Eoghain Ward
FROM his base at Cobajay Stables in Carlow, Aidan Fitzgerald has carved out a sizeable reputation for himself as a patient nurturer of young horses who are steadily brought along in order to build the early foundations to their careers.
This is borne out in the figures, as last season alone, 60% of his 81 runners finished in the first four on the track.
Cobajay graduates include Bordini who has won a listed bumper for Willie Mullins, Charlie Longsdon’s 141-rated chaser Coologue, who was second in a Grade 2 before Christmas, while Pilgrims Bay has won over hurdles for David Pipe.
All embody the progressive approach employed at the Carlow base, where he also has a successful pre-training operation with last week’s Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner Black Hercules amongst his notable graduates.
Fitzgerald became one of the first point-to-point handlers to establish their own website with the recently launched www.aidanfitzgeraldracing.com, from which he is already reaping the rewards with a number of new owners.
Fresh from his most successful season last term when saddling seven winners, Fitzgerald has already built on those successes with his Our Dancing Dandy and Kool Lady both selling well at recent sales while his Killeagh third Dark Mahler has joined Emma Lavelle.
With one of the rising future stars of the weight tent Richie Deegan as stable jockey alongside up and coming novice riders Rob Brennan and Aaron Sinnott, whom Fitzgerald is keen to support, in addition to the assistance of staff member Miriam Butler, the Carlow handler looks set to produce a number of smart types in the coming weeks.
BALLYNORTH BENNY
4yo ch g
Beneficial - Maslam (Robellino)
Gerard O’Neill
This Benefical gelding is showing a lot. He jumps and gallops and will make into a lovely chaser. He is a half-brother to the nine-time winner Corkage and Graeme McPherson’s Holly Bush Henry who is rated 142 over hurdles. I will have him ready to run in a few weeks and he is very smart.
BENNY IN MILAN
5yo b g (47-)
Milan - Chaparral Lady (Broken Hearted)
Gerard O’Neill
He ran well to finish fourth at Loughrea only beaten 10 lengths and he just did not like the heavy ground when he ran at Maralin in November. He is back in now for a better ground campaign. He is also owned by Gerry O’Neill from Kildare who has been with me for a good few years. He will be a lovely summer horse who is from a fast ground family.
CASTLEGRACE PADDY
5yo b g
Flemensfirth - Thunder Road (Mtoto)
Pat Byrne
We are in the process of getting a hunter certificate for him now and he is a lovely big horse. Pat likes to give his horses time and I think that he jumps and stays very well. He will run soon.
CHANCEANOTHERFIVE
4yo b g
Dubai Destination - Ryhall (Saddlers’ Hall)
Damien Kelly
His owner Damien Kelly also owned Reilly’s Minor who we sold to Warren Greatrex after he ran at Castletown in October and he has already finished a close third in a bumper for him. Damien bought this lad at the Land Rover Sale and he wants nice ground. We have a lot of schooling done with him and hopefully he will run soon.
COOLE HALL
4yo b g
Flemensfirth - Coole Assembly (Saddlers’ Hall)
Tom Newton
This is a fine, big Flemensfirth gelding that has lots of scope and he has been going very well. He had a cough but he is ready to rock on now and hopefully he will get to run before the ground turns good. He is out of a Saddlers’ Hall mare and we really like him.
DESARAY
5yo b g (P-1)
Milan - Shuil Mo Ghra (Presenting)
Ashling Daly
I fancied him ahead of his debut at Borris before Christmas but he ran poorly. When we got him home he was sick which explained the run. I gave him plenty of time and so it was great to see him win by 12 lengths at Ballyragget last Sunday. He is a horse who works very well and I think a good bit of him. He is going to the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale in April.
DOLLYS DOT
5yo b m
Vertical Speed - Our Dot (Supreme Leader)
James O’Neill
She is a nice mare that jumps very well and is ready to run. She belongs to Jim O’Neill who has had plenty of horses with me over a good few years, and we have won maidens with Hester Flemen and most recently Our Dancing Dandy who we sold to Donald McCain at the Cheltenham Sales last month.
DORAN THE LEGEND
4yo b g
Oscar - Portobello Lady
(Broken Hearted)
Philomena Crampton
This a lovely horse that is owned and bred by Philomena Crampton who had his half-brother Bigironhiship who won his maiden at Athlacca for me last season before we sold him to Rose Dobbin who has already won over hurdles with him. He got a bit of a cut a few weeks ago. Hopefully we will get him out before the summer as he is a horse that we like.
ELLENS WAY
4yo b f (3)
Black Sam Bellamy - Function Dreamer (Overbury)
Enda McDonagh
She ran very well on her debut last month when she was only beaten six lengths at Durrow. She is a lovely solid mare that I think will come on a lot for that opening run and hopefully she will be hard to beat in the coming weeks. She is owned by Enda McDonagh who is a new owner to the yard and is out of a half-sister to Philip Hobbs’ three-time Grade 1 winner Captain Chris.
