McCartan Riding Wave of Success

By Daithi Harvey

Jim McCartan will remember the 2014 breeze-up sales season fondly. The consignor, who operates from his Gaybrook Lodge Stud in County Westmeath in the midlands of Ireland, was one of the top vendors at both the Tattersalls Craven and Tattersalls Guineas Breeze- Up sales. All told, at the 2014 European breeze ups, McCartan offered 19 2-year-olds that realized a total of £2 million in sales. From this bunch, 14 have run so far and nine have won. 

McCartan will be hoping his business continues in rude health this week at the DBS Breeze-Up sales at Doncaster. Gaybrook Lodge got the European breeze-up season off to a strong start last week at Tattersalls Craven sale, with its sales headed by a Showcasing (GB) colt sold for 240,000gns; a healthy return on the 55,000gns it took to secure the colt as a yearling in the same ring six months ago. McCartan also pinhooked an Exchange Rate colt for 190,000gns; he paid $175,000 for the grey at Keeneland last September. 

McCartan’s hot streak dates back to 2013, when he sold the subsequently dual Classic-placed Lightning Thunder (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) to David Redvers for £115,000. 

Last year’s returns were headed by a High Chaparral (Ire) colt, later named Moheet (Ire), who was bought at the Craven sale by Peter and Ross Doyle on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing for 800,000gns; a big return on his £41,000 purchase price at the same venue five months previously. Moheet did not let his new connections down, making his debut for Richard Hannon in a Salisbury maiden in October where he stormed home to win by seven lengths under Frankie Dettori. He reappeared as favorite in his 3-year-old debut in the G3 Craven S. at Newmarket last week and ran a highly promising third, showing signs of inexperience early before running on in eye-catching style late. 

McCartan certainly retains faith in the colt, and commented, “It was a big task for Moheet taking on experienced colts having had only one run last year and it looks as if the run will bring him forward a good deal. He showed a lot of natural ability from an early stage and was a very professional horse to deal with. He was always very healthy and had a great temperament and constitution.” 

From a five-strong draft at last year’s Craven Sale in Tattersalls, McCartan also offered an Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly that he had bought for £25,000 six months previously from Highclere Stud. Her impressive breeze saw her value soar to 210,000gns when purchased by Godolphin. Named Blue Aegean (GB), she is a three-time winner for Charlie Appleby, most recently finishing second in a valuable conditions race at Lingfield Apr. 3. 

“Last year’s draft was just a quality bunch of horses and it’s very satisfying to see them go on and be successful for their new connections,” McCartan added. “Repeat business is very important in this game and you need to keep your customers happy.” 

As with many people working in the bloodstock business, McCartan got bitten by the bug at a young age, riding ponies and cutting his teeth on the sport horse circuit. He show-jumped to an international level before gradually increasing his involvement in racing by dabbling in breeze-up horses in the late eighties. He began developing Gaybrook Lodge in 2005, having spent time in the business working for trainer Noel Meade and also the neighboring O’Callaghan family’s Tally-Ho Stud. He has transformed the farm into a state of the art complex with a 40-meter straight indoor equine pool and hydrotherapy spa to complement the impressive all-weather gallops, horse walkers and modern barns, in addition to ample limestone paddocks for grazing young stock. “We have everything we need here on-site,” he explained. “Each year we have been fortunate enough to be able to add onto and improve the facilities; we built the swimming pool in 2014 and it’s proving to be a great asset.” 

While a daily swim does not form part of the breeze up horse’s routine it is ideal when a horse may have a slight injury that requires non-impact exercise. McCartan also has plans to develop the facility as a spelling complex, offering the complete hydrotherapy experience for horses in layup. 

Not content with having his hands full educating future racecourse stars, McCartan also finds the time to run his own media production company. Adsell Productions, which he formed back in 1989, is among the leading producers of corporate programs in Europe. McCartan’s prominence in the bloodstock industry has created some useful synergies for Adsell, and he can list studs such as Darley, Coolmore, Derrinstown, Rathbarry and Ballylinch as clients, having produced promotional stallion videos for each farm. 

“2014 was our busiest year in a long time with Adsell,” said McCartan, adding, “Obviously we do a lot of work within the bloodstock industry, but we are not dependant on it. We rolled out a health and safety video across eight manufacturing plants for a major European corporation last year and we have also produced promotional material for some well-known hotels and golf courses in Ireland.” 

A consignor’s reputation is very much based on his ability to produce and sell good horses on a regular basis, and this fact will not be lost on buyers at Doncaster this week. At last year’s sale two of the three horses that Gaybrook Lodge sold went on to win on their debut for their new connections, and he offers a larger draft of seven this year. McCartan is particularly sweet on another son of Exchange Rate (Hip 137) that he bought at Keeneland last September for $40,000. 
“He is a lovely horse and I’ve been lucky with the stallion,” he said. “I bought three by Exchange Rate last year and they continue to be good to me, all selling well and ultimately racing well. I seem to be in a good position also with the other stallions that I am represented by at Doncaster. I have two nice colts by Lope De Vega (Ire) and Showcasing (GB), and both of those stallions are very popular at the moment. I also have a colt by first- season sire Lilbourne Lad (Ire), and he was the first freshman sire in Europe to sire a winner so that’s also quite fortunate.” 

One gets the impression that McCartan’s success is down to a lot more than just luck, and it can only be a matter of time before he realizes his ambition of selling a Classic winner.