Castlehyde Stud

Rigsdale Stud knocked it out of the park last year and Barry Kennedy, who runs the operation alongside his partner Anna Murphy, speaks about his ambitions for the farm Few breeders navigated their way through last year's yearling sale season with such sniper-like precision as Barry Kennedy and Anna Murphy of Rigsdale Stud. A homebred Sioux Nation colt kick-started a memorable autumn for the couple when selling to Billy Jackson-Stops on behalf of George Scott for £100,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale at Doncaster.  Better still was to come for...

Anyone who hit the Irish Stallion Trail over the last weekend would have noticed the plethora of sons of Wootton Bassett to have joined the throng this year. Five to be precise, standing at five different studs, with two of those, the French Classic winners Camille Pissarro and Henri Matisse, based at Coolmore's main farm near Fethard and at Castlehyde Stud in Fermoy. Their illustrious sire joined the Coolmore roster in 2021, having stood his first nine years in France at Haras d'Etreham, rising from a €6,000 debutant to €40,000....

Whether you're a racing fan enjoying another glimpse of champions of yesteryear, or a breeder assessing the new intake to the sire ranks, the ITM Irish Stallion Trail is unmissable. From toddlers up, the throng of visitors to the 37 studs who opened their doors across the country on Friday and Saturday stand as testament to the draw of the annual showcase. Many readers of this publication will be in the fortunate position of being able to visit stallion studs at their leisure and to be welcomed with open arms....

Los Angeles, a Group 1 winner in each of his three seasons to race, will stand on the National Hunt roster at Castlehyde Stud for the 2026 breeding season, according to Coolmore.com. The son of Camelot, who was bred by Lynch Bages Ltd and Longfield Stud and trained by Aidan O'Brien, was unbeaten in his two juvenile starts, which included the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Running throughout his career in the colours of Westerberg, who owned him in partnership with Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Los Angeles won...

Champion Westerner has died at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland, Coolmore announced on Friday. The bay was just a few days shy of his 26th birthday. "Westerner was always a pleasure to deal with and was an old favourite of the breeders too," said Castlehyde's Cathal Murphy. "He got you a lovely sort of horse with a good attitude that jumped well. He has been a wonderful servant for us over the years producing so many top-class horses and will be greatly missed by all the team here in Castlehyde." Bred...

Coolmore stallion The Antarctic (Ire) sired his first reported foal last weekend. The Sepoy (Aus) mare Ibiza (GB) foaled a bay filly at Alne Park Stud. Ibiza is out of G2 Park Hill Stakes heroine Hi Calypso (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}) from the family of Arc heroine Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}). "We are delighted with our filly by The Antarctic," said Alne Park's stud director Grace Skelton. "She is a fine, strong and athletic foal." The Antarctic, a full-brother to three-time champion sprinter Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), won...

Multiple group winner The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Anna Law {Ire}, by Lawman {Fr}), a full-brother to crack sprinter Battaash (Ire), has been retired and will stand under the Coolmore banner at Castlehyde Stud in 2024, Coolmore announced on Wednesday. A fee for the G1 Middle Park S. second and G1 Prix Morny third will be announced later. "He's fast, a very good-looking individual and his own-brother Battaash is probably the best five-furlong sprinter of recent times," said Castlehyde's Paddy Fleming. "On a mark of 113 as a 2-year-old, the...

Former world champion 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar (Ire) (Danehill--Offshore Boom {GB}, by Be My Guest) has died from heart failure at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland at the age of 23. The son of Danehill was bred by the late Joe Crowley with his daughter Annemarie and son-in-law Aidan O'Brien. He was sent into training with the latter at Ballydoyle as a juvenile in 2001, later racing for the partnership of Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Magnier. Rock Of Gibraltar's sensational racing career, which saw him land seven consecutive Group 1...

Coolmore Stud's G2 Coventry S. hero Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) celebrated the arrival of his first reported foals, with one, a colt out of the winner Sweet Martoni (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), born on Tuesday night at Thistletown Stud in County Wexford. Sweet Martoni is a daughter of the stakes winner Sweetness Herself (GB) (Unfuwain) and is a half-sister to black-type winner Jagger (GB) (Linamix {Fr}). Jimmy Furlong, who owns the foal with Ken Sneath, said the new arrival was, "a fine big, bay colt with plenty of quality, just...

Classic winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}--Wadyhatta {GB}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at Castlehyde Stud in 2022. A fee for the G1 Irish Derby hero will be announced later. "Santiago is a Derby winner with a pedigree full of Derby winners and leading sires," said Coolmore's Cathal Murphy. "He's a big, quality individual with a fantastic action, and I'm sure National Hunt breeders will be very impressed when they see him." Purchased for €275,000 in utero at the Arqana July Sale in 2016,...

NEWMARKET, UK--With an outstanding day of action anticipated at Newmarket on Saturday, an Exceed And Excel (Aus) half-sister to one of the potential stars of the day, Zain Claudette (Ire) (No Nay Never), added further lustre to the family when topping the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale at £200,000. Zain Claudette has been a break-out performer for trainer Ismael Mohammed this season, progressing from winning a Newmarket maiden to the G3 Princess Margaret S. and then G2 Lowther S. Come the weekend, she may well have taken the next step...

NEWMARKET, UK--Ah, the yearling sales. It's a long old season and sometimes the more elderly members of the press desk can get a little jaded by the halfway point, not to mention discombobulated. After all, we're at a Tattersalls Ireland sale in Newmarket, where instead of selling in guineas or euros, the horses are changing hands in sterling. But every now and then a feelgood story comes along to soften even the stoniest of hearts. Let's face it, the day started pretty well: the sun shone and the free ice-cream...