In brief

Watch the ITBA Awards online

THE Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will present its National Breeding and Racing Awards this evening (Saturday) in The Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co Laois. The awards ceremony will be streamed live from 10pm via the ITBA website.

Web: itba.ie #itbawinners

Breeder of the Month winner

MICHAEL Conaghan won the Connolly’s Red Mills The Irish Field Breeder of the Month competition for December. He bred Paisley Park, winner of the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle, which was run at Kempton over Christmas.

Goffs appoints German agent

KATHARINA Irmer is the new German representative for Goffs, replacing Matthias Seeber who was recently appointed managing director of Hanover Racecourse. A former amateur and apprentice jockey, Irmer is a graduate of the Irish National Stud’s thoroughbred breeding course. She has worked for Simon Crisford, Arrowfield Stud in Australia, and sales seasons for Chasemore Farm, Grove Stud, Castlebridge, and was sales assistant to Anthony Stroud and Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock.

New sale date

GOFFS UK has moved its Breeze Up Sale to Monday, April 24th and Tuesday, April 25th. According to the sales company, the original dates “caused diary challenges for many leading clients”. Horses will now breeze from 9am on Monday, April 24th followed by the sale on Tuesday, April 25th.

Altior recovering

DUAL Champion Chase winner Altior is recovering from a severe bout of colic. The 13-year-old was retired from racing two years ago and is being looked after by former jockey Mick Fitzgerald.

On Friday, Fitzgerald reported: “It was quite a shock and upsetting to discover the problem last Saturday. The horse was so brave to go in the horsebox when he was in agony. Colic comes in all types. In this case his small intestine had gone through a hole in his abdomen and that piece of his intestine had to be cut away. The surgeons did an amazing job. To see his head out over the door yesterday, he looked a lot happier but he is not out of the woods yet.”