2007 Trainee Views

Kildangan and Paris, October 2007

It seems like only yesterday that we were writing our opening piece for the Darley Flying Start website. Time has flown by and it’s true what they say....time really does fly when you’re having fun!

Since August we have been kept busy working in the yards seeing the breaking process through to finish with most of our yearlings loading up and heading for Newmarket. This was a very rewarding experience for the group. We took in tours and visits of the Irish National Stud, John Oxx’s, the Curragh training grounds, Ballysheehan Stud, Coolmore Stud and Troytown Veterinary Hospital which all provided a great opportunity to question key figures within these top class organisations. Harry Sweeney of Paca Paca Farm in Japan gave us a very insightful talk into Japanese culture and the bloodstock and racing industry. The talk included some sushi and Japanese beer tasting which further enhanced the overall experience.

October saw the Goff’s Million Yearling Sale and we were busy inspecting yearlings with all the leading bloodstock agents. This was an invaluable experience as we got the opportunity to shadow some of the sharpest eyes in the industry. On the Monday evening of Goff’s we all had the pleasure of having dinner with John Ferguson, Joe Osborne and Clodagh at Fallon’s Restaurant in Kilcullen. This was a highly enjoyable evening and all the Irish chaps on the course were pleased to see that John enjoyed the odd pint of Guinness.

On the racing front we took in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, the Goff’s Million, St Leger and National Stakes all at the Curragh. By now the international flying starters have become well accustomed to the Irish racing scene. We wrapped up our UCD veterinary course and are awaiting the results with baited breath!!

All the Flying Starters made the short trip to Paris for Arc weekend, and many thanks to fellow Flying Starter, Jerome Reynier, for hooking us up with tickets for both days.......Cheers Jerome! On the Saturday night we attended the Goff’s Arquana horses in training sale and later watched the France v New Zealand Rugby World Cup Quarter final match on a big screen in a crowd of 10,000 people. The atmosphere was electric and the local crowd erupted after the French victory with the mayhem spilling onto the streets well into the small hours of the morning. For most of us it was our first trip to Longchamp and we were blessed with one of the best weekends of the summer.

We enjoyed a fantastic meal in Kildangan House for the Ambassadors Lunch. Guests included the Australian Ambassador HE Anne Plunkett, Josef Smyeek from the Czech Embassy, Danny Toma from the US Embassy, Dermot Cantillon, Michael O Hagan, and Elizabeth McCullagh from the Department of Foreign Affairs. More recent guest lecturers include Michael O Hagan from Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Des Leadon on International Horse Transport Welfare Issues and Henry Beeby from Goff’s and Doncaster Bloodstock Sales.

This wraps up our stint in Ireland and it’s off to Newmarket until Christmas. We are all looking forward to the next stage of our trip and hope that it’s as good as the first stage has been. So it’s a case of over and out from Darren and Mick!

Darren Fox & Mick Flanagan

Click here for a list of all 2007 trainee views

Irish National Stud