NINE FOR PEBBLES
Friday, January 28th
We related earlier in the week that Almost Jet In had produced eight pups to College Causeway and now comes word of another big litter for the 2009 Irish Derby champion.
That great stayer Betathan Pebbles whelped her litter of nine earlier this week at Imelda Phelan’s kennels. In her time Pebbles set two track records across the water and was also named the Sky Bitch of the Year.
EIGHT CAUSEWAYS
Tuesday, January 26th
There was great joy down in the Davies kennels in Castlebridge on Sunday when Almost Jet In produced a smashing litter of four dogs and four bitches to College Causeway.
Almost Jet In has been a great servant in the breeding paddocks for Bryan and Lois Davies and her daughters Almost Chilli and Almost Daring were prolific winners at Shelbourne last year.
Jet In currently has a litter on the ground by Head Bound and these will be hitting the tracks this year. But now the Davies have plenty to look forward to with the Causeway litter and their arrival is a very timely boost for Lois who is just recovering from illness.
A FLYING PHANTER
Tuesday, January 26th
What’s this we hear about a flying pup by Killahan Phanter that is reportedly causing ripples in southern circles.
The pup is still some months away from appearing on a track but the words “catching pigeons” have been used in describing how he is shaping.
Word has it that he may be a member of the Pat Buckley team, so don’t say you weren’t warned! He would be one of the first Killahan Phanter pups to be seen. Wouldn’t it be some start?
MEGA PASSES AWAY
Friday, January 22nd
Mega Delight, one of the greatest bitches of the modern era, has been put down to save her from further suffering.
The Irish Marathon Award winner for 2002 and three times Best British Dam, Mega Delight will forever be remembered for the exploits of her sons Westmead Hawk and Westmead Lord.
Hawk and Lord completed an amazing English Derby hat-trick to grant their dam legendary status. She gained most of her successes in Ireland with Seamus Graham but then returned to Nick Savva for her breeding career.
Mega Delight had been in brilliant form until recently when it was discovered she was suffering from bone cancer.
BABY’S BIG WEEK
Thursday, December 24th
Berts Baby, owned by Mary Burrell from Ballyduff in County Kerry, must have been a strong contender for the dam of the month title in December following the feats of her produce last week.
In the course of a few days she accounted for four high profile winners from two different litters. First to grab the headlines was Newlawn Class which scored that fantastic victory in an open contest at Wimbledon on Tuesday night where he beat the ante-post English Derby favourite Eye Ofthe Storm.
Then on Saturday night at Tralee Berts Baby had a superb double on the Greyhound & Petworld Kingdom Derby programme. Pencray Lass clocked a flying 28.50 when winning the Open Bitch final and Mossend Skyline won the Dave Cremin Greyhound & Petworld A5 Stake in 29.08. Twenty four hours later Newlawn Cowboy won an open 550 around Clonmel in 30.16.
But then Berts Baby was no stranger to big performances as her daughter Mossend Cain ran up the 2005 Puppy Derby to Greenwell Storm. The dam is a daughter of Spiral Nikita and Minor Impulse.
NEWPARK SPECIAL OFFER
Tuesday, October 6th
With the recession hitting breeders very hard and with the general decline in breeding, the Newpark Stud team have come up with a novel idea.
For the next three months anyone breeding to Ballymac Maeve will receive a 50 per cent discount on the stud fee for a second bitch to any other sire available at Newpark during the same period.
According to Ann Bourke, Ballymac Maeve has almost 200 bitches mated this year, making him one of the busiest sires in the country. She is hopeful that Sevenheads Bay will qualify for the Laurels Final and winning it would make it a second classic for Maeve this year!
SWORDS AT STUD
Wednesday, August 12th
Swords Prince, whose racing career was so cruelly terminated by injury, has commenced stud duties with Richard Cully in Carbury, County Kildare.
The son of Head Bound and Katie King established himself as one of the favourites for the Derby when winning the Tote Gold Cup at Shelbourne in March in a brilliant 29.44 but then broke his hock in a trial in May.
The sensational tracker won fifteen of his 26 races for owners Barbara and Leonard Lowndes and trainer Brian Madigan.
KIERAN’S FIRST LITTER
Monday, August 10th
I’ve just heard from P.J. Fahy that his Scottish Derby winner Tyrur Kieran has become a dad – and what a start he has made!
