BBA Ireland

Joe Murphy, Bill Dwan, Richard Brown and Michael Donohoe have led the tributes to racing's "problem solver" John Fleming, who died after being struck by a bus at Dublin Airport on Thursday morning. Fleming, 62, enjoyed huge success as an owner, notably with trainers Michael O'Callaghan and Joe Murphy. His biggest day came last summer when Cercene, who he part-owned, won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot while Navassa Island carried his own colours to Listed success at Cork earlier this month. He was also a keen trader...

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...

Ahead of the Irish Champions Festival, Ado McGuinness opens up about one of the most difficult years of his life and his reinvention as a trainer of two-year-olds  When Ado McGuinness was at his lowest ebb last year, he rightly would have looked at you twice had you told him that the next 12 months would see him bag a couple of premier handicaps, become an overnight success on the west coast of America and face into the Irish Champions Festival brimming with confidence about taking out a €250,000 pot....

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE - Less than a fortnight after Power Blue provided Space Blues with a breakthrough Group 1 success by producing a gritty performance from the front to land the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, the Darley stallion supplied the top lot of the Arqana August V2 Yearling Sale on Wednesday when Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International went to €110,000 to secure a colt by the first-season sire from Haras de l'Hotellerie.  Records were broken during the August Yearling Sale here in Deauville and the 86% clearance rate for the...

Legendary BBA Ireland bloodstock agent Adrian Nicoll relives some of his greatest days in the business They say that stories lived are better than stories told. And by God, Adrian Nicoll has lived through his share of good times. The former BBA Ireland bloodstock agent has purchased his share of Group 1 winners, too. Think Dark Angel, Kooyonga, Alexander Goldrun, Serenade Rose and more. He also played a part in the shuttling of the stallions to Australia which was the brainchild of his close friend John Magnier. More recently, he...

Ifurhappynuknowit (Bernardini--Mushka, by Empire Maker), an unraced full-sister to Godolphin's late Crowned, dam of last week's GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), topped the Fasig-Tipton May Digital Sale, which closed late Tuesday afternoon. Consigned by Knowles Farm as hip 30, Ifurhappynuknowit sold for $280,000 to Denali Stud, agent. She was sold with her Feb. 18-foaled colt by Vino Rosso at her side and is back in foal to two-time champion Elite Power. "It was very exciting to offer a horse like Ifurhappynuknowit fresh off a huge update," said Fasig-Tipton...

Impressive Dundalk maiden winner The Padre (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) has been sold to continue his career in California, where he will be trained by Phil D'Amato.  Bred by John Halley, The Padre created a big impression on his first and only start for his son Josh last month, winning a 1m2f maiden by almost three lengths under Wayne Lordan.  "We did think a bit of him before we came here and he was probably the best out of my two-year-olds last year," Josh told Irishracing.com after that debut victory.  "He...

The Aga Khan's recent Dundalk winner Ridhaz (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) highlighted what proved to be a strong horses-in-training section of the Autumn Sale at Goffs at €220,000 to BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe.  Ridhaz has been brought to the boil steadily by Michael Halford and Tracey Collins. The three-year-old gelding was last seen winning an extended 10f handicap at Dundalk by over three lengths and rates a horse with a good future.  A winter campaign in the Middle East beckons for the dual winner, according to Donohoe, who revealed the horse...

Lynne Lyons's hitherto untried €155,000 Keeneland September graduate Ethical Code (Justify), a Ger Lyons-trained daughter of G1 Phoenix Stakes heroine Damson (Ire) (Entrepreneur {GB}), failed to sell when stalling on the €300,000 mark at Arqana's Breeze-Up fixture earlier in the year and dug deep to make a winning debut in Wednesday's DundalkStadium.com Fillies Maiden at Dundalk. A half-sister to dual Group-winning sire Requinto (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), she raced along the rail in fourth for most of this seven-furlong contest. Taking closer order in the home straight, the 7-1 chance was...

Tattersalls Ireland has rightly earned a reputation as being a place where the younger brigade can prosper and Conor Mahon could well be the latest to play a star role at the September Yearling Sale this week.  Under his own Archersgrove Bloodstock, one of the newest consignments on the sales circuit, the 30-year-old will offer a Space Blues (Ire) filly and a Make Believe (GB) colt who were purchased as foals for €26,000 and €10,000 respectively.  Archersgrove Bloodstock is already up and running for the year. A combined £46,000 was...

DEAUVILLE, France--As of Tuesday morning it's been six days since Adam Potts landed in Deauville, but there's no time to slow down as the newest recruit to the team of bloodstock agents at BBA Ireland. With the Arqana August Sale fast disappearing in the rear-view mirror, attentions now turn to the v.2 Yearling Sale and the catalogue of 189 lots scheduled to go through the ring when bidding gets underway at 11am local time. For Potts the task until then is simple: to get through as many of the lots...

Maiden winner Wizard Of Odds (Ire) (Arizona {Ire}) topped the ThoroughBid July Sale on Thursday. BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe bought the juvenile for £50,000. Sold as lot 28 by Baronrath Stables, he was trained by Charles O'Brien to win at Down Royal two weeks ago. Donohoe said, "I've been keeping my eye on the ThoroughBid sales ever since they kicked off and was interested when I saw Wizard Of Odds entered. He's a horse I've been following all season. "He'll be staying in-training in Ireland for some Irish clients and...