Con Marnane

Victorious Forever's George Scott trainee Mrair (Mehmas), the £880,000 Goffs UK Breeze-Up topper who ran second to a quirky sort at Newmarket just over two weeks ago, confirmed the promise of that debut effort with a dominant performance in Monday's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Lingfield. "I wasn't disappointed, the owner wasn't disappointed [with the debut effort] and we always wanted to get two runs into him before, potentially, going to [Royal] Ascot," explained Scott. "Ryan [Moore] educated him well and he did what he had to do....

Ryan Conran has exploded onto the breeze-up scene with She's Perfect (Sioux Nation), who finished first past the post in the French 1,000 Guineas, Group 3 scorer Coto De Caza (Sioux Nation) and Lincoln runner-up Rogue Diplomat (Calyx) just some of the high-profile graduates that have flown the flag for the 32-year-old's Lacka House Stables operation.  On the eve of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, Conran shares all about his approach to breezing, philosophy towards risk and much more in the latest breeze-up focused Q&A. You've had a lot of...

Qipco British Champions Day should be one of those occasions when some of the stallions of next year go out in a blaze of glory on the track. Richard Fahey's Powerful Glory did indeed enhance his future stallion credentials when delivering a 200/1 shock success in the British Champions Sprint, but the other major winners of the day were geldings, bar of course the dual Champion Fillies and Mares Stakes winner Kalpana (Study Of Man). The upside of that scenario is that we can look forward to some returning heroes...

Last term's G2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Powerful Glory (Cotai Glory) was the lowest-rated and least experienced contender lining up for Saturday's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot and, having beaten just one rival in two starts this season, came home with a career high after posting a 200-1 shock in the straight six-furlong dash. His odds are the longest for the winner of a European Group 1 contest, surpassing Qirat's 150-1 in this term's G1 Sussex Stakes. "We always thought he was a nice horse, but at 200-1...

Con Marnane returned to the Osarus Yearling Sale, from where he famously sourced outstanding sprinter Sands Of Mali, to stock up on five yearlings - and a lorry's load of French wine. Just over €1 million [€1,021,500 to be precise] was traded at the Osarus Yearling Sale on Wednesday where the top lot - a Ghaiyyath colt that went the way of Cava Associates - sold for just €45,0000.  And while Marnane admitted that the overall standard at Osarus has slipped in recent times, the larger-than-life Bansha boss stressed the...

It is nearly 20 years since Speciosa (Ire) became the first Classic winner to emanate from the breeze-up sales. The man who sold her, Willie Browne, had been plying his trade in that sector since 1978, and, as the breeze-ups close in on their 50th anniversary, it is good to see that the Mocklershill maestro is still very much at the top of his game.  In fact, last week's Craven Sale at Tattersalls was a good one for the founding fathers of the breeze-up game. There was Browne turning €70,000...

Never in the history of the breeze-up game have the top horses been worth more. That was evident at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale last week when the record for the most expensive horse ever sold at the sale was broken not once but twice and top agents Richard Brown and Billy Jackson-Stops admitted to finding it hard to land a blow.  Malcolm Bastard's 1.75 million gns record-breaking Havana Grey (GB) colt played a pretty significant role in the turnover reaching an all-time high of nearly 20 million gns. On...

The Bansha House Stables open morning is back for another year and takes place on Saturday, April 5, at 9.30am sharp. The inaugural open morning went down a bomb-despite arctic conditions-and Con Marnane, whose graduates include Sands Of Mali, Prince Of Lir, Powerful Glory and more, says he is keen to build on last year's edition and to make the open morning a yearly occurrence.  "We are slightly snookered with the date, as Munster are playing in the ruby and then you have the Dubai World Cup and the Grand...

Group 1-placed sprinter Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) will continue his career in Australia after the majority owners in the four-year-old, Bronsan Racing, switched the colt from Jessica Harrington to the stable of Michael Freeman Down Under. Twice a winner at Group 3 level, Givemethebeatboys was purchased by Bronsan Racing for £1.1 million at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot. He had previously been sourced by Con Marnane, who retains an interest in the colt, for just €11,000 as a yearling.  Neil Sands commented, "The decision...

Respect. It really is that simple. If we want to be involved with horses in sport we must treat those animals who give us either our pleasure or livelihood - or both - with decency and dignity. There are rogue elements, of course, but it is how the majority of people involved in horseracing feel and act, be they breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys or fans. Perhaps the most touching embodiment of this was witnessed during a recent visit to Sapporo racecourse in Japan, where there is a shrine alongside the...

Starfield Stud resident Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Jessica Harrington-trained son Rock N Roll Rocket (Ire) made a winning debut over five furlongs in Friday's €25,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at Cork. 1st-Cork, €25,000, Mdn, 5-10, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.41, gd. ROCK N ROLL ROCKET (IRE) (c, 2, Far Above {Ire}--California Tee {GB}, by Kheleyf) was positioned in mid division after an alert getaway in this debut. Inching forward from halfway, the 16-1 chance came under pressure with a...

The Gowran Park Breeze-Up Sale is set to make its return in 2025 with powerhouse consignors Willie Browne, Con Marnane and Roger O'Callaghan pledging to support what was formerly known as the Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale.  The Goresbridge Breeze-Up Sale was relocated to Fairyhouse and run by Tattersalls Ireland back in 2019. However, this year marks the first time that Tattersalls Ireland will run the sale away from the banner of Goresbridge.  After a four-year hiatus, Goresbridge Horse Sales returned to the point-to-point and horses-in-training market last month under the leadership...