RACING and bloodstock analyst Kevin Blake is part of a team using sophisticated data analytics to guide purchases at bloodstock sales.

Blake is a part-owner of The Publican’s Son, who finished second in the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes last weekend on his racecourse debut. Sourced at Ocala for $200,000, the dirt-bred colt is reportedly being aimed at the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes.

Two other fillies purchased in the same name as The Publican’s Son at other US breeze-up sales in the spring have also been returned in training with Joseph O’Brien and are believed to have been sourced by the same group. The same owners bought a filly for €55,000 at Baden Baden yesterday.

Blake will be on stage at The Irish Field’s AI in Equine Conference at Naas Racecourse on Tuesday.

With great timing, he is moderating a discussion on the use of artificial intelligence and data analysis tools in breeding programmes. Blake will be quizzing panellists Tom Wilson (Racing Squared), Anna Mackenzie (Pythia Bloodstock) and Sonja Egan (Horse Sport Ireland) on how technology is changing the way breeders and end-users are selecting stock.

The event is supported by the the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the ETS Scheme.

Also among the day’s 18 speakers are Annemarie O’Brien (Equimetrics), leading equine vet Marcus Swail, Will Duff Gordon (Total Performance Data), Horse Racing Ireland’s chief technology officer Shaymus Kennedy and trainer Patrick Harty.