Classic winner for Carlow stud

IRISH St Leger winner Flag Of Honour is due to arrive at Ballycurragh Stud in Co Carlow this week and will be available to view after Christmas by arrangement.

The seven-year-old son of Galileo has stood for three seasons at the National Stud in Newmarket.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien, he broke his maiden over seven furlongs as a two-year-old before going on to win four group races including the Group 1 Irish St Leger at the Curragh.

Willie Murphy of Ballycurragh Stud said: “We are delighted to have Flag Of Honour joining our stallion roster. He will be a great option for Irish breeders as a group-winning two-year-old and classic-winning three-year-old.

“He is a superb physical with a great walk from a fantastic family. We have seen quite a few of his yearlings and they look very nice, quality types.”

Belfast night planned for breeders

BREEDERS are invited to attend an evening event in Belfast on Thursday, January 12th when representatives of the ITBA, ITM, Irish Equine Centre and Weatherbys Ireland will discuss a variety of industry topics.

Organised by the ITBA Northern Region, the open evening will cover areas such as ePassports, the ITBA’s strategic plan, bonus schemes and stud farm hygiene package. There will also be a general bloodstock discussion and a questions and answers session, while the achievements of local breeders will also be acknowledged.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel is the venue and the start time is 7pm, with refreshments available from 6.30pm. Those interested in attending are asked to register in advance by emailing ddeveney@itba.ie or by calling 045-877543.

New job for Adam McNamara

LIMERICK jockey Adam McNamara has announced his retirement and will immediately begin working for the Professional Jockeys Association in Britain.

McNamara, 25, was only a teenager when winning York’s biggest handicap on Heartbreak City for Tony Martin. He will be supporting and assisting Dale Gibson, the PJA’s racing director, and will have increased involvement with apprentice and conditional jockeys.

“I feel the time is right to embrace a new challenge,” said McNamara. “I have had some wonderful experiences throughout my career, riding 138 winners, the highlights of which were the Ebor in 2016 and the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes in 2020.

“There were plenty of highs and lows along the way and I will be forever grateful to the trainers, owners, horses and fellow jockeys who have supported me throughout.

“A fantastic opportunity has presented itself and I am incredibly excited to be joining the PJA team as Racing Executive. Considering my experience of the unique challenges and difficulties facing jockeys, I feel I can bring distinct value to the role in future.”

Dedicated Irish racing channel

RACING TV will broadcast the three Irish meetings on St Stephen’s Day on its YouTube channel. Most ‘smart’ televisions can stream YouTube or it can be cast from a phone or tablet to the television.

There are five British meetings also being covered by Racing TV on December 26th, including the King George fixture from Kempton.

The main channel will show all the best racing from Britain and Ireland, including every race live from Kempton and Leopardstown.

Racing TV Extra will, as usual, stream uninterrupted live coverage from all eight racecourses, while the dedicated Irish channel can also be accessed by subscribers on the Racing TV website.

Web: YouTube.com/@RacingTV

Web: racingtv.com

Perfect start for Berkshire

BERKSHIRE, who stood at Kedrah House Stud until his premature passing earlier this year, has only had two runners to-date and both have won in recent weeks. In France, his three-year-old son Virtus has won twice on the flat and, at home, the Ciaran Murphy-trained two-year-old filly La Tulipe Noire won a maiden at Dundalk.

BHA chairman stays in place

THE British Horseracing Board has confirmed Joe Saumarez Smith will remain as its chairman until May 2025, extending a term which had originally been due to expire in November next year. Welcoming the news, Smith said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be asked by our shareholders to extend my term. I look forward to working with all of racing’s stakeholders on the many issues facing the industry, especially relating to our long-term strategic direction. I am sure that together we can achieve many positive results.”