FLEMENS STORY
5yo b g
Flemensfirth - Amelia Earhart (Be My Native)
Declan O’Keeffe
Declan O’Keeffe is another new owner to the yard and hopefully we can have some luck for him. She is a lovely Flemensfirth mare that Declan gave plenty of time to after getting from the Tattersalls November Sale as a foal. She is a very sharp horse that that will make into a lovely hurdler for the track and she will be out in the next few weeks.
JUST LIKE US
5yo gr m
Vertical Speed - Our Touring Grey (Great Palm)
James J O’Neill
This is a lovely big staying mare that has plenty of work done but I think she will benefit from a summer’s grass. I am not going to rush her.
KAYEM
5yo b m (345)
Dubai Destination - Karen Mag (Oscar)
Patrick O’Driscoll
The O’Driscoll family are also new owners to the yard. She came on a lot for her first run and was only beaten eight lengths by older mares’ at Bandon. She ran a cracker at Liscarroll last week as it looked a very hot race so hopefully we can get a winner for them with her.
LILLIPUT LANE
4yo b f
Yeats - Charade (Danehill)
Anthony O’Sullivan
I bought her from Cathal Ennis at the August Sales in Tattersalls and she is a nice big mare that seems to have plenty of speed. She has a good pedigree and will run in the next few months.
MACS GIFT
4yo b g
Scorpion - Gift Wrapped (Presenting)
Ashling Daly
This is a lovely model of a horse that I bought from Maeve Furlong at the Derby Sale. He is a very sharp, forward horse that wants nice ground and he will run towards the end of April. He jumps very well .
MILLROSE BELL
4yo b m
Flemensfirth - Laboc
(Rymer)
Sam Curling
Sam Curling part owns her with me and she is named after our three daughters Milly, Rose and Isabelle. She is a very nice mare from a very good family as her dam is a half-sister to the 1999 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner See More Business. She has grown a lot and I think she is one for the autumn.
QUEENS WELL
5yo b m (44-3)
King’s Theatre - Kaniskina (Bob Back)
Gerard O’Neill
She is out of a full-sister to the St Leger winner Bob’s Return and I couldn’t believe that she was beaten on her debut at Dromahane when she went down by five lengths and she then ran badly on soft ground when our horses were wrong. We bumped into a very smart mare with her at Liscarroll last week as the race was three seconds faster than the four-year-old maiden and she is one for a summer bumper.
SHALUNA
6yo b m
Shantou - Eluna (Unfuwain)
Peter Stone
She was only broken last summer and is going well at the minute. She is another that will run in the coming weeks when the ground dries out.
STEVAN STEEL
5yo gr g (P-2)
King’s Theatre - Silver Proverb (Silver Patriarch)
Ashling Daly
I thought that he would win at Borris three weeks ago when he was beaten by a nice horse of Shark Hanlon’s. Out of a half-sister to the Grade 2 winner Karanja he jumps and stays very well. He wants good ground and I am sure he will do himself justice.
STREETS OF MILAN
5yo b g
Milan - Madame Jean (Cricket Ball)
Declan O’Keeffe
This is another of Declan’s and he would not be the biggest in the world but I think he is a good horse. He is a sharp, forward type that wants good ground and will run within a month.
TREATY LADY
4yo b m (P)
Darsi - Karlybelle (Sandhurst Prince)
Avril Barry
She belongs to the same owners as Treaty Girl who won for me at Curraheen last season before being sold to Ben Pauling who won over hurdles. She was bought from the field during the summer and I ran her in a winners’ race at Borris for experience and she will now be ready for a nicer ground maiden in a few weeks.
VICTORIA FLEMEN
5yo ch m
Flemensfirth - Keep Sake (Old Vic)
Seamus Dunne
She is a fine, big mare that I have given plenty of time. I bought her at the Derby Sale in 2014 because she reminded me of Hester Flemen who won a maiden for me at Nenagh and has since won all three of her track starts for Paul and Clare Rooney. I really like Flemensfirth mares and she is another that will be ready to go before the ground dries.
UNNAMED
4yo b g
Well Chosen - Pennyworth (Zaffaran)
Richard Deegan
He is owned by Richie Deegan who rides all mine and he is by Well Chosen who is a stallion that I really like. I broke a few of his during the summer and they all seem like nice horses. This is a lovely horse who is just on the weak side so we are not going to rush into running him. The only problem we have is who is going to ride him!
UNNAMED
4yo b g
Beneficial - Justines Joy (Taipan)
Anthony O’Sullivan & Gerard O’Neill
He is a very nice horse that we got from the Derby Sale last June. I thought that he was a bit weak but he has turned inside out in the last few weeks and is showing plenty. He will run when the ground dries out.
UNNAMED
4yo b m
Kalanisi - Dametori (Vettori)
Liam Welsh
This is a beautiful looking mare who is being named at the moment. Her dam is a half-sister to Harchibald and she goes very well. She is a proper track mare that I think a lot of. Hopefully she will run before the summer, but if not, I won’t rush her because she is very nice.