Masses of miles, studs and sires on an Irish Stallion Trail I could make a habit of

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You might think all the fun things that happen at this time of year have been and gone. Christmas cheer has been packed away in the attic for another 12 months, Boxing Day’s racing has been consigned to the form book and New Year’s no longer feels quite so new. Now it’s all dry January and even dryer resolutions. Boo. 

However, since 2015, bloodstock buffs have had one other annual treat to look forward to: the Irish Stallion Trail. 

The event, organised by the ingenious folk at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM), is a two-day showcase of the Irish breeding industry, with studs throwing open their doors for one and all (provided they've filled out the online registration form). 

Happily my two New Year’s resolutions are to get out of the house more for reasons other than sales, and to fill out more online registration forms. These may or may not have been contrived specifically to give me an excuse to head out on this year’s tenth anniversary Trail. 

On Thursday morning I packed my suitcase, grabbed my passport and set off on the 300-mile trip from Hackney to Naas, where I based myself for the pedigree pilgrimage. 

The Irish National Stud's Lucky Vega was among the stars on show during the ITM Irish Stallion TrailCredit: Patrick McCann

It isn’t physically possible to visit all 37 studs on this year’s Trail in just two days, but I was determined to get my money’s worth, figuratively speaking. I should stress that the event is completely free. 

Having mapped out an ambitious route that took in as many stops as possible, I couldn’t help but feel I’d devised the bloodstock equivalent of Supermarket Sweep’s final round. 

But rather than dashing around a mocked up supermarket grabbing inflatable bananas like a lunatic, I’d be dashing around the studs of Ireland (like a lunatic). I haven’t quite figured out who is filling the role of bloodstock Dale Winton yet, but I could hardly think of a better way to spend two days nonetheless. 

Friday, January 12 

When I’m in Naas I like to start my day by indulging in a Bad Habit. Before anyone’s imagination runs away with them, Bad Habits is the name of the trendy coffee shop tucked away off Naas high street. What did you think I meant? So after my morning fix of caffeine and croissant, I was on the road to Mullingar and one of the great seats of stallion power. 

Visitors were clearly champing at the bit to get in as we arrived only minutes after opening time and a sizeable crowd had already gathered. After speaking to Roger O’Callaghan this looked like the calm before the storm too, as he said they were expecting somewhere in the region of 350 visitors on Friday. Well if you will insist on standing such popular stallions… 

By my reckoning it’s been seven years since I last visited Tally-Ho, in which time I’ve gathered a few more grey hairs, noticed the odd wrinkle or two and probably put on more weight than is medically advisable. All of which means I was left deeply envious of the way Kodiac has aged, as the record-breaking two-year-old sire still looked perfectly spritely despite having recently turned 23.

The Group 1-winning Good Guess wasn’t even a twinkle in Kodiac’s eye when I was last at Tally-Ho. Now he’s standing beside his sire after a career that began by costing 420,000gns at Book 1 and culminated with victory in a hot renewal of the Prix Jean Prat. Roger reported that Good Guess was the most expensive acquisition Tally-Ho had ever made, so he was relieved that breeders were giving the horse such a warm reception. Given his pedigree, race record and eyecatching good looks, it's easy to see why he is proving popular. 

I’ll happily confess to having no idea that Mehmas would prove such a revelation when I last saw him in the flesh shortly before his debut covering season, which probably says a lot about my judgement. He's now the sire of 51 stakes performers and four Group/Grade 1 winners. One of those 51, July Stakes scorer Persian Force, now stands beside his sire and has already welcomed his first foals. 

One thing that comes up a lot with Mehmas’s progeny is their appetite for work, and it is easy to see where they get that from as Mehmas marched around the stallion yard with his head down seeming completely unfazed by the chattering crowd of onlookers. I’d like to say he looked almost as focused as I do when I have a print deadline looming, but as he wasn’t sweating profusely and didn’t look close to tears, unfortunately that wouldn’t be true. 