His first litter arrived over night and the dam is Tyrur Lisa, herself a very useful tracker. The debut litter comprises of seven dogs and four bitches.
Tyrur Lisa won the Lerrig Stores Stake at Tralee, the Shelbourne Stud Puppy Stake at Limerick and the Red Mills Breeders Cup Trial Stake at Kilkenny while she was a finalist in the 2005 Newbridge Oaks, the 2006 Tyrur Ted Champion Bitch at Galway and the 2006 North West Oaks at Lifford.
Tyrur Kieran is a son of Honcho Classic and Tyrur Dee and following his 2008 Scottish Derby success he went on to finish second behind Loyal Honcho in the final of the English Derby at Wimbledon.
MELODYS AT STUD
Wednesday, July 29th
That smashing tracker Melodys Pat has been retired to stud due to injury and is now standing with Sean and Ann Bourke at the Newpark Stud in Clonmel.
The August ’05 son of Larkhill Joe and Urla Melody sustained a stopper pad injury late last year and it again flared up as he was being prepared for the Lynch Family Race of Champions at Tralee this year. It has brought a fine racing career to an end but he is sure to be very popular with breeders.
Noted for his sizzling early pace, Melodys Pat was a real champion around Tralee where he finished fourth in the Lee Strand 550 before winning the Paddy Byrne Memorial. Then last year he scored a hugely impressive victory in the Paddy O’Sullivan Race of Champions in which he set a stunning new track record of 29.62 for the 550 yards. He also had a 28.14 record equalling clock for the 525 yards at the Kingdom Stadium.
But he wasn’t just a Tralee dog as he rocketed to the top of the English Derby betting last year after a few sizzling performances and did likewise in the Derby at Shelbourne. He was trained through his career by Pa Fitzgerald who declares him as one of the fastest he ever trained.
A LITTER TREBLE – 4 FOR HADES
Thursday, May 21st
It’s not often that you come across a litter treble on a night at Shelbourne Park but that’s just what the Merriman family provided on Wednesday night with members of the June ’07 litter by Hades Rocket out of Coolemount Flair.
Members of the litter won three of the first four races with Coolemount Jet setting it rolling with a 29.57 ruin in the opening heat. Then litter sisters Highview Beccie and Highview Gale moved in with 29.43 and 29.22 successes.
Paddy Merriman bred the litter at his Rhode kennels in County Offaly and son Gerry was the winning trainer, thus enhancing his position among the top six trainers at headquarters this season.
Incidentally it was quite a night for the sire Hades Rocket as he also was the sire of Dynamite Rocky (ex Miss Sadie) which won a later race on the card for Geraldine Fitzpatrick, thus completing a four-timer for the Aussie bred stud dog who is a son of Brett Lee and Sound The Alarm.
Nadine Off To The Paddocks
Tuesday, April 14th
P.J. Fahy has confirmed that his smashing bitch Tyrur Nadine will not race again due to injuries sustained in the semi-finals of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Oaks at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.
The brilliant daughter of Droopys Scholes and Tyrur Fiona picked up a serious injury and will now be retired to the breeding paddocks.
Said owner Fahy: “Unfortunately she has broken a bone in her shoulder and will be operated on. She will be kept for breeding. She was running really well and I was looking forward to having a right go at winning the Oaks with either her or Tyrur Liz. It could be worse, maybe they will go on to throw a Derby or Oaks winner”.
Tyrur Nadine was a lightly raced bitch, winning seven of her 20 races. She was third in the 2008 Tyrur Ted Champion Bitch Stake and was runner-up in this year’s event. She is a half sister to such star trackers as 2007 Derby and Laurels runner-up Tyrur Laurel and the 2007 Oaks third Tyrur Margaret.
Dalton’s Aussie Influence
Wednesday, March 18th
We have become very accustomed to finding Pat Dalton’s breeding lines present in major winners on the American tracks but his influence has also spread to the Southern Hemisphere.
The recent Australian Cup was won by Velocette, a son of Bombastic Shiraz and Texan Lady. When you check Texan Lady, there you find the Dalton presence.
