THE loss of Wales is Ireland’s gain as the British auction company Brightwells has closed all their equine sales at Builth Wells. As was reported in this paper in early August, leading breeder Derek Delaney seized the initiative and hooked up with Mullingar Equestrian Centre to get an Ireland-based sale off the ground.
Ireland has a vibrant breeding industry and it makes sense for this island to grow its own sale.
Delaney has been a wizard at attracting British and foreign visitors to his race day, the Vincent Delaney Memorial (est. 2012). The pandemic has hampered his plans. Were it not for Covid there would have been Welsh, Yorkshire and Scottish buyers staying in Joe Dolan’s home town.
However, every cloud has a silver lining and even elderly cattle and horse dealers are having to learn to bid online in these strange times. Declan Fagan of Mullingar Sales states: “We have live-streamed from our recent sport horse sale and we even have a facility to sell horses where the owner does not wish to travel his animal to our complex.”
The sale takes place next Friday (October 9th) with the start time to be confirmed. “This is new territory for us,” Fagan added. “We might have to slug it out for a year or two to get critical mass. Certainly looking at other countries the harness racing industry has scope to grow.
“The names and pedigrees are all Greek to me but I can see from the prize money amassed and the world records and UK records that these must be serious horses we are selling.”
What’s on offer?
Derek and James Delaney’s Oakwood Stud deserves the title of Ireland’s leading pacing stud. Where other young men shadowed trainers in the US or studied their racing industry, the Delaneys seemed fixated with the breeding aspect, and their work is beginning to pay off. The Oakwood prefix is holding its own with the Camden, Coalford and Rhyds operations in the UK.
The Delaneys bought top-class mares, invested in better stallions. They were pioneers of Artificial Insemination (AI, allowed in many harness breeding countries). Recently they arranged for straws from Foreclosure N, (p 1.48.3, $807,000) to be shipped to the southern hemisphere for the summer.
The Oakwood operation had AI available from Sweet Lou (p 1.47, $3,479,000) in the 2019 and 2020 covering seasons. Irish and British mare owners are visibly excited about Sweet Lou’s first crop (now weanlings) many of whom carry his trademark white blaze.
In previous years the brothers have sold eight or 10 yearlings in Wales. This year the draft numbers just four but it is one focussed with quality not quantity. Any one of these four could possibly topple the UK and Ireland record for a yearling at public auction. The record price is currently £51,000 for Rhyds Megastar set in 2014.
Oakwood Annabella (pictured) very kindly boosted the Delaney’s stock by breaking the British two-year-old record for both fillies and colts at York recently. Her full-brother Oakwood Paddy will have watchers from all over Britain and Ireland.
On sale:
Oakwood Ar Dan will be the first foal of Sweet Lou to go through an auction ring on these islands. His dam, Trend Setter, has already thrown the winners of $1.25 million. Oakwood Ar Dan has the ubiquitous Sweet Lou blaze.
Oakwood Mack is a strong-looking son of Foreclosure from a Panderosa mare. His full-brother Oakwood Initowinit has won five races in the USA and paced 1.50.3.
Oakwood Banba is another Foreclosure, a filly, and her dam’s full-sister won 38 races and $ 2.4 million.
The Crecora stud in Limerick sent plenty of mares to the court of Foreclosure. Four of these progeny are in the catalogue. Crecora Blaze is out of the Porterstown Topaz who was bred by the Dunnes of Kill. Crecora Dreamer goes back to foundation sire Big Towner.
Crecora Storm is out of Angelas Cosmos a multiple winner for Brenda Hudson. Crecora Unbroken will not be unbroken for long once a leading trainer gets his or her hands on this granddaughter of Fantastic Western.
Meadowbranch Bobby is consigned by the Lusk-based stud of the same name. He is a deep-barrelled son of top US sire Sportswriter, who has already given us Oakwood Starcam and Rewrite History.
Ger Kane’s Moorside Stud from the Naul unsurprisingly consigns solely trotters. Samosa was a genuine racemare for Joe Caffrey and is sold in-foal to Appentri Sourcier. Tornade Quick qualifies for a breeders’ premium and is also in-foal to Apprenti Sourcier. She has a 1.18.4 record in France and has produced the winners of nine races.
The first ‘J reg’ or 2019 Trotteur Français foal to be seen at a public event in Ireland will be Jupiter Rising, a filly entered by a Cork-based vendor. She is a scopey-looking filly by Ut d’Erable, who stood with Ger Kane. She is a half-sister to Henry Ford, who won a leg of the 2020 three-year-old series.
Unite De La Mitre, dam of the useful looking Ha’penny Chance, is also due to come under the hammer.
The only pacer of racing age entered at the moment is the three-year-old Castlewood Glensman. This maiden has been owner-trained and could improve in professional hands. President and Mooreside Captain, by the same sire (Kikicolt), both improved with age.
Late entries are still being taken on 086 0331536 or via info@mullingarequestrian.com