There are two types of people in life: those who are bowed by adversity and those who stare it in the face and dare it to try to bring them down.  For more than a year Joe Foley has been involved in an ongoing court battle with Steve Parkin. Prior to that the pair had [...]

Anyone who hit the Irish Stallion Trail over the last weekend would have noticed the plethora of sons of Wootton Bassett to have joined the throng this year. Five to be precise, standing at five different studs, with two of those, the French Classic winners Camille Pissarro and Henri Matisse, based at Coolmore's main farm [...]

Whether you're a racing fan enjoying another glimpse of champions of yesteryear, or a breeder assessing the new intake to the sire ranks, the ITM Irish Stallion Trail is unmissable. From toddlers up, the throng of visitors to the 37 studs who opened their doors across the country on Friday and Saturday stand as testament [...]

Being a leading broodmare sire is so often a posthumous honour. It is also one that tends to come on the back of a stallion either having been sent strong books of mares from the outset, or having earned that right through eye-catching early results in his stud career.  Of the top 20 broodmare sires [...]

As old-fashioned as it may now seem, in this small corner of the bloodstock world a strong personal preference it still held for the Derby above all races. And by that, of course, we are talking about the original version, at Epsom, with that piece of wood at the end of the unique mile-and-a-half challenge [...]

The term 'blue hen' may have emanated from the game birds of the American state of Delaware, but its appropriation by the Thoroughbred breeding industry bears similarities to its origins in that it remains a badge of honour. There are few true blue hens across the world but one who has certainly earned that title [...]

The road sign at the turn-off from Ousden towards Wickhambrook reads 'This is a quiet lane'. Drive a mile or so down that lane and it becomes considerably less quiet as one arrives at Genesis Green Stud. There, the unmistakably booming voice of Michael Swinburn greets visitors, who will be arriving in increasing numbers over [...]

The promising young stallion King Of Change (Farhh) has left Ireland to stand at Tweenhills Stud for the forthcoming season in a move which stud owner David Redvers has described as “potentially game-changing for us”. Runner-up to Magna Grecia in the 2,000 Guineas, King Of Change won three of his six lifetime starts, closing out [...]

It is three years since Deep Impact's long reign as Japan's champion sire ended, and six years since his death at the age of 17, but his influence on the country's stallion ranks is still profound.  As well as being sire of the champion Kizuna, he is also sire of champion freshman Contrail, who, like [...]

The death of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum has been described as “a hammer blow of epic proportions” as those who worked closely with the owner-breeder come to terms with his unexpected passing. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, a cousin of the Ruler of Dubai and Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammned bin Rashid Al Maktoum, died in Dubai [...]

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, a leading owner-breeder in Britain and member of the ruling family of Dubai, died on Monday. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has enjoyed significant success over the past 30 years, much of it thanks to his Classic-winning filly Zomaradah, who proved a wonderful broodmare, most notably as the dam of Dubawi. The [...]

Few will forget the moment that Sea The Stars entered the history books as one of the true greats when adding the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to his list of Group 1 successes through a faultless three-year-old season. It is therefore appropriate that his son Daryz should prevail in that same race, sealing the [...]