Europe this year.  Like two old gunslingers facing off at dawn, MV Magnier took his position at the back of the cage [...]

Bear with me now, but parallels could be drawn between the Irish football team's World Cup qualification campaign and the Goffs November Foal Sale. Last year's sale was akin to the boys in green thumping Portugal 2-0 in the Aviva Stadium. Nobody saw it coming.  One swallow doesn't make a summer, though, and it would [...]

Enthralling, a Galileo sister to Derby winner Lambourn (Australia), lived up to her name at the Goffs November Mares Sale with Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm holding off a strong challenge from Ace Stud for the young breeding prospect at €780,000. As well as being a sister to a Derby winner out of a high-class [...]