Dreaper team member laid to rest today

NICKY O’Connor, who spent 40 years working for the Dreaper family in Greenogue, died peacefully on Thursday in Ratoath Nursing Home. He was travelling head lad for Tom Dreaper during the Arkle years of the 1960s and was still there when Carvill’s Hill was a top chaser for Jim Dreaper in the 1990s. His funeral Mass is at 11am today [Saturday] in Ratoath.

A regular racegoer in his retirement, he is survived by his wife Nellie and three children. In 2002 Nicky’s son Seamus organised a special recording of The Fields of Athenry by a group of leading jockeys in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund.

Sumbal rights for sale

A NUMBER of breeding rights in the stallion Sumbal are available. Winner of a Group 2 in France, where he stood this year, the son of Danehill Dancer [sire of Jeremy] has relocated to Michael Shefflin’s Annshoon Stud in Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny.

Top award for Devenish boss

RICHARD Kennedy, CEO of Belfast-based agri-tech company Devenish, has been named EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Devenish has seen huge growth in the past 20 years, going from £5 million in turnover and 23 employees in 1997, to more than £250 million turnover in 2018 and over 500 employees. The company supplies animal feed for a variety of species, including equines.

As well as being being named as the overall winner of EY Entrepreneur of the year, Kennedy was named EY International Entrepreneur of the year.

Czech Triple Crown honours for Kerr graduate

BLOODSTOCK agent Bert Kerr is responsible for sourcing the 2019 Horse of the Year in Slovakia. Arcturus, a three-year-old by Fast Company, was formerly trained by Joseph O’Brien. Moved to Czech trainer Frank Holcak, Arcturus won the Slovak Triple Crown. Kerr & Co will mark its 100th anniversary in business next year.

Coolmore’s Australian chair passes away

KEN Barry, chair of Coolmore Australia for 25 years, has passed away. A lawyer, he was involved in racing and breeding for 40 years, and is credited for playing a major role in setting up the practice of shuttling stallions between the northern and southern hemispheres.

He was also to the fore in the campaign by Australian stud farms against the spread of mining interests in the Hunter Valley. On the track he was a part-owner in Encosta De Lago and Fastnet Rock.