IT is 40 years since he took out his licence and you sense that. Jim Bolger is every bit as competitive now as he was when he was granted his licence in July 1976.
Of course he was involved in horses before July 1976, but it is remarkable that this self-made man has been at the top of the game for so long and with a week to go before Longines Irish Champions Weekend, he will bring his best horses to both Leopardstown and the Curragh to compete for some big prizes in seven days’ time.
Early on, his main aim was to win the Moyglare Stakes and he did that with Park Appeal in 1984 and the Moyglare now forms an integral part in Irish Champions Weekend.
“We started off with 18 horses and we managed to have 20 winners. That was a good return with 18 horses - I wouldn’t be able to do that anymore - but it happened very quickly.” As a result there was never that much pressure and the number of winners I trained kept climbing.
“We had a virus in 1985, which affected the horses badly, but we were back on track in 1986 again and in 1992 we had 138 winners, which meant that we broke Senator Parkinson’s record which had stood since 1924, so that was a terrific year for us,” explained Bolger.
I mention that it is a real testament to himself, his staff, his horses and to those around him, that he has remained at the top for so long and he quipped, “Sure Dermot Weld keeps encouraging me. He has been there longer than I have and he has been at the top of his game for over 40 years - although he mightn’t want to be reminded of that fact. The two of us have been there and have been competing for the last 40 years.”
EMBRACING THE CONCEPT
The Champions Weekend concept is one that he has embraced and stated: “All the really good horses will appear over the weekend. From Derby winners to Oaks winners, it will be very competitive. It is a great weekend for racegoers to see the best horses on show and we look like getting good racing conditions so any race that any trainer targets is going to be very difficult to win as the really good horses will be there.”
“I welcome competition - more so if you have a top horse, as you don’t care what turns up. If you have horses that are a bit below top-class, the challenge then is try and get some improvement into them for those big days. Hopefully in our case, we can manage to squeeze a bit more out of them for the weekend than we have been able to up to now.”
There is over €4m on offer next weekend and he added: “That is very important. For the smaller stables or for some of the less successful ones, if a horse puts up a good show and they come away with a nice bit of money that helps to keep the show on the road. There is an opportunity for everyone with a horse rated 95 and above and there is plenty of prize money on offer.”
Bolger saddled Park Express to victory in the Champion Stakes back in 1986. It was a significant success at the time - she was of course the dam of New Approach, who won the race for him in 2008.
PARK EXPRESS
Dazzling Park went very close to completing the Matron Stakes and Champion Stakes double in 1999. She won the Matron (when it was run at the Curragh), a week later she chased home Daylami in the Champion Stakes, and Dazzling Park was a half-sister to New Approach.
“I remember Park Express’ (winning the Champion Stakes in 1986) success well as it was on the same day as the all Ireland hurling final. She had good form coming into the race, I was hopeful that she would put on a good show and, as it turned out, she ran the race of her life.
“It was a late evening meeting as it clashed with Croke Park. I knew going there that she had a chance and up to then, I don’t think it had been won before by a filly, so we were breaking new ground.
“There were some people drifting in after the match and the atmosphere was very good and it was lovely to win my first Champion Stakes. I didn’t think I’d have to wait so long to win the next one and, thankfully, it happened. Hopefully, before I hand in the licence, I’ll win another one.”
NEW APPROACH
“I was very fortunate to buy New Approach at the sales. At that stage, his mother was 22 years old and a lot of people will not buy a yearling out of an old mare, no matter how good the family are. I was never worried about buying the progeny out of old mares as long as they look good and appear to have been reared well. He looked the part and we took a chance and it paid off.
“He won the Champion Stakes in 2008 and he was on his way back from an injury after he won the Epsom Derby. We were hoping that he’d collect that en route to Newmarket for their Champion Stakes.”
This year Jim Bolger will be represented by Moonlight Magic in the Qipco Champion Stakes and here he goes through his other likely runners for Champions Weekend.
MOONLIGHT MAGIC
3yo b c (11-51063)
Cape Cross - Melikah
Godolphin
I think I’m in with a chance. He hasn’t lived up to his early promise so far, but conditions look like they’ll suit and it is quite possible that he didn’t see out the mile and a half at Epsom or at the Curragh in the Irish Derby. That being the case, I hope the mile and a quarter will suit him, he seems really well in himself and it is a race that I am really looking forward to. He is a horse with a nice bit of ability and I think he is entitled to be in a race like the Champion Stakes and, as I said, he is at the top of his game and I think he’ll run very well. He didn’t handle Epsom and he ran well on his comeback run in the Royal Whip. I am putting him in with an each-way chance at Leopardstown. He wouldn’t like the ground too soft. I’d be disappointed if he is not in the first three and he is bred to be that sort of horse - his dam is a half-sister to Galileo. He is in good shape at the moment.
