Joe Foley

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...

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...

The Irish European Breeders' Fund (Irish EBF) has today been announced as the flagship sponsor of the new National Hunt Academy Hurdle Race Series, which will commence in October 2025 with the aim of encouraging National Hunt horses to enter training earlier. The races will be open to three-year-old horses who have not had any previous run on the Flat or under National Hunt Rules, other than in Academy Hurdle races. Winners of such races will still be qualified to run in bumpers and maiden hurdles in Ireland, guaranteeing these...

Close to 1,500 foals have changed hands at Goffs and Tattersalls over the past fortnight during what industry stakeholders have acknowledged to be a magic marketplace. This was the year to sell a foal with all of the key figures jumping dramatically at both sales houses.  Not only were the pinhookers predictably strong after what was widely agreed to be an unexpectedly good end to the yearling sales, but a number of end-users--Godolphin, Yulong, Juddmonte and more--really stepped up to the plate at both sales.  There were records broken at...

A dispute between Classic-winning owner Steve Parkin and his former racing and bloodstock advisor Joe Foley over the ownership of Sands Of Mali continued in the High Court on Tuesday.  Parkin and Foley, the owner of Ballyhane Stud, where Sands Of Mali (Fr) is based, severed ties back in March. At the time, the Clipper Logistics boss Parkin moved stallions Space Traveller (GB) and Asymmetric (Ire) from Ballyhane Stud to Starfield Stud.  The court was told on Tuesday that Sands Of Mali, who sits third in the first-season sires' championship...

First-season sire Sands Of Mali (Fr) is at the centre of allegations brought by Steve Parkin against Joe Foley's Ballyhane Stud, the Irish Independent reported on Wednesday. Parkin and his company Clipper BCS, LLP say he acquired the horse for £270,000 in August of 2020, but that Foley is now claiming a 50% share of the son of Panis. In his affidavit, Parkin said that the defendants did not purchase any share in the stallion. Parkin also said the defendant claims that he indicated acknowledgment of shared ownership in a...

After a 20-year business relationship between Clipper Logistics' Steven Parkin and his racing advisor, Ballyhane Stud's Joe Foley, ended in March, Parkin has filed against Foley in the Irish High Court as of Wednesday, The Currency reported. A Classic-winning owner with Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the 2024 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, Parkin has had great success with his grey Clipper Logistics silks for many years, with the owner and Foley a formidable team. In the past, the relationship was described as "nearly like family". The master...

The fifth running of the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S., which is to be held at Naas on August 5, has attracted 322 entries. Worth a total of €300,000, with €150,000 to the winner and prize-money down to tenth place, the race is for EBF-eligible two-year-olds by sires with a median auction sale price of €75,000 or less. Hugo Palmer was the winning trainer in 2023 with Golden Trick (Ire) (Galileo Gold {Ire}) for the Bronte Collection, which also owned the runner-up Jungle Mate (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}). The Bronte...

It has been confirmed that Sands Of Mali (Fr) will remain at Ballyhane Stud, where he has stood since his retirement in 2021. This is contrary to a statement released on Tuesday by Steve Parkin's Dullingham Park. The Group 1-winning sprinter has his first runners this season. His former stud-mates at Ballyhane, Asymmetric (Ire) and Space Traveller (GB), have moved to Micheal Orlandi's Starfield Stud in Co Westmeath. A statement released by Ballyhane Stud on Friday morning cited "a breakdown in the business relationship between Clipper principal Steve Parkin and...

Exciting young sires Space Traveller (GB) and Sands Of Mali (Fr) have been transferred from Ballyhane Stud to Micheal Orlandi's Starfield Stud for the remainder of the 2024 breeding season. A statement released by Dullingham Park on Tuesday read, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Space Traveller and Sands Of Mali, formerly at Ballyhane Stud, have been relocated to stand the remainder of the 2024 season at Micheal Orlandi's Starfield Stud in Mullingar [County Westmeath]. "Space Traveller is in his second season covering and reports of his first foals are exceptional. His...