ADO McGuinness enjoyed a fine 2019 and he’s optimistic that once we get the green light to get back racing, his horses will win some nice races this season.
He has several classy premier handicap type performers, some of which remain unexposed and, while they will start off on those valuable handicaps, he is of the opinion that some may graduate into stake performers.
“We have a very nice bunch of horses and, once we get back racing, we’ll have more than 40 riding out. We have the best bunch of two-year-olds that I’ve had, but with the competition so stiff here, you need to up your game every year,” he stated.
Central to that has been his assistant Stephen Thorne and McGuinness remarked: “Stephen has gotten a lot of new owners and syndicates into the yard. He has them very well organised and he has managed to get new owners in, and he has bought some very nice horses at the sales.”
“He bought Current Option last year and he won a premier handicap at Leopardstown last year and we have since added Laugh A Minute, who looks a smart horse. We also have Saltonstall and Bowerman and they, along with Lariat, are the horses that we hope will represent us well in premier handicaps both here and abroad.”
Riders-wise he said: “Stephen Mooney is my apprentice and he is a great lad to have around the yard. He has a great attitude and he will get his share of rides. Colin Keane and Ronan Whelan have been very lucky for me and I tend to go to them first, and outside of them, I’ll use the best available.
“It’s all about trying to win as many races as possible. We have a particularly good strike-rate and we want to keep it that way and I think only Joseph [O’Brien] has trained more winners than us since January.”
He added: “We have the beach on our doorstep and that is a huge help to the horses. We normally bring five horses down at a time. It seems to help them after they run. It definitely keeps the older horses sweet and I have no doubt that it is a big help to us.
“I have to say that I have great staff and they have been brilliant during the current crisis. They know the guidelines inside out and they carry them out every day and the guidelines and protocols have just evolved into something that we just have to implement, going forward.
Supportive
“My owners have been brilliant as well and have been hugely supportive and they, along with everyone else, just want to get back racing as soon as possible.”
He added: “The one issue that a lot of trainers will be faced with is that slot for the early sharp two-year-olds may be gone. We’ll have to see what the programme looks like when it comes out, but you’d imagine that, with the backlog of horses due to run, that you will end up meeting possibly a better class of horse in those maidens and some of them might be a bit more mature than, what we’d call, the early ones.
“I am sure it will work itself out and I have no doubt that some horses that were to go for a sale will now have to go into training so, all in all. I can see two-year-olds maidens being extremely competitive and arguably more competitive than they have been.”
Aussie Valentine
9yo b g (3705470-9)
Aussie Rules - Love Valentine
Gary Devlin & Joseph McCrory
He has been a great servant for us and a mile and a quarter around Leopardstown seems to suit him. He is getting on a bit, but he won a good race for us at the Curragh last year and he’ll be aimed at all those good races over a mile/mile and a quarter. He has slipped down the ratings a bit and he seems to be in great form and he’ll be competitive in those good races when we get back going again.
Bowerman
6yo b g (172819-112)
Dutch Art - Jamboretta
Total Recall Racing Club
We gelded hm last year and he has turned inside out since. I think there is a big day in this horse and he’s very adaptable ground wise – he’ll handle an ease and he seems to love it around Dundalk. We will train him for the Royal Hunt Cup – he is 6lbs lower on the grass.
We’ll see how that goes and whether it goes ahead. We won’t over race him, and long term, he could be a horse for Dubai next winter. I think there is a very big day in this horse. A stiff mile or an easy mile and a quarter is what he wants.
Bowerman and Ronan Whelan on the way to victory/Healy Racing.
Cache Queen
5yo b m (07613225-)
Kodiac - Cache Creek
Conor Hughes
She has been covered and she can run away for most of the summer. I am sure that she’ll be competitive and she loves a bit of nice ground. Hopefully, she can win another one before she is retired. She is a lovely mare to train and she looks great.
Chaparral Dream
5yo b g NH: (-80332) F: (13365070-)
High Chaparral - :Dream Time
D Daly
He picked up a little injury and he’ll be back in the second half of the year and he’ll mix it on the flat and over hurdles.
Current Option
4yo b g (3/321221-)
Camelot - Coppertop
Dooley T’breds & Shamrock T’breds & B T O’Sullivan
He met with a little setback after he won that big race at Leopardstown last year. But he is back in full training and he’ll be aimed at all those good handicaps over seven and a mile. He likes good ground and the Royal Hunt Cup is an option for him too.
