THE BALLYLINCH STUD
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Ballylinch Stud, developed as a base for The Tetrarch over 90 years ago, has changed since the days of the flying machine – and for the better. The stud, now under the guidance of John O’Connor, houses 5 stallions and is building up a band of commercial broodmares.
Ballylinch Stud and the Mount Juliet Estate in County Kilkenny is a most impressive sight set amidst 1000 acres of farm land. Mount Juliet is a formidable house that is now used as a hotel and overlooks the river Nore with the Stud lying beyond. A Championship golf course is set within the estate and the stables that once belonged to the house now provide leisure facilities including a restaurant, bar, golf shop, leisure centre and health spa.
Major Dermot McCalmont developed Ballylinch Stud as a base for The Tetrarch who retired to the stud in 1914. In 1987 Mount Juliet was sold by the McCalmonts to Killeen Investments, an Irish industrial holding company whose subsidiaries include the stud and Toyota’s Irish franchise. Killeen’s chairman is Dr Tim Mahony.
The managing director of Ballylinch Stud is John O’Connor, who has been at the stud since 1988. He graduated as a vet from UCD in 1980 and worked in France and Australia before returning to Ireland. Brought up in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, he comes from a family of farmers and breeders, his parents bred the good sprinter Bay Express, whilst his uncles from both sides of the family raised Cheltenham winners.
John O'Connor with Soviet Star
John’s first job was at Turannga Stud, later to become Arrowfield, in Australia, he then did two seasons in Normandy with Dr Bruno Plainfosse as well as working north of scone in Australia with Dr Ray Biffin. On his return to Ireland John worked at Baroda Stud with Sean Doyle. At the time Baroda had 5 stallions and John became resident vet as well as being encouraged into management. In 1988 John came to work at Ballylinch with Tim Mahony and Killeen Investments. Up until this time Mount Juliet had been an old-fashioned family estate, upon John’s arrival there were no stallions and only four mares on a farm of 1000 acres. The plan was to buy yearling fillies with the idea of generating broodmares for the developing stud farm.
The best of these yearling purchases turned out to be the Nijinsky filly Crockadore who won the Orchid Handicap at Gulfstream Park in the USA and The Caretaker who won the first running of the Cartier Million. The Caretaker was only part owned by the stud and was sold to race in the USA. As a broodmare she subsequently became the dam of St Leger and Coronation Cupwinner Mutafaweq and dual American Grade 1 winning filly Dimitrova.
In the early 1990’s the policy changed slightly and it was decided to put together a band of Group winning mares rather than buy yearlings. Among the first to be purchased were Ingabelle and Gravieres, both of whom are still at the stud today. Ingabelle was a Group 3 winner and was purchased carrying the Group winning filly Wild Bluebell, who in turn produced Group placed Il Pirata. Ingabelle later went on to produce Priory Belle a Group 1 winning Ballylinch Stud homebred when she won the Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Gravieres was bought as a maiden out of training in Keeneland. She is a nicely made Grade 1 winning mare and her pedigree is free of Northern Dancer blood. She has produced the Group 1 placed colt Coliseum by Sadler's Wells and has a reputation for passing on her good looks to her stock. Group 1 winner Pharaoh’s Delight was bought privately at the end of her training career. She has produced five winners to date including the Listed winner Pharmacist and Listed placed Phariseek whom have now both joined their dam as resident broodmares. Pharmacist is proving herself to be a top class broodmare having produced two Stakes winners and Group placed horses, Medicinal and Red Rocks from her first 3 foals.
Gravieres with filly foal by
Sadler's Wells
Other purchases have included Prix de Diane winner Caerlina who was bought in foal to A. P. Indy at Keeneland and Prix du Calvados winner Shigeru Summit who went on the produce Listed winner Shizao. Since her purchase by Ballylinch Stud, the Listed winner Majinskaya has produced Irish Champion two year old filly Danaskaya and Modeeroch, a Listed winner and Group 1 and 2 placed at 2 and Group 3 placed at 3 in 2006.
