ONE of the best aspects to the Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes has been the interest from abroad. Most of this has come from British trainers but the sole entry from France is an intriguing one, a filly called Jubilation who is trained by Irish ex-pat Eoghan O’Neill.

The daughter of Acclamation was bought for 60,000gns in Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and has already proved a worthwhile purchase, having finished second on all three starts this term, the latest in a Group 2 at Deauville last Sunday.

“We’re just waiting to see how she is this week after the race at the weekend,” O’Neill said. “I’m fortunate that I have a spot of my own to send horses to in Ireland. My wife and son are there to look after her.

“We’re still 50:50. It’s 18 hours from here on the truck so it’s not undoable. If we do go, we’ll get over as early as we can so she has time to recover.”

Travelling a horse from France to Ireland is an expensive and timely ordeal, even without current travel restrictions, but with the prize money so good, the temptation is there for O’Neill.

He said: “I haven’t looked at the race in great detail but you would have thought that she is one of few that has blacktype form. The only reason anybody enters these races is the money. In terms of her pedigree, it doesn’t help her that much, because it’s not a blacktype race, so the money is key.”

O’Neill, originally from Celbridge, Co Kildare, moved to France in 2008, after training in Britain for eight years. He has plenty of success in both countries, notably with Vital Equine who finished second in the 2007 2000 Guineas and with Suits You, who won the 2015 Chesham Stakes.

Rising rents

The move to France came about because of rising rent prices and prize money issues in Britain. O’Neill has his own place at Haras du Lianger in Normandy and trains 50 horses at the moment, working his business around quick turnover of stock.

“France is not the land of milk and honey,” he said. “There are plenty of hurdles that need to be jumped but the prize money, in my experience, has outweighed those difficulties.

“Britain has suffered on the prize money issue for years yet still there is an attraction for people to have their horses run there. How they do it, I just don’t know. France has been very good to us and the prize money makes it worthwhile.

“Our business is to sell horses on when we can. Internationally, the French form is not viewed as strong as the Irish form, so usually here they have to win and then go on to the next step, into a Class 2 conditions race or a blacktype race, before you get the same interest as you would for an Irish maiden winner.

“But the world is a smaller place now and we’ve been able to sell horses to America, Hong Kong, Dubai and so on.”

Jubilation will attract plenty of attention if she is sent over to Naas and O’Neill concluded: “It’s still a 50:50 decision, but it would be very nice to be involved.”