Before I get a complex I’ll stop comparing myself to Tally-Ho stallions, as I’ll only find faults up against the Group 1-producing sire Cotai Glory, the strapping Starman or Inns Of Court, who marked his first year with runners with a not inconsiderable 28 European winners. 

Now for something completely different. 

Next up was Tom Wallace’s Lemongrove Stud, which is home to Tosen Stardom. The sign on the gate told us to beware of the dogs, but fortunately the canine welcoming committee proved perfectly friendly. 

Tosen Stardom is about as international a prospect as there is on the Trail as not only is he by Deep Impact, but he won Group 1s over a mile and ten furlongs during his time in Australia, where he has already sired his share of winners. 

He looks every inch the 16.2 hands the brochure says but is still pleasingly light on his feet, as we witnessed during some fleet-footed shows when the wind picked up. What his debut Irish book lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality, as he covered the dams of Beau Recall, Champ Kiely and Italian Group 2 winner Que Tempesta. Tom also reported the apple of his eye has a 100 per cent strike-rate with mares in foal, which is some going. 

A short drive away is Micheál Orlandi’s Starfield Stud, which is home to a five-strong roster of stallions. This could be a big year for Starfield as Far Above, an Incredible Hulk of a physical specimen, and the Group 1-winning King Of Change, whose stock I’ve heard a good word for from a couple of shrewdies, both have their first two-year-olds. Although the market has St Leger winner Galileo Chrome down as predominantly a National Hunt option, he covered enough Flat mares in his first season to think that we’ll see his juveniles on the racecourse later this year too. 

That trio stand alongside the dependable Kuroshio and new boy Dubawi Legend, whose first foals will be on the ground any minute now. The son of Dubawi covered a debut book of 122 mares, and if his foals prove as easy on the eye as their sire is, he’ll undoubtedly be popular again this year. 

As if stallions with first runners and first foals wasn’t enough to keep 2024 interesting, Micheál and his wife Síle recently welcomed their first child. Young Toto Orlandi definitely scooped the best dressed award for this year’s Stallion Trail in his fetching flat cap and checked shirt combo. I won’t repeat the name of the dapper bloodstock agent Síle said the outfit reminded her of as you probably had to be there, but suffice to say the man in question should be flattered by the comparison. The Starfield team also gets additional Trail brownie points for their snack options. The sausage rolls were worth the visit alone. 

From Mullingar to Maynooth and Shadwell’s Derrinstown Stud. First out was Minzaal, a particularly well proportioned son of Mehmas who seemed to display plenty of his sire’s temperament, both on the track and while on parade. He never turned a hair when one young visitor gave him a particularly excited greeting, much like he barely turned a hair when winning the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup. It's little wonder he went down a storm with breeders, covering 161 mares in a limited first book. Of those, 25 (16 per cent) won stakes races themselves, giving him a foundation of quality and quantity. 

Minzaal was followed by Awtaad, who I’d have as one of the better value stallions standing in Ireland at a mere €5,000. His progeny might not be especially early, but his stud record is now headed by two top-flight winners in Anisette and Anmaat and, moreover, the last two December Mares Sales have seen his daughters Primo Bacio and Mohjatty fetch 1,100,000gns and 600,000gns respectively. 

These aren’t the kind of achievements you get from your average €5,000 stallion. Derrinstown receives full marks for its lavish selection of warm drink options. A peppermint tea was just what was needed after the Starfield sausage rolls. I’m glad no-one was tracking my intake of flat whites and peppermint teas, otherwise I might start to get a reputation. 

Night Of Thunder was ever the professional in front of the cameras at Kildangan StudCredit: Patrick McCann

The last scheduled stop was Darley’s palatial Kildangan Stud. You could argue that some of the proven heavyweights on the roster – the likes of Night Of Thunder, Raven’s Pass and Teofilo – really need no introduction by this stage, although not everyone agreed as Sky Sports Racing presenter and serial podcaster Vanessa Ryle had been drafted in on compere duties. After hearing Vanessa’s dulcet tones, I concluded an introduction was probably worthwhile after all. 

