Lope de Vega (Ire)

British jockey Tom Marquand, who is currently riding in Australia, booted home a pair of Group 3 winners at Rosehill on Saturday-2-year-old colt Holyfield (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) in the G3 Schweppervescence H. (video) and Vegadaze (Aus) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the G3 Star Kingdom S. (video) later on the card. Marquand earned his first Group 1 win aboard Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 Ranvet S. last Saturday. Raced by Aquis Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbred, who secured the G1 Golden Slipper with Farnan (Aus) (Not a...

To breed three world champions would be considered by many a major achievement. To do so in a six-year period, even more so. But it is far rarer still to accomplish such a feat from 12 or 13 mares at any one time. That is something Paul and Marie McCartan can lay claim to after Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) topped the sprinters' division in the 2019 Longines World Racehorse rankings, following in the footsteps of fellow Ballyphilip Stud champions Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel) and Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac...

You may not have met Ibrahim Araci. The Turkish businessman prefers to keep away from the spotlight. But when it comes to buying horses, he knows what he likes and rarely does things by halves. Flanked by his daughter Pinar and bloodstock advisor Rob Speers, Araci can often be found to the left of the rostrum in the Tattersalls sales ring, making bold plays for some of the choicest lots on offer at the yearling, breeze-up or breeding stock sales. Unafraid to see the hammer fall in his favour, Araci...

It is almost half a century since Ballylinch Stud took delivery of its previous winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In 1970, Sassafras (Fr) (Sheshoon {GB}) became the first horse to get the better of Nijinsky (Northern Dancer), beating the Triple Crown winner by a head at Longchamp before taking up residence in the beautiful tiled box which was once home to The Tetrarch (Ire) (Roi Herode {Fr}). That stable still stands away from the main stallion yard at Ballylinch and within its historic walls now is the...

It is hard to believe this is the fifth year in a row I have traversed rural Ireland on the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Irish Stallion Trail, and while it represents a unique chance for the general public who are interested in the bloodstock industry to get a glimpse of some household stallion names, for me personally it provides a lovely opportunity to see the new kids on the block who will be covering mares for the first time this spring. The majority of these are not long out of competition...

The Frankie Dettori show, which diverted to Killarney midweek, moves on to The Curragh on Saturday with 'TDN Rising Star' Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) the key actress in the G1 Kerrygold Irish Oaks. Untried in Classic company unlike some of her contemporaries, Anthony Oppenheimer's homebred proved her quality with a defeat of the G1 Epsom Oaks third Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in a strong renewal of the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot June 20. Staying on powerfully at the end of her first try at a...