More recently Ballylinch Stud has purchased Portelet, the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed Etlaala, and Expectation the dam of 2005 Group 2 Richmond Stakes winner Always Hopeful.
Ballylinch aims to have around 20 – 25 mares, to breed from these, retain the best fillies to race and to sell the colts. The fillies are trained mostly in Ireland by Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld, horses are also in training with Con Collins, Michael Halford and Patrick Prendergast, along with James Fanshawe and Ralph Beckett in the UK.
Selling yearlings successfully, both home bred and consigned, is a major part of the Ballylinch operation and is ever increasing in importance. In 2004 Ballylinch sold Listed winner and Royal Ascot Group 2 second Red Rocks (homebred out of Pharmacist) and in 2005 the yearling colt by Montjeu out of Majinskaya was sold at the Newmarket October Yearling Sale Part 1 for 570,000gns, he has been named Chinese Whisper and is in training with Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle, hopes for him are high!
Bob Back
Ballylinch Stud has also established itself as one of the leading public studs in Ireland and currently stands 5 stallions. When John O’Connor first arrived he bought along with him former Baroda Stud resident Bob Back. He proved to be an exceptional dual purpose sire producing St Leger winner Bob’s Return and Grade 1 hurdle winners including Back In Front, Bacchanal and Thisthatandtother. Bob Back now stands at nearby Burgage Stud. Ballylinch Stud was also home to Posen for a while.
The first of the current stallions to arrive at Ballylinch was King's Theatre, a Group 1 winner at 2 and 3, he was placed second in the Epsom Derby and it’s Irish equivalent and is a son of multiple Champion sire Sadler's Wells. King's Theatre has established himself as proven in every sphere siring Group and Grade 1 winners on the flat and over hurdles. He is the sire of 2005 Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes winner King’s Drama and also French Champion Hurdle winner Noboby Told Me as well as Nas Na Riogh and Ballylinch hombred Royal Alphabet, a Grade 2 hurdle winner at Punchestown and also Grade 1 placed.
European Champion sprinter and 5 time Group 1 winner Soviet Star was repatriated from Japan by Ballylinch Stud and arrived for the 2000 stud season. He was the sire of 4 Group 1 horses in 2005 including Champion Miler Starcraft. Soviet Star is also marking his mark as a broodmare sire, his most notable success here being the outstanding mare Soviet Song.
Traditionally, the only Group 1 winning son of Machiavellian at stud in Europe is out of the Champion racemare and broodmare of the year Personal Ensign, he retired to Ballylinch Stud in 2003 and his first crop of two year olds are running in 2006. From his first Southern Hemisphere runners he has yielded the Group 2 winning and Group 1 placed filly Chant. He already has 2 winners from just a handful of runners in Europe and these include the exciting filly The Real Thing who was raised and broken at Ballylinch.
Irish 2000 Guineas winner Bachelor Duke retired to Ballylinch Stud in 2005. He received an excellent first book of mares and has produced an outstanding first crop of foals. He is by leading international sire Miswaki and hails from the family of Sadler's Wells.
New for the 2006 stud season was top class miler Whipper. He was a Group 1 winner at 2, 3 and 4 years from 6 to 8 furlongs. He is by Miesque’s Son a full brother to Kingmambo and is out of Myth To Reality, making him a full brother in blood to Champion filly Divine Proportions. Whipper signed off his racing career when a fast finishing fourth in the Breeder’s Cup mile at Belmont Park and he arrived at Ballylinch Stud soon after. He has covered on outstanding first book of mares and we eagerly await the arrival of his first offspring in 2007.
Ballylinch Stud is constantly looking to the future and aiming to breed top class performers on the racetrack, whether they be raced in Ballylinch colours, bred by Ballylinch or sired by Ballylinch stallions.
