As like many in England, and again unlike Australia, “The Curragh” racecourse in county Kildare, Ireland, is not round in shape.
It is best described as an “F” shape with an extra backward L, with a one mile near straight stretch to the post. Our UK tour group soaked up the atmosphere of the Irish Derby meet late last month.
With the English Derby winner and favourite, Sea The Stars, scratched the previous day, it was that race’s second placegetter, Fame And Glory, who won the 1.5 million euro Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (one mile, four furlongs), as the favourite pick.
Fame And Glory’s sire, Sadler’s Wells horse Montjeu, is notably known in Australasia as a sire of stayers which includes this year’s AJC Australian Derby-G1 winner, Roman Emperor, and last year’s New Zealand-trained winner Nom du Jeu.
Like Fame And Glory, who is locally trained by Aidan O’Brien and raced by Coolmore stud team of Derrick Smith, John Magnier and Michael Tabor, Alfred Nobel (winner of the two-year-old Railway Stakes-G2 on the same program), is also in the stable, and added a new stakes winner for regular Australian shuttler, Danehill Dancer.
Both were ridden by leading popular UK hoop, Johnny Murtagh, who was cheered home by about 25,000 trackside patrons, which has reportedly been a sliding number in recent years.
A tour of the nearby Irish National and Coolmore studs (in county Tipperary, about two hours’ drive south) were also highlights on our Irish agenda.
In retirement, Vintage Crop (by Rousillon), winner of the 1993 Melbourne Cup, holds a special place in Irish hearts, his racing stature holding court on the grounds of “The Curragh”, while he is also a drawcard for visitors of the Irish National stud.
This included our group who admired the healthy 22-year-old gelded chestnut in his paddock. (Vintage Crop was also seventh and third in the 1994 and 1995 Melbourne Cups respectively.)
Stallions inspected included one-time Victorian shuttler, Invincible Spirit, Ratki (who shuttles to Chatswood stud, Seymour, Victoria), and former Perth shuttler, Verglas.
It is also home of Celtic Swing (by Mr Prospector’s Damister), sire of Takeover Target.
Invincible Spirit (sire of last Saturday’s Melbourne stakes winner, I Am Invincible) is the sire of Fleeting Spirit, the horse who won the recent July Cup at Newmarket, which Scenic Blast and Takeover Target also contended.
No room for discrepancies is a focus of its breeding barn at the beautifully appointed Irish National stud. There is a video record of all mares when being served.
The stud has been associated with horse breeding since the early 1300s.
Currently comprising 381 hectares, the property was founded in 1900 by Colonel William Hall Walker.
Today the stud is managed by the Irish National stud company, which was established in 1946 to promote the interests of the Irish bloodstock industry.
It also has an equine museum and Japanese Gardens.
World stud legend, Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer), now retired at age 28, was the highlight for our group at Coolmore stud.
He was paraded with Australia’s visitors, Danehill Dancer, Rock Of Gibraltar, Holy Roman Emperor, Oratario, Excellent Art, Aussie Rules, and former Aussie shuttlers, Peintre Celebre, Footstepsinthesand and Galileo.
Like its Australian Hunter Valley breeding arm, Coolmore boasts a large track of land, about 405 hectares, including manicured gardens, but, differently, has many whitethorn and beech hedges between paddocks.
Our stud tour guides were Gerry Aherne and Tom Lynch, who both have been with the world breeding giant, which has its headquarters in Ireland, for about 12 years.
Interestingly, Coolmore is among Ireland’s major owners of beef cattle (about 2000 head of Hereford, Charolais, Limousin and Angus breeds), which allows for good management farming practices between its horses and cattle.
Don't miss the Sires of the Season liftout in the July 30 edition of The Land.
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