Texan Lady is a daughter of Fortress and Midnight Flirt. We have often discussed the Fortress breeding as he has been a very successful sire in the US. He was a top performer for Dalton and was a member of the very good Im Slippy. Exception litter.
There was a further big Irish influence in the Australian Cup final as the third placed Premier Moment is a son of Premier Fantasy and Ikari Babe.
Ruler On The Double
Monday, March 9th
Saturday proved to be quite a night for the stud dog Indian Ruler as his progeny registered a fine double by winning two sweepstakes at different venues.
At Galway the members of Theresa Mitchell’s litter by Indian Ruler out of Capoola Dream were on the mark. Calla Belle was an all the way winner of the €1,100 Tyrur Rhino Derby 575 final while litter sister Calla Princess had won the preceding Tyrur Kennels Open 525 in 29.17.
Meanwhile at Mullingar Joe Gavin’s Bombay Blonde won the final of the €1,630 Fionon O Shea Memorial 525 in runaway fashion. Bombay Blonde is a daughter of Indian Ruler and Chanor Misty.
Slick Win For Denis
Monday, March 9th
County Kerry breeder Denis Keane had a nice touch at the weekend when the bitch he bred, Slick Sioux, was an impressive winner of the valuable €26,000 Tyrur Ted Champion Bitch Stake at Galway.
Denis bred the bitch at his Gneeveguilla kennels from the mating of Maybe Baby to Premier Fantasy. Slick Sioux is obviously now regarded as the best member of this litter but it also includes such smashing bitches as Strawberry Leaf and Maireads Fantasy.
Maybe Baby, a daughter of Larkhill Jo and Ballinderry Mist, has been a truly great servant and has bred a host of winners from previous litters. Her Honcho Classic litter included such as Maybe Classic, Baby Katelyn and Strawberry Baby, while Jay Pee Esquire, Lorraines Best and Tooreen Quarry were members of her litter to Droopys Scholes.
In her first litter to Droopys Vieri she had prolific winners Right So Fido (19 wins), Berties Express (22 wins) and Berties Booster (7 wins).
Her latest litter in 2007 to Brett Lee already boasts a number of winners including Rafa Baby, Maybe Magic and Exiles Lee.
Incidentally, Slick Sioux victory was completing a remarkable few days for the sire Premier Fantasy as his son Fear Zafonic (ex Farloe Oyster) was a hugely impressive winner of the Racing Post Juvenile at Wimbledon and is now a clear favourite for the Blue Square English Derby.
Four For Ted
Thursday, February 12th
The second crop of Tyrur Ted pups are just hitting the ground – and they are making quite an impact. No fewer than four Tyrur Ted pups won at Shelbourne’s Thursday meeting.
Ted’s owner P.J. Fahy provided the first two in Tyrur Carlos (ex Tyrur Fiona) and Tyrur Nodge (ex Tyrur Dee) while the other winners were Star Of Aaron (ex Pass The Two) and Lukes First (ex Cathy Ann).
Lomu’s Fine Start
Monday, January 26th
I have been awaiting with interest the arrival of the Tyrur Lomu pups on the racing scene. I was a big admirer of the dog who only had a handful of races before he sustained a broken hock that finished his career.
On the night that Ardkill Jamie won the Cashmans Laurels, Tyrur Lomu won the opening race of the night in a brilliant 28.23. It was only his third race but it was also the last for the son of Tyrur Ted and Tyrur Rachel as he sustained his injuries in a trial the following month around Shelbourne.
Well, his pups have now started racing and have made a nice start with a good opening strike rate of 6 wins from their first 23 runs. The star performer thus far has been Tom Dowling’s Barrow Stamps (ex Silky Brindle) who won the semi-final of an A3 600 competition at Newbridge last Saturday in an impressive 33.46. He will be favourite to win the final of this sweepstake on Saturday night next.
Other Lomu pups to have caught the judge’s eye thus far are Tyrur Biffo (ex Tyrur Glenda) and litter comrades Ellumonate Lad and Soupy Joe (ex Emmas Late Show).
Life Is A Doddle!
Monday, January 26th
As I checked Sunday’s results from Clonmel, I was intrigued by the breeding of Julies Tears and it set me checking into his sire Lifes A Doddle.
The name rang a little bell but it wasn’t from a racing perspective. Checking it up we found that the dog is a full brother to the Oaks winner Lifes Beauty and was bred by Larry Byrne from his bitch Annies Touch to Staplers Jo.
