2012

LAST week was a successful one on the breeding front for Warrenpoint’s Fiona McStay who had two winners out of her Orchestra mare Glens Music, one of only two National Hunt mares at the breeder’s Moygannon Stud.

First up, Glens Music’s eldest produce, Quietly Fancied, landed the W.T. O’Grady Memorial Novice Chase on the Thursday at Thurles, where he won his maiden hurdle in November 2009.

The Presenting gelding, who claimed his only point-to-point as a four-year-old, has some good placed form to his credit over hurdles and fences, and it was little wonder that his trainer, Oliver McKiernan, purchased the bay’s 2009 Old Vic half-brother as a foal at Goffs.

The family of the nine-time winning Glens Music is well-known to McKiernan, as he also trains her ‘nephew’ Whatuthink (Presenting), the winner of five races including the Grade 2 Future Novices’ Hurdle at Leopardstown, and his Court Cave half-brother Whodoyouthink who has won three hurdles and been blacktype-placed over fences.

On Sunday, Fiona’s own colours were carried to victory in the listed mares’ novice hurdle at Fairyhouse by Ruby Walsh on the Willie Mullins-trained Ceol Rua, the second of Glens Music’s six foals to date. The Bob Back seven-year-old is described by her breeders as being “consistent, very tough and she won’t give in. She’s not very big but her heart is in the right place.”

Over the summer Fiona sold Ceol Rua’s unraced 2006 King’s Theatre half-sister, Cottage Theatre, but has retained the pair’s 2010 half-brother by High Chaparral, who she says is a “beautiful horse.”

Glens Music is due in a fortnight’s time to King’s Theatre and, hoping the foal will be produced safe and sound, the breeder said “there couldn’t have been a better cover.”

[The story of Glens Music only got better and better. The Grade 2 chase winner had eight foals, six of whom raced and won, and five of them gained blacktype.

The unraced Cottage Theatre has three winners and the best of these is the Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 Annie Power Mares’ Champion Hurdle runner-up, Minella Melody]

Coolmore opens its gates to the Tipps

2012

THERE are many joys associated with foxhunting, like waiting at the first covert as hounds speak, followed by the sight of a fox setting its mask for the best country, or jumping the first big double and getting away with hounds, but equal to those is the opportunity to see some of the most magnificent places from the back of your horse.

I [Dickie Power] was fortunate enough to have been invited to attend a lawn meet of the Tipperary Foxhounds at Coolmore Stud, near Fethard. Once a year the mares are put in and Coolmore hosts a meet of the Tipperarys. It kicks off with a reception at the stud where Tim Corballis, Jerome Casey and Paul Shanahan were all on hand to welcome all and dispense refreshments.

The last-named, who bred last year’s Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi, by the Coolmore sire Montjeu, was represented in the field by his young son, Charlie, on a smashing batty. Despite his tender age of nine, he was going like a veteran.

Coolmore was founded in the 1960s by the late Dr Vincent O’Brien and his son-in-law John Magnier. Both are Corkmen, O’Brien being from Churchtown, near Charleville, and Magnier being from Fermoy. From families steeped in racing and hunting, they had the vision to found one of the greatest breeding and racing operations in the world.

O’Brien, who cut his teeth in National Hunt, won three successive Aintree Grand Nationals before becoming the greatest flat trainer of his generation.

The mantle has been passed to another O’Brien, the unrelated Aidan, who has carried on the great tradition and has won the last six runnings of the Irish Derby, as well as winning two Epsom Derbys and countless Group 1s around the world. His son Joseph has emerged on the scene and has already got an Irish 2000 Guineas and a Breeders’ Cup Turf win to his name.

Prior to going to Ballydoyle, Vincent O’Brien had hunted with the Duhallows and continued to hunt with the Tipperarys as time allowed. The link with hunting continues and the Coolmore meet has become a Mecca, not only for hunting people but for admirers of the turf.

The gathering was overlooked by the bronze statues of Be My Guest and Sadler’s Wells. The former was the sire that put Coolmore on the map, becoming the leading sire in Europe in 1982 and producing Assert, winner of both the Epsom and French Derbys, while Sadler’s Wells became the dominant stallion of his time.

Three of the four new joint-masters were on hand; Liam Kearney from Littleton, Tim Hyde from Camas Park Stud, and my host Paul Ronan, son of former master Tom and Dorothy Ronan who were both on hand and in great order. Missing was Marion Goodbody who completes the mastership.

Derry Donegan has now hunted the Tipps for five seasons, having previously carried the horn in Kildare. He has shown outstanding sport in this demanding four-day-a-week country.

His hounds, bred on modern lines, looked a picture as they posed with whip Charlie Daly outside the main gates of Coolmore Stud.

Thyestes is the highlight as Gowran’s new stand is unveiled

1982

GOWRAN Park’s new stand complex was officially opened by Racing Board chairman, Paddy McGrath, prior to the meeting there on Wednesday last. The new structure is a decided asset to the Kilkenny track, as it accommodates some 500 more people than the old stand.

Once again, the featured Thyestes Handicap Chase fell to an outsider and bottom-weight in Felicity’s Pet, who was actually 3lb wrong in the handicap. Only one horse was seriously considered in the betting, The Mighty Mac. It would appear that an extended three miles on testing ground is beyond this seven-year-old.

He was only cruising three fences out, but was a spent force early in the last quarter of a mile.

Coming to the final fence, Padge Gill started to edge Felicity’s Pet away as The Mighty Mac was finding no more. Ramraja, who erred at the third last fence, came with a late rattle to take second place.

An £18,000 drop in the Totalisator aggregate made for disappointment all round. This figure represented a drop of 24% as compared to 1981.

[Felicity’s Pet won six races during her career and they also included the Grand National Trial Chase at Punchestown. She was also placed in that race and she was runner-up too in the Thyestes Chase. At stud she was a major disappointment, only two of her four living foals being named, neither of which raced. During her 10 years at stud she visited Deep Run, Le Bavard, Saxon Gale, Strong Gale and Roselier]