Alpha Racing

Here's to the hardy souls still grafting away at the Goffs December National Hunt Sale. For the mostly Flat brigade, however, we can now hang up bobble hats and waterproofs, put the final catalogue on the shelf (sorry, iPad users, not quite caught up with you yet) and wonder what to do with ourselves until the February Sale comes around. Oh yes, Christmas, that will distract us for a few days. During the long and frenetic sales season there is little time for reflection, but as the dust settles on...

He called it a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience, smiling in the Paris sunshine, spry and dapper in his bow tie and blazer. And then he added: "I mean, I'm 90 years old, so I don't know how much more lifetime there is!" That helped the interview go fairly viral. But there was much else besides: the sheer joie de vivre, the sense of just how much living Russell Jones has crammed into that lifetime; plus an infectious sense of the fulfilment available, when you invest in a horse in a purely sporting...

High-class filly Barnavara, last seen winning the G1 Prix de l'Opera at ParisLongchamp, is set to go under the hammer at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She will be consigned by Baroda Stud and will feature as part of the fourth edition of the Sceptre Sessions, which will be held on Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 2. Trained by Jessica Harrington for Alpha Racing, Barnavara has gone from strength to strength since gaining her first black-type victory in June's Listed Kooyonga Stakes at Navan. The daughter of Calyx has...

Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines had an open feel beforehand and there was a predictable bunch finish with Alpha Racing's Barnavara (Calyx) hanging on to clinch victory from See The Fire (Sea The Stars). Sent forward by Shane Foley to dictate, the Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old who had been impressive in last month's Blandford kept digging in as threats emerged on either side to prevail by a short neck at 9-1. Less than a length covered the first five home, with One Look (Gleneagles) getting third, a short head behind...

With her winning momentum abruptly halted last time, many would have made the presumption that Barnavara (Calyx) was at a plateau but Alpha Racing's flagbearer was not having any of that on Sunday. Ruthlessly dominant in The Curragh's G2 Moyglare Jewels Blandford Stakes, the 6-1 shot had the notable yardsticks One Look (Gleneagles) and Red Letter (Frankel) trailing in her wake as she registered a third Stakes win under Shane Foley. "She's a fantastic filly and is improving all the time," trainer Jessica Harrington said. "She's a big filly and...

Having mastered Juddmonte's Red Letter last time, Barnavara (Calyx) was at it again on Wednesday with another Ger Lyons-trained daughter of Frankel held at bay in the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Irish EBF Jannah Rose Stakes at Naas. This time, it was the unbeaten Faiyum who failed to get by Alpha Racing's improving filly having her first try at an extended 10 furlong trip. Undeterred by that, Shane Foley set out to make all on the Jessica Harrington-trained Barnavara who was third in the G2 Debutante Stakes in August and...

Jessica Harrington is the most successful female trainer that Ireland has ever produced. The 76-year-old has sent out multiple Cheltenham Festival winners, including the legendary Champion Chaser Moscow Flyer (Ire), as well as Classic winners Alpha Centauri (Ire) and Magical Lagoon (Ire) from her Moone-based stables in County Kildare. Plans are now afoot to take home more big-race riches this season and, despite the fact that Harrington is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, there is only one topic of conversation at the breakfast table at this time of year....

Just over a week after selling the syndicate's flag-bearer Cadillac (Ire) (Lope De Vega) for a cool £500,000 at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot, Alpha Racing are concentrated on sending out the stars of the future at the Curragh on Derby weekend, headed by G2 Airlie Stud S. contender It's Showtime Baby (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). A winner of a Dundalk maiden on debut back in April, the Jessica Harrington-trained It's Showtime Baby achieved black type when running third in a Group 3 at Naas last...

With their horse coming off a win in a Group 3 stakes race, the connections of Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) could have easily pointed their horse to some of the major stakes remaining on the European calendar. Instead, the 3-year-old colt will be in Saratoga Saturday for the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational. With so many lucrative opportunities available, it is growing increasingly difficult for European stables to ignore a stakes schedule laden with rich, winnable races. "This is a very valuable race, it's a Grade I and it...

It has been a strange year and the Covid pandemic has meant that we have had to revolutionise the way we try to keep owners informed. We use a very good system now called Racing Manager and we do a lot of videoing of the horses, talking to their lads, talking to the jockeys. Because people haven't been allowed to come racing we interview the jockeys in the parade ring before racing, take photos of the horses in the parade ring and afterwards and then another video with the jockey's...

   The trainer originally best known for many high-class jumps winners that has made an eye-catching advance on Flat racing's top contests in recent years will share her thoughts with the TDN on a monthly basis in this most unusual of seasons. The Breeders' Cup is a fantastic meeting, one that serves as an end-of-year championship between Europe and the U.S. In a year such as this it is fantastic that we are still able to go over and have those great match-ups. I had my first runner at the...