Lifes A Doddle’s only registered litter is this litter from Julies Pearl that includes the highly promising Julies Tears. The only other member of the litter to have raced to date is How Dino and he has won two from three around Waterford.
This gives Lifes A Doddle an amazing record of his only pups to race winning seven of their nine races thus far. We’ll certainly be following Julies Tears with interest from here on in.
* See Julies Five Up in Hot Gossip.
Dunphy Top Breeder in UK
Friday, January 9th
Sean Dunphy was again the leading breeder in the UK in 2008. Dunphy and Ian Greaves have dominated this particular table for many years and this time it was very much Dunphy’s turn.
Dunphy was the clear winner on Prizemoney rankings with Terence Gallogly second by virtue of Loyal Honcho’s victory in the English Derby. It is a huge reflection on the prizemoney in the UK, given that Dunphy bred 109 winners of 349 races for a total of £128,185, while Gollogly’s five victories through Loyal Honcho earned £101,025. Liam Dwan bred 8 winners of 54 races for earnings of £89,995.
Greaves was placed second in the winners’ list with 247 winners with Liam Dowling in third with 112 winners.
Dunphy also topped the list as breeder of NGRC Competition winners. He bred 15 winners of 19 competitions, including 4 Category 1 and 2 Category 2, for earnings of £67,750. Greaves was runner-up with eleven winners of 17 events, including 5 Category 2, for earnings of £27,450.
An International Fantasy
Wednesday, December 31st
While Premier Fantasy’s star has been on a gradual ascent on the home front in the past twelve months, the Ballickmoyler based sire has also been striking a chord on the international front. A sizeable number of “straws” have been exported and they are certainly bearing fruit!
In the US, for instance, OJ Kellen has been doing a mighty job of advertising the merits of the Irish superstar. The son of Premier Fantasy and San Tan Rewind finished second in the final of the Dick Andrews Futurity at Palm Beach Kennel Club on St Stephen’s Day. He was up front all the way in the final and was only caught late on by Yahoo Omar before being beaten a length in 29.82.
Meanwhile down in Australia a number of Premier Fantasy pups have been catching the eye. One of these is the rather “Oirish” named Shamus O’Shaw who has been getting them talking in New South Wales.
The Ruth Matic trained son of Premier Fantasy and Sophie’s Belle has created quite a stir at Richmond and produced a big run at a recent Friday night meeting. Coming back from a first track success a week earlier, Shamus O’Shaw hit the front on the final bend and flew up the straight to win by seven lengths in 30.81
This brought Shamus O’Shaw’s record to five wins and four placings from just eleven career starts. There have been quite a number of Premier Fantasy winners in Australia in recent weeks. Among these were Lagoon Amy (ex Gandole Serenade), Tourist Col, Premier Tanist and Third Edition (ex Olympic Tourist); Ashby Jewel (ex Groovy Jewel), Fantasy Girl (ex Stunning Girl); Hellyeah Maggie (ex Creative); Menado and Flash Of Light (ex Trendy La Maze); Perfect Paddy (ex Perfect Heart); Davey Bale (ex Tally Bale); Gibborn Bale (ex Carbella Bale), Jester Monelli and Fantasy Monelli (ex Foolish Girl), etc.
Other Irish sires spotted among the winners are Ten Men, Phoenix Ice, Spiral Nikita, Late Late Show, Kings Cadet, Sonic Flight, Mobhi Gamble, Droopys Kewell and World Class.
Toms The Best Dies
Tuesday, December 16th
Legendary tracker and sire Toms The Best has died at 13 years of age. The great racer holds the most unique record in the sport as the only dog to have won both the Irish and English Derbys.
The son of Frightful Flash and Ladys Guest was bred by Ian Greaves and was bought by Eddie Shotton who passed him on to Nick Savva to be trained.
It was in 1997 that he won the Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park when coming from behind to beat Vintage Prince by a length. He was then beaten narrowly by kennel companion Larkhill Jo in the Scottish Derby but he then stormed to a most impressive victory in the 1998 English Derby at Wimbledon.
He stood at stud with Richie O’Regan in Rathcormac but moved back to Savva after being retired from stud some months back.