THE O’Callaghans have a proven knack for selecting future stallion stars from among colts who, for one reason or another, failed to win at listed or pattern level.
Pattern-placed handicapper Danetime (by Danehill) became one of their great success stories and their current standout Kodiac (by Danehill) is another.
The sire of Tiggy Wiggy, Adaay, Besharah, Kodi Bear and others is now 15 and going strong, but the team lost Danetime at the age of just 12.
With Group 1 stars Bushranger, Myboycharlie and Megatic to his name, along with Group 1-placed pattern scorers such as Famous Roman, Utmost Respect, Dhanyata, Westriver Kevydonn and 2000 Guineas runner-up Vital Equine, Danetime’s death was a huge loss.
His highly-rated sons also featured the Group 2-placed dual stakes-winning sprinter Baltic King, and he is another member of the roster at Tally-Ho.
His six blacktype horses include the juvenile stakes winners Eternity Star and Gracious John, and also the mile listed scorer Baltic Knight, a prolific individual whose most recent success came in a valuable conditions event over that same trip at Doha two weeks ago.
Other sons and daughters with six or more wins to their name include Baltic Prince (10), Abi Scarlet (9), Baltic Time (8), Xinbama (8), La Roccaccia (6) and Noir Blue (6), while Fortinbrass notched up win number five at Southwell in January, quickly followed by a fifth success for Logans Lad, his one coming at Wolverhampton.
Last year Baltic King had three breeze-up sales juveniles who made 42,000gns in Newmarket, £33,000 in Doncaster and then €30,000 at Goresbridge.
The top lot among that trio is the Brian Meehan-trained Perkunas, an odds-on winner over seven furlongs at Brighton last year before coming off worst in a four-way photo finish for the Group 3 Worthington’s Whizz Kidz Stakes (registered as the Horris Hill Stakes) at Newbury, missing out on blacktype by just a head. Perkunas won over the same trip at Doha in December and he was not beaten by far when fifth of 16 over a mile at that venue two weeks ago, picking up over £6,800.
Out of the juvenile winner Lindfield Belle (by Fairy King), Baltic King is a full-brother to the two-year-old Group 3 scorer Domingues and a half-brother to Group 2 Challenge Stakes winner and new Kildangan Stud stallion Fulbright, and his grandam was a full-sister to the Group 1-placed pattern scorer Manjam.
He has proven his ability to get smart two-year-olds, milers, breeze-up sales horses, and those who can notch up good win totals.
Won eight races, £269,511, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, 2 to 6 years including, Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes, L, Leisure Stakes, Windsor, L, also placed second in Diadem Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, Bentinck Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.3, Queensferry Stakes, Chester, L, Beverley Bullet Sprint, L, and third in Leisure Stakes, Windsor, L, Rous Stakes, Newmarket, L, Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes, L.
Retired to stud in 2008, and sire of the winners of 147 races, and £1,435,175 including ETERNITY STAR (IRE), GRACIOUS JOHN (IRE), BALTIC KNIGHT (IRE), Tacma (IRE), City Zen (IRE), Factory Time (IRE), BALTIC HISTOIRE (IRE), FORTINBRASS (IRE), KIDMENEVER (IRE), LOGANS LAD (IRE), PERKUNAS (IRE), RATHEALY (IRE), A TESTA ALTA (IRE), ABI SCARLET (IRE), ALISON WADE (IRE), ANONYMOUS JOHN (IRE), BALTIC PRINCE (IRE), BALTIC RAIDER (IRE), BALTIC TIME (IRE), DARYAN (IRE), etc
Stands at: Tally-Ho Stud, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland
Contact: Tony O’Callaghan, Roger O’Callaghan, Henry O’Callaghan
Telephone: +353 (0)44 9348450
Email: info@tallyhostud.com
Website: www.tallyhostud.com
Fee: €1,500