The two big races at Galway come into the equation for him as well. I think he’s a very good horse and I’m hopeful that there is another good race to be won with him. He is the kind of horse that we need as he looks rock solid for those valuable races on the big days. Dubai is on the agenda for him as well.
Eglish
3yo b f (032-1112)
Heeraat - Emperatriz
Gary Devlin & Ms Hazel McGuinness
She has been a model of consistency for us over the winter and hopefully she can continue to progress on the grass. We gave her a break at the start of the lockdown and if she is not sold, she can run away in three year old handicaps and those good claimers are options for her.
It’s All A Joke
5yo ch g (60009070-)
Dandy Man - Jesting
Mark Devlin & Shamrock Thoroughbreds
Six or seven is what he wants. He wasn’t mad about the surface in Dundalk so we gave him a good long break and we’ll get him going again on the grass and I think he’ll be competitive off his mark.
Highly Approved
5yo b m (2820-0080)
Approve - High Society Girl
D Forde & Sean J Forde & Jarlath
Brennan
She can be a bit free but when things fall right for him I think she’ll have his day during the summer. She lost her way tor towards the end of last season, but she has slipped down to a nice mark and she’ll be okay in her own grade.
Is That Love
3yo b c (300-)
Es Que Love – Winnifred
Mark Devlin & Gary Devlin & Joseph McCrory
He had a break after he disappointed a little at Dundalk and seven with a little ease in the ground is what he wants. Again another horse that should be competitive on the grass.
Laugh A Minute
5yo b g (124/43200-2)
Mayson - Funny Enough
Shamrock Thoroughbreds
I am very fond of this horse. He has put on a lot of condition since he came to us and I think he’ll be another premier handicap horse over six and seven furlongs. He has loads of options and Royal Ascot is on the agenda for him as well. He likes a bit of nice ground. Stephen bought him last year to run in those good class races over six and seven furlongs and that is the plan for him.
Lariat
4yo ch c (/2222464-)
Poet’s Voice - Lasso
Gary Devlin and Gabriel Kelly
I like this horse. I think the ground will be crucial to him – he wants an ease and he cost £30,000 last year. He wants a mile and a half and he could be a November handicap type. He is doing everything right at home and he will be an ideal horse for those good premier handicaps over a trip.
Loaded
7yo b g (/432190-7)
Kodiac - Fikrah
Miss Alice Fitzgerald
A little ease in the ground is what he wants so I am hopeful that he’ll be competitive around those country tracks. He likes to dominate and appreciates a turning track and I think he’ll have a day during the summer.
Never Back Down
5yo b g (0625069-)
Kodiac - Steer By The Stars
Gary Devlin & Joseph McCrory & Dooley Thoroughbreds
He was second in a good race at Dundalk behind Geological but he never backed that up and I think he wasn’t in love with the surface. I think we’ll see a different horse on the grass and I think seven on a bit of good ground is what he wants. He is ready to go.
Pillar
7yo b g (3217-5665)
Rock Of Gibraltar - Ceilidh House
Sean F Gallagher
He is a great horse to have around the place and is a regular at the likes of Bellewstown and Listowel. He is back ready to go again and five or six is fine for him and he should be competitive for us again this year.
Pillar and Shane Foley with Ado McGuinness and son Tadhg/ Healy Racing.
Philly’s Hope
3yo b f (00009)
Camacho - Oddysey
H J O’Brien & Mrs L McCallan & T McCarron & K O’Brien
She’ll go for three-year-old handicaps this year and I think she’ll have a day. She’d like and ease in the ground.
Politicise
4yo b g (NH: 23625) F: (/3374760-33)
Camelot - Politesse
Dooley & Shamrock Thoroughbreds
He will mix it on the flat and over hurdles and I had the Lartigue at Listowel in my head for him. I think he has a nice mark on the flat and I’m very happy with him and he’ll be a grand horse for the good festivals. He will need a trip on the flat.
Pure Nature
3yo b f Dansili-Nature Spirits
Phoenix Thoroughbreds
She has yet to run for us and we might start her off in a maiden over a mile and a quarter/mile and a half. I’d love to get her away for a gallop somewhere but I like what I have seen and she looks a nice addition to the team.
Raphael
5yo ch g (1/61954-8)
Roderic O’Connor- Rusookh
Dooley Thoroughbreds
He bled the last day at Dundalk so we have changed things with him at home. He is a serious horse to work at home and I think if we can get him to relax, I think there is a big day in him. He likes a bit of nice ground and we might try and up him in trip at some stage, as it might help him to relax a bit.