BEAN FEASA
2yo b f (208)
Dubawi - Speirbhean
Godolphin
She will either go for the maiden race at Leopardstown or the Moyglare. That hasn’t been discussed yet, but she is in good order and hopefully she is getting back to where she was the first day she ran. The maidens that day will be like group races so they will be hard won. I just mightn’t have had her cherry ripe the last day so there could be improvement in her. She is a half-sister to Teofilo. I view her as a nice prospect for next year.
FLIGHT RISK
5yo ch h (223422525)
Teofilo - Raghida
Mrs J S Bolger
He never runs a bad race and we haven’t seen the best of him yet, which is something that you will find difficult to believe, but we think there is a big day in him. He always runs to a fairly high level. He hasn’t clinched a Group 1 or 2 yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he did. He might go for the Clipper Logistics Stakes, he might have another option, and I’ll decide closer to the time which race he’ll go for.
GLAMOROUS APPROACH
3yo ch f (42534)
New Approach - Maria Lee
Mrs J S Bolger
She is in the mile and a half handicap at Leopardstown. If she goes there we’d expect her to run very well. She is a consistent filly, she was done no favours in the Galtres at York and, only for that, I think she might have been second. There is another good day in her and she will go back into stakes company later on in the year. She is big and unfurnished and is very genuine so I’d expect more improvement from her. She goes on any ground.
QATARI HUNTER
3yo b c (411114)
Footstepsinthesand - Inis Boffin
Mubarak Al Naemi
He will probably go for the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown. I know he is dropping back in trip, but I don’t think that will inconvenience him and his form is good. He likes good ground, he is a fair horse and I think he will continue to progress.
RADIO SILENCE
2yo b c (142)
War Front - Maryfield
LNJ Foxwoods/Mrs J S Bolger Partnership
He is also Leopardstown-bound for the Group 3 Juvenile and I’d be optimistic that he will give a very good account of himself. He is very well at the moment. The mile should suit him well and I am looking forward to running him.
He came to us from the breeze-up sales in America and he came to me in May and, at that stage, he was wired to the moon so he needed settling down. He ran well over seven the last day, but he is a little bit on the backward side. The Americans would be anxious to go for the Breeders Cup - the mile race on grass - with him.
RINGSIDE HUMOUR
4yo b m (1126322)
Teofilo - Intriguing Humor
Mrs J S Bolger
She has held her form well and is probably the busiest filly in Ireland. I’d say she’ll end up in stakes company. She will also go for the mile and half handicap. Her last run probably was her best.
SIAMSAIOCHT
3yo b f (573105)
Teofilo - Halla Siamsa
Mrs J S Bolger
She hasn’t lived up to expectations, she is in a handicap at Leopardstown and, if the ground is nice, she’ll go there. Anywhere from a mile to a mile and a half on nice ground is fine for her. There is a good day in her.
STELLAR MASS
3yo b c (24511311)
Sea The Stars - Juno Marlowe
Mrs June Judd
He is likely to take his chance in the KPMG Enterprise Stakes. He has come good over the last few weeks. He has won his last two races and just before that, he finished third in the Irish Derby. He won’t have a Harzand to contend with this time and I’d be very optimistic that he’ll fight out the finish. He is very much an intended runner and he is in really good form. I couldn’t be happier with him. He was a slightly late developer and he got chinned a few times last year, usually by one of Aidan’s better two-year-olds.
This year he has progressed and he is a horse that will go on improving. If he holds his form until the end of the year, we’ll keep him in training at four. There isn’t somebody in a racing country around the world that doesn’t want him, but John Corcoran wants to keep him. He doesn’t want extremes of ground.
TURRET ROCKS
3yo b f (13412-6745)
Fastnet Rock - Beyond Compare
Mrs June Judd
She goes for the Matron Stakes. I’m hopeful dropping her back to a mile won’t inconvenience her and I’d be hoping for a really good run from her. She is in really good form. She won the May Hill last year at Doncaster. She wasn’t at the top of her game earlier this year, but she is very well. If the mile doesn’t work, she’ll go back up to 10 furlongs for the Prix de l’Opera.
She wouldn’t want the ground too soft. The plan would be that she will remain in training next year and, trip wise, she is fairly versatile.
TRADFEST
2yo b f (3)
High Chaparral - Take Flight
Mrs J S Bolger
She has no big entries, but she is another that could go for a maiden and if she went that route I think she should run very well. She was third at the Curragh first time out and she learned plenty for that run. I’d be hoping that she might be a classic contender next year.
TRIBAL BEAT
3yo b c (47212-1)
Street Cry - Tashelka
Godolphin
He had a few little problems early in the year but he got it all together when he won well at Leopardstown a few weeks ago. He is a big, gross horse and he has a big barrel on him. He runs best when he’s fresh and if he is really well next week, I’ll talk to Joe Osborne about supplementing him for the Boomerang Stakes (at Leopardstown).
I was a little surprised that he won the last day I was expecting him to finish in the first three. I would hope that he will improve if we can balance his fitness with his freshness. He is a horse that could go around the world and I’d say Sheikh Mohammed might be anxious to get him to go to Dubai, America or wherever. He doesn’t want soft ground.