The wider Darley roster is enjoying a real purple patch at present, and it’s plain to see why breeders are prepared to row in behind the likes of Naval Crown, Space Blues and the imposing newcomer Native Trail. As a champion juvenile and a Classic-winning three-year-old, Native Trail looks a fair bet at €17,500. 

Each time I see Ghaiyyath, Dubawi’s highest-rated son, he gets a bit more impressive, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that his first yearlings sold like hot cakes last autumn. I’m expecting big things over the coming seasons. However, it was hard not to feel like Blue Point was the star of the show having carried all before him during a sensational first campaign with runners. Siring 50 winners and two Group/Grade 1 heroes in your debut crop certainly gives you something of an aura. And he isn’t the only exciting son of Shamardal standing under the Darley banner, as the hype around Earthlight, whose first runners will emerge this year, continues to grow. 

I’d been so efficient during episode one of Superstud Sweep that I finished up at Kildangan ahead of schedule. Despite the best efforts of rush hour traffic in Newbridge, this gave me time to make an additional stop at Yeomanstown Stud. I squinted into the gathering gloom and saw Invincible Army, Shaman and Supremacy still strutting their stuff at the end of a busy day. 

I also caught up with Dark Angel, whose coat has turned such a bright white that he almost seemed to glow in the dark. It felt a bit like a literal representation of how brilliantly he has shone during a glittering stallion career. 

The 19-year-old is closing in on 200 stakes performers and recently finished runner-up to Frankel in the British and Irish sires' championship, ahead of Dubawi, Sea The Stars and Galileo. He’s spent so long as a blue-chip stallion that it’s easy to forget he once stood for as little as €7,000. He is one of bloodstock’s great social climbers. This puts him in the same category as talents like Kodiac, Wootton Bassett and my esteemed colleague Martin Stevens. 

I returned to the hotel feeling pretty pleased with the day’s work, although I have to admit to a small bit of Fomo (fear of missing out…) when I checked the social media platform previously known as Twitter, as I see Coolmore had brought in Paddington the bear to greet fans there to see Paddington the four-time Group 1 winner. 

This sort of light-hearted stallion promotion isn’t all that commonplace in the bloodstock industry and mightn’t be to everyone’s taste, but I for one am here for it. Amid the pang of jealousy, I couldn’t help wondering which member of the Coolmore team might have been hiding inside the bear costume. If anyone has any guesses, I'm all ears.

Saturday, January 13

With more ground to cover and an even tighter schedule, no Bad Habits were indulged in ahead of day two. Not least because the coffee shop didn’t open until long after I’d hit the road. I arrived at Joe Foley’s Ballyhane Stud shortly before opening time at 9am, which was so early that Sands Of Mali was still out in his paddock enjoying some well-earned ‘me time’. 

New recruit Asymmetric has to rate as one of the best-looking new retirees to stud in 2024. Given he was a fast horse from a fast pedigree, there has to be a fair chance he’ll breed fast horses in his own image. He’s cut from a similar cloth to another son of Showcasing in Soldier’s Call, whose own debut crop contained 26 winners and four black-type horses. I’d expect Asymmetric to be popular at €7,000. 

One good-looker followed another as Space Traveller was next on show. You can take your pick of cliched superlatives with this lad, as he really does have size, scope and strength. He looked decidedly more lively than your correspondent felt after a caffeine-free morning, as he simply floated around the showing area. 

I know Joe isn’t prone to talking up his own horses but before I left I couldn’t resist asking about expectations for Sands Of Mali’s debut two-year-olds. He shot me one of his knowing looks, just about managed to suppress a smile and said: “Watch this space.” Consider this space watched. 

