Ballyhane Stud

Ballyhane Stud has announced the two winners of its inaugural breeders' raffle, an initiative designed to reward the breeders supporting the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes.  Tina Dargan has been named the winning recipient of a free nomination to Breeders' Cup winner Magnum Force while Sandra Fox is the winning recipient of a free nomination to the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Sakheer. These nominations are available for immediate use during the current breeding season. Joe Foley, owner Ballyhane Stud said, "The Ballyhane Breeders' Raffle is our way of recognising...

Grade I winner Magnum Force has his first four mares scanned in foal at Ballyhane Stud. Standing for €7,500 in 2026, the son of Mehmas won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Stakes winner Asidious Alexander (Windsor Knot), Sunday Smart (Dandy Man), Gold Vision (Havana Gold), a sister to stakes winner Aqlaam Vision (Aqlaam), and Odessa On My Mind (Saxon Warrior), a half-sister to stakes scorer Most Beautiful (Canford Cliffs), have all tested in foal to the young stallion. "He's had a busy start and has settled into the...

Some clarity was provided to the supporters of Sands Of Mali on Thursday after the High Court ordered Steve Parkin's legal team to release covering certificates to the breeders that have sent mares to a stallion who was reported to have sold to Yeomanstown Stud for €8 million in a silent auction held by Tattersalls Ireland back in November.  The order was made by Mr Justice David Nolan as the long-running legal battle between owner-breeder Parkin and his former racing manager and Ballyhane Stud owner Joe Foley wrangled on.  Parkin's...

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 a long and successful run on the track with Parkin's Clipper Logistics operation, which Foley managed. Recent highlights include the homebred Classic winner Fallen Angel, who is now in the ownership of Wathnan Racing. Whatever...

Ballyhane Stud and the Irish European Breeders Fund (Irish EBF) announced the seventh renewal of their sponsorship of the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes, the richest race staged at Naas Racecourse. The race will be run on Bank Holiday Monday, August 3. The €200,000 median auction contest has established itself as a popular and highly competitive fixture on the Irish racing calendar since its inauguration in 2020. Last year's renewal was won by the Ger Lyons-trained Howd'yadoit, further highlighting the race's strong appeal to leading owners, trainers and breeders. In addition...

Breeders' Cup victor Magnum Force has been retired and will stand at Ballyhane Stud in Ireland from next year. A fee for the Grade I-winning son of Mehmas will be announced later. The Ger Lyons trainee won at second asking at Cork, before running second in the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes at York last August. Third in Doncaster's G2 Flying Childer's Stakes in September, he triumphed by a half-length in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on November 1. The son of the Fastnet Rock mare Tropical Rock...

ASCOT, UK -- It was a day when so many of those engaged at Royal Ascot were thinking also of a great man gone away in Ireland. Kevin Prendergast would undoubtedly have revelled in the splendid results for some of his fellow Irish trainers on Ascot Heath as they in turn paid tribute to him. And there was even a winner for his old friend Awtaad, the last of the trainer's Classic winners, whose son Ethical Diamond triumphed in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes after another, Ascending, had won Tuesday's...

Promising three-year-old Edge Of Mali (Ire) (Sands Of Mali {Fr}), who chased home Irish 2,000 Guineas entrant Currawood (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) on debut at Dundalk, has been sold to continue her career in America.  The six-figure sale represents a remarkable upswing in value for trainer Claire O'Connell's filly, who was sold for 3,000gns by Clipper Logistics at last year's Tattersalls July Sale. It was Joe Foley, long-time advisor to Clipper boss Steve Parkin, who saw the merits in what was at the time an unraced two-year-old. The sale of Edge...

Ballyhane Stud's new stallion Sakheer (Ire) has passed the first test of his stud career with a number of mares now tested in foal to him. "Sakheer has already covered over a quarter of his book and his fertility looks very good to date," said Ballyhane's Joe Foley. "He's had great support from breeders with some smashing mares booked to him. As an example, the first two mares to scan in foal to him were Doors to Manual, the dam of Group 2 winner Safety Check, and the French stakes-placed...

Sands Of Mali (Fr) will remain at Ballyhane Stud after an injunction application by Steve Parkin to have the stallion removed from the care of his former advisor Joe Foley was turned down by the High Court in Ireland. The injunction hearing, which took place in Dublin on January 23, outlined the disputed ownership of Sands Of Mali, with Parkin claiming to have bought the son of Panis outright while Foley, owner of Ballyhane, countered that Parkin had taken a 50 per cent share of the horse with him. Foley's...

DUBLIN, Ireland--In an explosive turn of events surrounding the ongoing saga involving the ownership of promising young stallion Sands Of Mali, the High Court heard on Thursday of how leading owner Steve Parkin is alleged to have made threats to Ballyhane Stud boss Joe Foley, his business partner and advisor of over 20 years. Parkin, who once described Foley as being "like a brother" and, up until last January was happy to have him in charge of his Clipper Logistics ownership vehicle, is seeking an injunction to have Sands Of...

Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the new stallion at Ballyhane Stud for 2025, will stand at a fee of €6,500 on Live Foal terms. He will cover a maximum of 140 mares. The G2 Mill Reef Stakes winner, who raced for KHK Racing, arrived at the farm in Leighlinbridge recently.  "Everyone on the farm loves him, he has a super temperament," said Ballyhane's Joe Foley. "He's been here a few weeks now and he has settled in well. We can't wait to show him to breeders. "We've had a fantastic reaction...