NOW in its fifth year, the ITM Irish Stallion Trail takes place next Friday and Saturday, January 11th and 12th.

It will showcase the wealth of talent we have in the bloodstock industry here in Ireland. With over 25 farms opening their doors to both breeders and the general public across the two days, the Trail represents an outstanding opportunity to go behind the scenes and get up close and personal with some of the superstars that help make Irish racing such a success story.

Studs participating in the Trail include Ballylinch, Castlehyde, Coolmore, Derrinstown, Gilltown, Irish National Stud, Kildangan and Yeomanstown.

Some of the world’s greatest stallions, both flat and National Hunt, will be on display, including multiple champion flat sire Galileo, leading National Hunt sire Kalanisi, multiple Group 1 winner Ribchester, and four-time Gold Cup hero Yeats.

There will also be exciting new additions to the Irish stallion ranks on show. These include 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior at Coolmore Stud, Gold Cup winner Order Of St George at Castlehyde Stud, dual Group 1-winning sprinter Jungle Cat at Kildangan Stud, Group 2-winning two-year-old James Garfield at Rathbarry Stud, and Frankel’s brother Proconsul, who has moved to Annshoon Stud.

HIGHLIGHTING SUCCESS

The thoroughbred racing industry in Ireland is responsible for almost 30,000 jobs and stimulates over €1.8 billion in expenditure annually.

Ireland is the second largest producer of bloodstock in the world by value, behind the US, and has the third highest annual foal crop after the US and Australia. There are over 6,700 thoroughbred breeders across the 32 counties and over 1.3 million racegoers enjoy Irish racing every year.

These figures illustrate the central role racing plays in Irish life and the entire sport, of course, depends on the farms that produce the racehorses we see on the track.

This could be a tumultuous year for the racing industry as we face into the oncoming uncertainty of Brexit. It is therefore more vital than ever that we champion the huge economic, social, and cultural significance of Irish thoroughbred breeding, so as to ensure its enduring success. The ITM Irish Stallion Trail 2019 is the perfect opportunity to do so and we are hoping for a record turnout.

The Trail is completely free of charge and we ask only that visitors register their interest at the website listed below. Please note that it is compulsory to register in order to visit Coolmore Stud.

A full list of participating farms, their stallions, and opening hours can also be found on our website.

ITM wish to thank all the farms that are making time in their busy schedules to help promote the world-class work they do every day.

We encourage all embarking on the Trail to share their experience via social media using the hashtags #meetyourheroes and #irishstalliontrail.

VISIT THE ITM IRISH STALLION TRAIL WEBSITE

Click here to see all the ITM Irish Stallion Trail 2019 features