From Leighlinbridge it was on to Bennettsbridge and Ger O’Neill’s Capital Stud. When I was last on the Trail there was no Capital Stud, but in the not-too-distant future the County Kilkenny farm will be home to six stallions. I’m not sure of the origins of the stud’s name, but there’s clearly been no shortage of capital invested in this upwardly mobile operation. 

The venture is being run by some of the industry’s younger players and the good vibes around the place were pretty unmistakable. And with good reason too. 

At 16.3 hands Mirage Dancer is a big boy with an even bigger pedigree, and he merrily posed for photos in between swaggering around the spacious showing area, suggesting he has exactly the right attitude towards life. I was also a fan of Triple Threat, not that anyone needs to take my word for it when the likes of Donnchadh Doyle, Harold Kirk and Walter Connors have already invested in his stock. If his Irish-bred foals have as much clout as his supporters do, yours truly notwithstanding, he will have no problem making his mark. 

There are two Flat sires on the roster too. Alkumait’s physique has improved in tandem with his pedigree as the Showcasing half-brother to Chaldean took the eye, as did plenty of his first-crop foals at least year’s sales. The classy Castle Star has all the hallmarks of an appealing commercial option too. By a hot stallion? Check. Group 1 form at two? Check. And the looks to match? Check. Unsurprisingly, plenty of breeders had opened their cheque books and bought nominations or breeding rights after encountering Castle Star on the Trail. 

Unfortunately the newest, and probably the biggest, recruit was still in the process of clearing quarantine. Authorized may have been a notable absentee from the Stallion Trail but his impending arrival does at least provide the perfect excuse to return to Capital Stud next year. I left with the distinct impression we’d be hearing a lot more about the operation and its burgeoning stallion roster. 

Another of the farms I’d not visited before has a slightly longer history, as Kilbarry Lodge Stud has been standing National Hunt stallions since 1997. I’m not sure if the roster has ever been in better shape, however, as there is a blend of proven and promising types. 

Diamond Boy has already sired top-notchers Impaire Et Passe and L'Homme Presse, and not long after we’d left them Diamond Ri, a member of his first Irish-bred crop, ran out an easy winner at Warwick. If that’s a sign of what’s to come, then Diamond Boy will prove well named. 

He stands alongside dual Derby hero Harzand, who has a legitimate Classic prospect in the case of Caught U Looking and should have plenty of exciting National Hunt-bred stock to look forward to after covering 179 mares in his first year at Kilbarry Lodge. They are joined by Success Days, the son of Jeremy whose first stores will hit the market this year, and Pillar Coral, the unraced half-brother to Coastal Path and Martaline, who is a couple of years further into his stallion career. 

The journey between Kilbarry Lodge and The Beeches Stud was comfortably the most scenic leg on the Trail. The road hugged the south coast passing Dungarvan harbour and Helvick Head before leading to a farm that looks out towards the Knockmealdown mountains. 

Pyledriver: dual Group 1 winner proved popular over the two daysCredit: Edward Whitaker

It may have been a landscape straight out of a Tolkien novel but I was here to discover who was the Lord of The Showing Rings, rather than looking for Frodo and friends. 

Mahler and Soldier Of Fortune are the elder statesmen of the power-packed roster, and between them they have magicked up more winners than Gandalf and hit the target more frequently than Legolas. I’ll leave the Tolkien references there before I get carried away and cause offence with a comparison to a character like Gimli or Gollum.  

The proven Grade 1 talents stand alongside younger names like Idaho and In Swoop, Mogul and Wings Of Eagles. The line-up has been bolstered by Bolshoi Ballet, who posed like an old pro, and the high-class Flat recruit Pyledriver, who is sure to prove popular as a fine-looking dual Group 1 winner. 

However, for my money, the impressive Crystal Ocean rates the alpha male of the bunch. It almost looked like he knew he was being spoken about as his handler told the crowd of admiring onlookers that Crystal Ocean is a highly intelligent individual with a heightened awareness of his routine and surroundings. I think I’d be aware of my surroundings too if my bedroom window overlooked the Knockmealdown mountains. 

