HRI board addition

THE Minister for Agriculture has confirmed Caren Walsh’s immediate appointment to the board of Horse Racing Ireland. She will replace James Gough as the owners’ representative.

Walsh was nominated – twice – for this position by the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners in recent months but her election was not straightforward. Initially she was returned unopposed after Gough was unable to secure a spot on the ballot paper.

Gough successfully challenged this move in the courts and the AIRO was forced to hold another election, this time with at least two candidates. Gough was again unable to meet the new criteria to get on the ballot paper and Walsh had a comfortable victory over sole opponent and AIRO chairman Brian Polly.

However, the legal costs incurred over the original election and other internal matters led to a rift in the AIRO council, which saw Polly write to the Minister to express his concerns over the election procedure.

The AIRO is not staging its annual awards night this year but will present a Racecourse of the Year Award. Members are invited to nominate racecourses based on how they were treated on a day when they did not have a winner. Nominations close on October 18th.

Free Curragh admission

THERE is free admission for all at the Curragh on Sunday. Racecourse CEO Pat Keogh said: “If you have not been to the new Curragh yet, why not visit, even for a couple of hours, on Sunday and enjoy a day’s racing as our guest.”

A free bus service will operate from both Kildare and Newbridge train stations as well as from Naas (post office), Kilcullen (Applegreen Bus Eireann stop) Newbridge (White Water Bus Eireann stop) and Kildare town (Silken Thomas).

Lee and Colgan bans

BILLY Lee will miss the final days of the Irish turf flat season having been given an eight-day suspension this week.

Lee’s winning ride aboard Space Traveller in the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown on September 14th saw him appear before the Referrals Committee for what was his fifth breach of the new whip rules since April.

The jockey accepted he used the whip nine times but said his first two strikes had been light. The Committee, consisting of Nick Wachman, Mary O’Connor and Philip McLernon, were of the opinion he had used the stick with excessive frequency and banned him for eight days.

The suspension dates are October 25th, 26th, 28th and 30th, November 1st, 3rd, 6th and 8th. The turf flat season ends at Naas on Sunday, November 3rd.

Robbie Colgan will miss eight upcoming jumps fixtures, having had a five-day ban extended to eight days by the same officials, this time acting as the Appeals Body.

Colgan originally received a five-day ban at Listowel on September 12th for “failing to obtain from his mount [Bigger And Better] timely and substantial efforts to achieve the best possible place”.

The jockey appealed on the grounds that his horse was unsuited by the track and was “flat out” on the home turn, prompting Colgan to try his luck up the inner rather than switching out for more room. The Appeals Body dismissed the appeal and now Colgan will miss all eight jumps fixtures between October 18th to 28th.

Goffs alters sale dates

THE Goffs November Sale has been reduced from six days to five, in response to client feedback. The final day (Friday, November 22nd) will see the conclusion of the breeding stock sale in the morning, followed by a slimmer ‘Part 2 foals section in the afternoon.

As usual the first three days will be dedicated to top-tier foals, headed by the own-brother to Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath. Bred by Dermot Weld’s Springbank Way Stud, the March-born colt foal is by Dubawi out of the Irish 1000 Guineas-winning Galileo mare Nightime.

Ghaiyyath topped the November Foal Sale at Goffs in 2015 when selling for €1.1 million, the highest price ever for a colt foal in Ireland. The catalogues for the Foal Sale will be online from next Monday, followed by the Breeding Stock Sale catalogue on Thursday.

Big NH sale catalogue

CHELTENHAM Festival winner Limini and Grade 2 winner Camelia De Cotte are among 1,200 lots in the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale catalogue, which is now online. Both mares have been covered by Australia.

Goresbridge Sale

THERE are 94 horses catalogued for the Goresbridge Mixed Thoroughbred Sale on Friday, October 25th. Starting at noon, the sale includes National Hunt and flat horses, broken and unbroken four-year-olds, three-year-olds, and two-year-olds, broodmares, foals and yearlings. The yearlings section includes colts by Australia and Kodiac. A full preview will appear in next week’s paper.

PTP cancelled

THE South Westmeath hunt has cancelled next Sunday’s (October 20th) point-to-point at The Pigeons as the course is unraceable.

Stud fetched €2.7 million

CASTLESIZE Lodge Stud in Co Kildare made €2.7 million at a public auction in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin on Wednesday. The four-bedroom Georgian residence on 36 acres was home to former champion jockey Liam Ward.