A Trip to Cheltenham
Seo Linn & Billy Lee | Healy Racing
While the sales ring has kept us on our toes of late, a Cheltenham winner was nice to warm the spirits as Winter begins to close in.
A rare opportunity to travel to the Cotswolds proved worthwhile as Seo Linn ran out a decisive five-length winner of the Listed Mares’ NH Flat Race under Billy Lee.
Sitting close to the pace the whole way, the four-year-old daughter of Order Of St. George travelled with purpose and took control of the race turning into the home straight. She showed an impressive turn of foot to put the race to bed in a matter of strides, with seven individual winners following her home up the Cheltenham hill.
After two good runs in Ballinrobe earlier this summer, she showed promise when fourth in a Listed event at Gowran last time. Saturday’s performance at jumps racing HQ was another step in the right direction and she looks like a filly with a bright future.
Her owner-breeders could be keen to stay along the bumper route for now, with Grade 2 targets at the Dublin Racing Festival and Aintree looking open to her.
Mixing it at the big jumps festivals will keep us ticking over through winter, but a Classic winner is still top of the agenda. That ensured a busy yearling sales campaign this autumn.
Among the new crop are progeny of a variety of top sires including Frankel, Sea The Stars, Dubawi, Lope De Vega and Wootton Bassett.
The support of a range of owners; both old and new allowed us to compete at the top end of the sales ring which keeps the dream alive for next season.
As the yearlings settle into their new surroundings, exciting opportunities in the ring still await at the upcoming mares sales at Goffs, Tattersalls and Arqana.
The acquisition of raced mares is a tried and tested path to success for the yard having acquired the likes Group 1 winners Pearls Galore & La Petite Coco and many more high class performers from similar routes in the past, and we hope to continue that trend this year.
Pearls Galore wins the Group 1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown | Healy Racing
Whilst the breeding stock sales present good opportunity to expand, unfortunately we will lose A Lilac Rolla, Beechwood and Porters Place who head to Tattersalls in December.
A Lilac Rolla has been stalwart for the yard this year, winning the Group 3 Priory Belle Stakes before going on to place twice at Group 1 company, including finishing second at Classic level in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Although she will be missed at Athassel House, she retires in good health and looks a picture as she prepares for her sales date at Tattersalls in December.
A Lilac Rolla wins the Group 3 Priory Belle Stakes | Healy Racing
Beechwood transferred to the yard this year with an exciting profile. We were delighted to reward our new owners faith in the yard with Stakes Success at Galway on her third start. That Oyster Stakes performance was a career best and she appeared to be a filly on a massively upward trajectory.
She looks sure to succeed in her next venture.
Beechwood with connections after Stakes success at Galway | Healy Racing
The last Athassel House retiree, Porters Place, showed huge potential when winning on her only start at the Curragh last year, beating a host of subsequent Stakes performers in the process.
It’s unfortunate that she could not realise her full potential on the racetrack but we wish her new connections success with her in the future.
Porters Place winning on debut at the Curragh | Healy Racing