Ballyhimikin Stud

A daughter's wedding day ought to be one of the proudest moments of a father's life, and for James Hanly, the Greek wedding of his daughter Rosanna last year was indeed such an occasion, even if it meant that he missed what may then have felt like the pinnacle of his achievements as a breeder. But sometimes the racing gods are a friendly bunch and, twelve months on, they convened to grant Hanly a second chance, much to the relief of Rosanna. Watching on as Ombudsman was led back in...

Cheveley Park Stud's five-year-old distaffer Estrange (Night Of Thunder) suffered a pair of Group 1 reversals after annexing last term's G3 Lester Piggott Fillies' Stakes and G2 Lancashire Oaks, and she regained the winning habit with a decisive victory in this year's rescheduled renewal of the former contest at Carlisle. "She is hardly blowing and doesn't even look like she has had a run really," Chris Richardson said of last year's G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares runner-up. "She has done it very nicely and she...

The 16th and final seven-figure lot this year at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale was Ballyhimikin Stud's Night Of Thunder colt out of Wild Rye (Bated Breath), who was knocked down to Karl and Kelly Burke for 1,000,000gns. Successful once in three career starts for Juddmonte, Wild Rye is a sibling to seven other winners, including the G1 Grand Prix de Paris-winning sire Zambezi Sun (Dansili), G2 Guillaume d'Ornano hero Kalabar (Kahyasi) and Listed scorer Zero Gravity (Dansili), the dam of the high-class filly Kalpana (Study Of...

The annus mirabilis for James Hanly and his Ballyhimikin Stud continued at Tattersalls on Tuesday with the sale of a Blue Point colt to Godolphin for 1,000,000gns, making him the second seven-figure lot during the opening session of Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale. Lot 67 is out of the G3 Ballyogan Stakes second Boston Rocker (Acclamation), who is the dam of six winners from as many runners to date. They include the G2 Zabeel Mile scorer and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third San Donato (Lope De Vega),...

There's no jumping off the merry-go-round now that the yearling sales are in full swing, and this week's action will take the travelling show to Newmarket and Baden-Baden for Tattersalls Somerville and Germany's premier yearling sale at BBAG. The latter should expect a stampede, as the word around the grounds is that Wednesday's Ryanair flight from Stansted to Karlsruhe will be chock-a-block with new visitors to BBAG's sale alongside the racecourse at Iffezheim.  This year I've been jocked off the Baden-Baden trip by Brian Sheerin, and the current sulk at...

Cheveley Park Stud's Estrange (Night Of Thunder) remained on course for bigger targets down the line and justified short-priced favouritism with a hard-fought victory in a tactical renewal of Saturday's G2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock. "Danny [Tudhope] said she normally falls asleep, but today she didn't quite drop the bit and ended up in front a long time," explained trainer David O'Meara. "That's not how we'd like to play her, but it was a means to an end. She has a very good action and wasn't as relaxed as...

Jaber Abdullah's America Queen (Havana Grey), a €180,000 graduate of May's Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up sale, made a start on recouping that investment with an impressive debut performance in Thursday's Selecta Systems EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes over six furlongs at Haydock. The Richard Hughes trainee, who was originally knocked down for €48,000 as Goffs November foal, went postward as the 11-8 favourite and tracked the leaders from a midfield berth through the early fractions. Making smooth headway from halfway to assume control passing the quarter-mile marker, she quickened clear and was...

ASCOT, UK -- From a maiden on May 9 to a Group 2 winner at Royal Ascot less than 40 days later is some going but, as ever with bloodstock, the story reaches back much further than these few glorious weeks.  In the case of the Queen's Vase winner Carmers (Wootton Bassett), his owner-breeder Fiona Carmichael bought his dam Signe (Sea The Stars) as a yearling more than a decade ago and, as a half-sister to Group 1 winner Lord Shanakill, she carried the pretty hefty price tag of €1.1...

Al Shaqab Racing and Trevor Stewart's 2-year-old colt Andab (Saxon Warrior), a full-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road, made a winning debut in Monday's Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden over six furlong at the Curragh. Let go at odds of 8-1, he pulled clear in the closing stages to register an impressive 4 3/4-length success.   👀 Andab (Saxon Warrior) is a brother to @BreedersCup Juvenile winner Victoria Road and makes a very likeable start in the @AlShaqabRacing silks for the @JosephOBrien2 team @curraghrace |...

Kensea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), the dam of G1 Criterium International-winning Galiway (GB) full-brothers Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr), has been added to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as a wildcard, the sales company announced on Wednesday. Offered by James Hanly's Ballyhimikin Stud during the second day of the Sceptre Sessions on Tuesday, Dec. 5 as lot 1825, the 13-year-old mare is owned and bred by Guy Pariente. She is in foal to rising French sire Zarak (Fr). A listed winner herself, Kensea's four foals to make the racecourse have all...

A grey son of Ghaiyyath (Ire) (lot 151) took the lead during Book 1 at Tattersalls after making 1.05 million gns on the bid of Godolphin. That operation had earlier picked up a son of Ghaiyyath's sire Dubawi (Ire) and the mare Shastye (Ire) (Danehill) for 1 million gns earlier on Tuesday. Consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud, the colt is out of Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), herself a daughter of G2 King's Stand S. heroine and top producer Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). The colt is a half-brother...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK--Irish owner-breeder Trevor Stewart was once again basking in the glow of his golden goose Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) as the great mare's grandson by Ghaiyyath (Ire) led the way at 1.05 million gns on the opening day of Book 1 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. It was Godolphin, the leading buyer on the day, who landed the colt from the first crop of Ghaiyyath, consigned by Ballyhimikin Stud, to provide Stewart with yet another memorable result with the family...