Rock On Aidan
5yo br g NH: (70) F: (056-2143)
Fastnet Rock - Mooretown Lady
M J Smith
He is a huge horse and he looks like a three-mile chaser. He will probably go jumping later on in the year but I think we’ll start him back on the flat and I think there are more races to be won with him over a mile and a quarter. He is improving all the time and I think there is more to come from him. He wants good ground.
Royal Admiral
6yo b g (100018530-)
Royal Applause - Royal Visit
Shamrock Thoroughbreds
He won over a mile and three and he surprised me when he won over seven at Laytown last year. He has put on weight and he looks great and the plan is to go jumping with him later on in the year but he’ll start back on the flat first.
Royal Admiral ridden by Mark O’Hare after winning in Laytown/Carolinenorris.ie
Saltonstall
6yo ch g (04186380-0)
Pivotal - Macleya
Dooley Thoroughbreds & Bart O’Sullivan
He won the big Galway Mile well last year and that was a great day for everyone especially his owners who have supported us in a big way. It will be a case of more of the same this year and everything will be geared around Galway for him.
He likes a little ease in the ground and he was third over a mile and quarter on Champions Weekend at the Curragh and he looked to me that he didn’t get home that day but I wouldn’t be afraid to try him over a mile and a quarter again this year. All is good with him and he’s in great form.
Saphiri
3yo b f (300305-0)
Dragon Pulse - Curraline
John T Dunleavy
She came to me a few weeks ago and was placed in Dundalk over the winter. She is settling into her new routine and while she can be a bit buzzy, her work suggests that she can be competitive.
Scorching Heat
6yo b g (/570000-9)
Acclamation - Pink Flames
Gary Devlin & Joseph McCrory
He ran very well for us on the opening day of the flat at Naas and while he ran a bit free, he still ran very well. He’ll be aimed at sprint handicaps this year and he likes a bit of nice ground. I think he’ll be competitive in his own grade and I think seven around Galway would suit him.
Slade Runner
3yo b c (060539-6)
Slade Power - Littlepromisedland
Neil Connor & P G McManus
He came to us over the winter and we gelded him. He is settling well and I thought when he came to us first, that he was a bit free, but is settling much better now. Six looks his trip but he might get a mile as the season rolls on.
SirJack Thomas
5yo gr g (70043080-)
Fast Company - Veliyka
Dooley Thoroughbreds
He will mix it on the flat and over hurdles. We have changed the way we have trained him but he’s a horse that we like. Off this mark, I think he’ll be competitive in a handicap hurdle and he’ll be a horse for the summer festivals.
Stelify
3yo b f (000-90)
Canford Cliffs - Distant Piper
We’re Back Syndicate
She was a bit weak as a two-year-old but she has done well over the winter and think she’ll be competitive in her own grade.
War Hero
5yo b g (422230-12)
Declaration Of War - Sugar Mint
Bart O’Sullivan
He has done very well for us and he is the type of horse that might sneak in down the bottom into a good race and represent us well. He might not be a premier handicap type of horse, but I think he’s worth a go in one of them. He loves Dundalk and he wants real good, summer ground. He is in great form and he had a break when racing was shut down, but he is back and ready to go again.
Wedding Photo
6yo b m (/080789-9)
Lonhro - Well At The Top
Winning Ways Iconic Syndicate
She has had just the one run for us and I think she’ll be competitive in her own grade and her work at home suggests that she’ll have a day over the summer.
Two-year-olds
Star Act
Acclamation - Sign From Heaven
She goes well. She is a half-sister to Beau Warrior who won five on the bounce for us. There are no ‘early types’ this year and the likelihood is that you will be bumping into smart ones from the word go, but I’d like to try and win a maiden with her.
She’s Good Company
Fast Company - Fiuise
She is for a new client and will be aimed at the Tattersalls Sales race. I like her and she goes well.
Unnamed
Awtaad – Hi Katriona
She went well on the Curragh when we took her away and she will be one of early ones to run. I like her.
Unnamed
Air Force Blue – Here Comes Lucinda
Another sharp filly that will be out early. She goes well and I like her. I think she’ll be competitive in five and six-furlong maidens.
Thrums Dream
Dark Angel- American Spirit
She was bought at Tattersalls last year and will be aimed at their big race later in the year. She is very light on her feet.
Unnamed
Kingman – Blue Chip
I have never had a bigger two-year-old filly. She looks like a three-year-old and I think she is just 10kgs lighter than Salstonstall. She is one for the backend and we like her.
Ado McGuinness (left) and assistant Stephen Thorne/ Healy Racing.