I’ve actually heard a stallion man make similar comments in the past, and that was Noel Stapleton when he spoke about looking after Galileo. 

With time – and daylight – now against us it was onwards to Cork and a whistle stop tour through the joint, dual-purpose roster spread between the Cashman family’s Glenview and Rathbarry Studs. 

There is strength in depth at Glenview as well-credentialled younger names like Eagles By Day and Old Persian stand beside Shirocco and Youmzain. 

New boy Jeu St Eloi certainly has that extra bit of je ne sais quoi. I’d be astonished if he proved anything but a hit with Irish breeders given his flourishing profile. He was followed out by Blue Bresil, who is the kind of horse that’s hard to view objectively as we already know he’s seriously talented. No-one needs reminding this is the sire of Constitution Hill we’re talking about. 

After a busy weekend of parading, Blue Bresil gave the impression he was starting to feel a bit ambivalent about being the centre of attention. I could have sworn I saw him shrug before ambling back into his stable and getting stuck into his grub. Well, he is French after all. 

Up the road at Rathbarry, State Of Rest scooped the prize for the Trail’s biggest show-off as an otherwise thoroughly professional parade was punctuated by some extravagant, playful rearing. The winner of four top-flight races in four different countries may have been trying to assert himself as the new kid on the block but he’s got a long way to go to match the exploits of his neighbour, Acclamation. 

The Trail serves as something of a tribute to the breed-shaping 25-year-old as descendants could be found far and wide, from Dark Angel to Pyledriver and at most points in between. 

In fact, another of his sons has moved in right next door. Kevin Blake was on duty to spread the word about Bouttemont, who looks like a real chip off the old block. If he proves even a fraction as good as Acclamation, I’m sure there’d be no complaints. 

Kenway: Prix la Rochette winner is new to the Coolagown Stud ranksCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

You could say we’d saved the best until last as the final stop on the tour was Coolagown Stud. The roadside sign calls Coolagown ‘The home of the gallopers’, but by this time the ever-jovial proprietor David Stack had already galloped out of there on other business. It’s almost like he knew I was coming. 

Fortunately, the stallion line-up more than made up for his absence. Put it this way, I’d consider taking a selfie with a hot prospect like Kenway, the first son of Galiway to stand outside France, but I probably wouldn’t have done the same with Davey. No offence. 

And Kenway isn’t the only selfie-worthy name at Coolagown either, as the roster features other in vogue options. Storm The Stars had already captured the attention of some shrewd operators before his son Storm Heart let the cat out of the bag with a 22-length victory on his debut for Willie Mullins, while Way To Paris has his fans as a well-bred, Group 1-winning son of the much-missed Champs Elysees. 

Coolagown also landed the prize for jazziest stable doors, which have been painted a similar shade of purple to NatWest’s branding. I’m sure it’s all part of a clever marketing strategy to subconsciously remind breeders that the likes of Kenway and Storm The Stars will prove to be absolute cash machines. 

And with that, my race was run for this year’s Irish Stallion Trail. I covered roughly 330 miles, managed to tick off 13 studs and saw 61 different stallions who have sired the not inconsiderable total of 1,234 black-type performers between them. 

All that’s left is for me to offer a sincere thank you to all the studs and hardworking staff who opened their doors and turned their horses out so immaculately for our benefit. Hats off too to ITM for organising another superb event. 

Special props go to the organisation’s Jeremy Greene for filling the role of Stallion Trail chauffeur. That’s his choice of word not mine, by the way. From where I was sitting (namely the passengers seat) it felt like much more of a joint enterprise. 

It took a bit of legwork to get through, but I don’t for a moment regret cramming so much in. It’s a level of effort you’ll know well if you’ve managed to get this far in what has turned out to be a slightly epic first contribution to Good Morning Bloodstock. 

I can recommend a surefire way to avoid having to read me waffling on again next year, and that’s by heading out on the Trail for yourself. You won’t regret it. 

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