Joe Foley

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry   After a hectic few months perusing this year's foal and yearling crops, we asked the buyers to share their thoughts on the young stallions with first foals and yearlings.  Dermot Farrington, agent: "If you look at the list of people who have bought yearlings and foals by Advertise, it's a long time since a young stallion has attracted the who's who of the bloodstock world, and that's exactly what he has done. Whether it be yearlings to breeze, yearlings to race or foals...

Space Traveller (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}--Sky Crystal {Ger}, by Galileo {Ire}), successful in group events in England and Ireland and placed three times in Grade I company in North America, will enter stud in 2023 at Joe Foley's Ballyhane Stud, where he will serve mares at an introductory fee of €6,500. Carrying the colours of Clipper Logistics and trained in Europe by Richard Fahey, Space Traveller was Group 3-placed as a juvenile before winning the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot--defeating future multiple top-level scorer Space Blues (Ire)--and was a...

The solid trade continued at Fairyhouse on Thursday with a record €10,473 average recorded at Part Two of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, representing an 8% increase on 2021.  The median was also up 12% over last year at €8,000 while turnover reached €963,500, up 42%, at a clearance rate of 82%. The session was topped by a Dark Angel (Ire) half-sister to multi-surface Group 1 winner Hunter's Light (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), knocked down to Joe Foley for €52,000 from Ringfort Stud. "She is a good model of a...

His roots may be deeply entrenched in National Hunt racing and just this spring he won the most famous jumps race of them all--the Grand National with Noble Yeats (Ire) (Yeats {Ire})--but Emmet Mullins has now netted himself yet another major payday--this time on the Flat with a filly that he bred, owned and trained to win a maiden at his local track before selling her for six figures.  Thebestisyettobe (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) became the second 2-year-old winner of Mullins's career when sluicing up in the opening seven-furlong maiden at...

The all-grey silks of Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics have become an increasingly familiar feature at racecourses over the last two decades, and the prolific owner recently added another string to his bow in becoming a breeder. His Yorkshire-based Branton Court Stud notched a major milestone on Wednesday when Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) scorched home in the G2 Queen Mary S. to provide Parkin with a first homebred group winner. "We started in racing 20 years ago and, through Joe Foley, I started a breeding operation," said Parkin. "[Dramatised] has come...

The Irish European Breeders' Fund will continue with their record sponsorship of €2.6 million in 2022. The second year contributing €2.6 million, it will bring the overall contribution to nearly €54 million since the formation of the Irish European Breeders' Fund in 1983. The spend encompasses nearly 500 races, both flat and National Hunt, that will carry EBF conditions throughout the year. "The owners of every stallion standing in Ireland, big or small, Flat or National Hunt, have contributed to this amount and as chairman, I'd like to thank them...

A horse for 2022: Trueman (GB), a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt with William Haggas. First season or proven: A proven, good sire. Speed or stamina: Acceleration. Eat out or home cooking: Both (obviously!). Coffee shop or pub: I'm Irish. Pub. Ascot or Longchamp: Can I say York? Rock or classical: Rocking All Over The World was my first single purchase so there's your answer. Bright young thing to follow: David Redvers would LOVE it if I mentioned him here but he doesn't qualify. Jack Foley (no relation) is my pick...

NEWMARKET, UK--As the prices dipped from Friday's bumper session to a more modest level, so did Newmarket's weather, which settled into relentless icy rain for almost the entire concluding session of foals at Park Paddocks. Such gloomy exterior conditions could not dim the demand for bloodstock in the ring, however. We're not even into December yet, but Tattersalls can be satisfied with heartening levels of trade at the halfway house of its lengthy December Sale, with just four days of fillies and mares to come from Monday. On Friday, Genesis...

By Chris McGrath NEWMARKET, UK--Well, maybe these guys just don't have radios or newspapers. Maybe they haven't heard about the challenges at least affecting the domestic environment: chronic deficiencies in prizemoney, new volatility in the economic landscape. Or perhaps the international investors who might be relatively immune to such concerns have forced even the local market to new highs by putting such a squeeze into Books 1 and 2. Who knows? Just conceivably, this show of faith in our industry could yet prove the foundation for a sustainable bull run....

Joe Foley of Ballyhane Stud has been named the new Chairman of the Irish European Breeders' Fund at the organisation's annual general meeting, while Tom Gaffney of Castlehyde Stud is the new Deputy Chairman. On the Board of the Irish EBF since 2002 as a governor, Foley was appointed to the Deputy Chairman role in 2017. He replaces outgoing Chairman John O'Connor of Ballylinch Stud. Gaffney has served on the Irish EBF for 21 years representing Coolmore Stud and also has a wealth of experience from his role as Chairman...

Juddmonte's unbeaten 2-year-old filly Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), fresh from a career high in Tipperary's June 30 Listed Tipperary S., kept her perfect record intact with a game victory in Monday's €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas. 3rd-Naas, €300,000, Cond, 8-2, 2yo, 5f 205yT, 1:12.01, gd. SACRED BRIDGE (GB) (f, 2, Bated Breath {GB}--Sacred Shield {GB}, by Beat Hollow {GB}), backed up a June 23 debut score over course and distance with a career high dropping to five furlongs for Tipperary's Listed Tipperary S. on stakes bow...

Following its successful inaugural running in 2020, the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S. has attracted an entry of 369 juveniles for its return on Aug. 2. With guaranteed prize-money of at least €200,000, the juvenile contest, which is run over six furlongs at Naas on the August Bank Holiday Monday, has understandably proved popular. It also offers a bonus of €50,000 if the winner is by a Ballyhane Stud stallion. "We are delighted to co-sponsor with the Irish EBF and have been thrilled with the response from a large variety...