THE valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes at Naas has a winner’s purse of almost €150,000, and the race is proving hugely popular since its inception.

The brainchild of Joe Foley, this year he had much to celebrate. A full field of 20 runners went to post, and among them were five runners from Britain. Joe bred the eventual runner-up, Jungle Mare (Bungle Inthejungle), and that Kevin Ryan-trained gelding races in the silks of the Bronte Collection 1, of which Foley is a member.