BORN in Sicily, Angelo arrived in Ireland in 2012 to pursue a career in racing. In 2018, he set up White Star Bloodstock and now owns the sprinting filly Talia, currently in training with Natalia Lupini. They plan to run Talia at Gowran next Wednesday.

How did you get interested in racing?

I’m from Italy, originally from the island of Sardinia. We have a big culture on the island with horses. My grandfather was a very good horseman, I probably got the interest from him. Since I was a young kid I have always had a huge interest in horses, racehorses especially. I came to Ireland in 2012 and got a job at Ballyhane Stud. I then spent some time with John Kilpatrick. John taught me about foaling and then in 2016 I started working for Juddmonte Farms. We look after all the breeding here. A lot of the mares from England will arrive over here for breeding.

So tell us about your company, White Star Bloodstock.

Since 2018 I have been building the company. Mainly we produce foals for sale and we have brought in a few Italian mares. We do sell yearlings if for whatever reason they could not be sold as foals but we mainly try and move them on as foals.

Do you notice any significant difference between the foal that an Italian mare will produce and an Irish one?

A few of the mares came over with a foal but the majority of the mares that I have brought in have been covered here. The difference I have seen between the foals here and ones that were born in Italy probably has something to do with the grass and weather. If you breed a horse in Italy generally you have to deal with a very hard summer.

Ireland on the other hand, the conditions are perfect. Ireland has the best grass in the world. Now it doesn’t mean that the foal that was born in Italy will turn out to be a bad racehorse. But when you are doing sales prep, it definitely helps if the foal was raised here from the start. Physically they are just stronger.

What is your main objective for White Star Bloodstock over the coming months?

I recently bought two mares and I have high hopes for both of their produce. The first is Rosalind Franklin, who is the dam of Njord. Njord was trained by Jessica Harrington and was a very good racehorse who won over €200,000 in prize money. She is in foal at the moment and we have a yearling by her who will be sold in October. The second mare I bought is Just Wondering, who was the dam of Indian Run that won the Acomb Stakes this year at York.

When you are making a purchase, what do you look for in a horse?

I always try to buy a filly. I prefer to buy a filly than a colt. I think it is important the horse resembles an athlete. Conformation is important. Then I look out for a good mover. I like a filly that is confident in her ability to walk. But, to me, the most important part is the pedigree. I go through the catalogue in the days leading up to a sale. If I don’t like the pedigree I don’t go and see the horse. If I like the pedigree then I go and see the horse.

Natalia Lupini trains your racing filly Talia for you. Tell us about Natalia and what she is like as a trainer.

Natalia and her partner Craig do an excellent job. Craig worked with Aidan O’Brien for many years. Natalia has kept her head down for years and improves every year. She is getting better quality horses all the time. She has had some fantastic results this year. She is something really special.

She is very good at picking the right race for the right horse. She always knows what she is going to battle with. Even with our filly Talia, Natalia only had her about two weeks before she won with her in Cork. Natalia is a very honest and genuine trainer. She always discusses with the owner what kind of plan she has.

I am. As you have noticed, that race at Naas has turned out to be a very good race. I think every horse in that race has since been placed in very good races. So the form is right there. Talia is a very genuine filly. She is very good looking. We do mind her because she has had injury issues in the past. She is very precious to me.

What is next on the agenda for her?

Next up for her is Gowran Park next Wednesday in a three-year-old handicap. Natalia has told me that she has had this race in mind for her for a while so hopefully she can run well.

And how have you found the experience of being an owner on race day?

I have found Irish tracks to be very good. I have always found the likes of Dundalk and Naas to be very good to us even though I am a small owner. I cannot complain. I always feel very welcome. I am very happy in that regard.

The number of horses in Ireland is probably the most challenging part. It is very hard to campaign a handicap sprinter. It’s just a very competitive environment. But it has always been like that and probably always will be. Ireland is the hardest country to be competitive in.