News

Irish Lights Too Classy In 1000 Guineas

14th Oct 2009

Fastnet Rock, a former Easter graduate himself, landed his first Group 1 victory as a sire when Irish Lights took out today's Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.

IRISH LIGHTS ($230,000 2008 Easter, 3f Fastnet Rock-Aspen Falls) was the third last lot offered in Part 1 of last year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

She is the fifth Group 1 winner this season to graduate from an Inglis sales ring and she completed the Melbourne Racing Club Guineas double for Inglis, with Starspangledbanner having won the Caulfield Guineas last Saturday.

Irish Lights was offered for sale by Lustre Lodge and purchased by Demi O'Byrne on behalf of Coolmore owners.

Coolmore Australia General Manager Michael Kirwan said she was a filly well worth waiting for.

“We raced Fastnet Rock and to get a filly as good as her, who does everything right, it's great,” Kirwan said.

Fastnet Rock was offered at Easter in 2003. He trained on to become a dual Group 1 winner and is now one of the hottest young sires in the country.

The win was also a triumph for trainer David Hayes, with this being the 169th Group 1 winner trained out of his family's famed Lindsay Park.

Irish Lights hails from one of the great families in the thoroughbred world.

Her second dam River Crossing is a half-sister to the wonder producer Fall Aspen, a USA Broodmare of the Year who produced 13 winners, including G1 victors Timber Country, Northern Aspen, Hamas and Fort Wood, along with G2 winner Bianconi, who has become a successful sire in Australia.

Another of Fall Aspen's progeny was the G2 winning mare Colorado Dancer, who later produced Dubai Millennium – unquestionably one of the very best horses to race in the world over the past decade.

Hayes now intends to test Irish Lights against older mares in the G1 Myer Classic during Flemington's Melbourne Cup week.

Hayes recently made the decision to sell the Lindsay Park racing and training complex and Inglis has been entrusted as the selling agent.

The training and racing complex expands 93.5 hectares, houses 120 stables, includes electronically timed grass and artificial tracks, heated equine swimming pool, galloping treadmills, blacksmith work shop, staff accommodation and canteen.

Expressions of interest close on Cox Plate Day, Saturday, October 24.

"It is a great privilege to be selected by David to offer this wonderful property for sale," Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said.

"Prospective buyers can be assured that this is a truly unique property, with a natural beauty to complement the first class thoroughbred training facilities."