Making a splash in a sale with big results is all well and good, but any fast shipper with an eye on the future understands that a more important indicator of sustained success is how the That graduate continues to perform on the track.
Cormac Farrell, a trainer and trader of both speed and point-to-point horses, is a firm believer in this concept. Having launched CF Bloodstock in 2023, the horseman has set ambitious goals for the future of his fledgling operation.
“I want to produce horses that have the ability to go forward and be good racehorses,” said Farrell. “The dream is to create a champion. You see these guys like Willie Browne, Con Marnane, Norman Williamson and Eddie O'Leary. I can't name them all, but they have produced Group 1 winners. You want to see your horses continue to fulfill their potential at every level, but if we can produce one A few champions along the way then that would be the dream.”
Farrell's new operation could hardly have got off to a better start last year when CF Bloodstock co-headlined the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale with a €55,000 Tattersalls Ireland September Annual Sale pinhook. The Zoffany (Ire) colt sold for 200,000gns to Richard Hughes and Ted Durcan. Now named Bracken's Laugh (Ire) and campaigned by Bernadine and Sean Mulryan, he was a promising first winner last September for Hughes and on his 3-year-old debut last week he He won the Cardinal Condition Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths.
Farrell said he always had faith in the colt and admitted he was a little relieved when he got the job done in his first start last year.
“I've built him up enough that if he's not good at all, I'll actually look a bit silly because I was quite optimistic about him from the start,” he said. “He's a big, raw horse and we did very little with him along the way because we just allowed him to fill his frame. We were rewarded for our patience as he arrived in time to create a lovely breeze. Hopefully Richard will have a great year with him and it will be great for everyone.”
But Farrell is not new to consigning big-ticket horses. He previously founded one half of Leamore Horses, which he runs in partnership with his ex-wife Anna Calder. Dancing City (Fr) (Feel Like Dancing {GB}) is the latest standout graduate from that batch, having just won his second Grade 1 Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Thursday Six.
Since last year's ups and downs, Farrell has been active in not only purchasing his next crochet crop but also acquiring a yard for his operation. Partnering with long-time partner, owner and breeder Douglas Taylor, Farrell took over Copper Beech Stables from trainer Michael Halford. The property, located just minutes from the center of the Curragh estate, provided the optimal base for Farrell to launch the business.
“I pinch myself every day with excitement,” said Farrell. “I never thought I would be in a place like this. Never. So the fact that Douglas has been so supportive of him all this time and because of the success that we've had and everything, to be here now is really exciting. Hopefully it will continue to move in the right direction. That's a lot of pressure. This place is not cheap and everyone has to pay, but I think we have a lot of horses this year.”
Farrell was represented by just a dozen fast horses last year and that number has increased to 30 in 2024. In addition to a handful of pointers for the track, point-to-point practitioners will fill out the roster book. But Farrell says the sales surge is where he hopes to focus his attention.
“I won't be completely free from the pointers because Douglas has some very nice National Hunt stallions and there are a lot of nice young horses lining up here,” he explained. “I'm happy to train them because he's gone out and bought some great mares and he's got some very good jumping stallions, but I like the global market of those newer mares. It's a huge market and it seems to be very strong at the moment. Hopefully that will translate into a surge in sales.”
CF Bloodstock will send seven juveniles into the ring at next week's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale. In the group, Farrell pointed out one Kameko colt (lot 121) winner Miss Sugars (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) as well as one Sioux Nation foal (lot 123) from Street Cry (Ire) mare Mo Chara.
“I think they're a solid group,” he reported. “They are all very healthy. All x-rays were clean and the scope was excellent. Until the wind blows and we get out of the way, you won't know where you'll land. Now all the homework has been done and I hope they all do justice.”
Farrell's crochet shopping takes him everywhere from Goffs and Tattersalls to Arqana and Keeneland. Regardless of where he buys, Farrell sees configuration as non-negotiable for his prospects of success.
Bracken's Smile sold for 200,000gns | REACT
“If I had any money to spend, I would buy a gorgeous, well-matched horse before anything else,” he explains. “Then I think in terms of starting you need a bit of stallion strength and then the pedigree is almost last. The Sioux Nation That coming to Craven is huge. I just felt that as a yearling last year, he screamed 'racehorse' to me. He is a very mature child and now he looks like a 3 year old. Funny enough, last year Bracken's Laugh was also a very big horse and people probably didn't think he would be ready.”
“You have to think a little more creatively when buying fast horses because if everyone wants to buy the same horse then none of us can afford one,” he added. “There's a lot of luck involved. We buy a lot of horses and some go right, some go wrong, but I look for a horse that catches my eye, that tells me that he wants to be a racehorse.”
Of course buying a horse is sometimes the easy part. The training process is where the real work begins. Farrell, who has a background in event planning, said that this area in particular is where he hopes his business will gain a positive reputation.
“The way horses are produced and how they perform at the sale and after the sale reflects how we produce them,” he explains. “We do a lot of flat work with them and they all ride very well. If you make them run fast and it turns out they've been training to run fast, that's not good for everyone. There is no point in getting a horse to run lightly and then have the trainer take them and say that the horse is so classy that it cannot be ridden. That wouldn't be good for business.”
Farrell applauds the many consiglieres he has known over the years who have had a hand in developing a fast track record of producing effective athletes.
“The people who produce speed horses are doing an amazing job,” he said. “All the horses showed up and won within weeks of the sale. It used to take months, but now it's weeks after the sale and they're still great. They are conditioning them to race and they are much better prepared to train. Their lifespan is much better. The breezes have proven to be an unbelievably good source of horses and let's hope it continues to be so. I am happy to be a part of it and I hope I can match my predecessors and do as well as them.”
