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| Pallavi Shevade |
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Team Valor owned Group One-winning mare, Oleksandra was runner-up in her last start. Here, Team Valor's Barry Irwin shares his review of his mare's performance, his plans for the daughter of Animal Kingdom, and what kept him sane during the lockdown.
Q: Oleksandra was second in the Wishing Well Stakes. What do you think of her performance and what are your plans for the mare?
A: We were very disappointed. We wanted her to win. She has somewhat of an excuse. She had a misstep in the middle of the race, and her jockey pulled her up for a couple of strides thinking she was injured. They lost momentum. It turned out they had started watering the track around the turns and she slipped. It's been happening quite a lot with horses racing on the same track. She came back well and we are relieved but those few seconds she lost cost her the race.
Our main goal with her this year is to breed her. She has been booked to Into Mischief. She will be flown to Kentucky and booked for a stay at Margaux Farm. The farm manager Richard Budge will train her while she is being prepared for the mating. She is being aimed at the US$750,000 Al Quoz Sprint. She will have some fast work at Keeneland in March before travelling to Dubai.
Q: Will the Al Quoz be her last race?
A: No, she will race a few times before her last race which we expect to be the Gr.1 Jaipur at Belmont Park, which she won last year.
Q: Please tell us about your other stable stars.
A: Of course Oleksandra and Spanish Mission are special. In Europe, we have two horses. In Ireland we have Silence Please being trained by Jessica Harrington. She is a light-bodied filly who was second in a Gr.3 race against males. This year we expect her to come into her own and test her stamina limits.
We also have Bolivar being trained by Paddy Twomey. He is a lighter-bodied and lightly raced horse. We expect him to do well as a mile and a quarter horse. We expect to travel him in Europe and even internationally.
Q: What are your learnings from the COVID19 lockdown era?
A: It's a double-edged sword. It is difficult to keep the horses in training when owners can't watch their horses race. At the same time, it gives owners something to focus on. They look forward to watching their horses, even if it's a race they watch on TV.
I look forward to each of my races. That's the reason people get involved in racing. There is always something happening or going to happen. It is an optimistic and inspiring sport.
Joel Rosario will ride her there. She is likely to travel on the 19th or 20th of March.
Q: Do you attend sales? Or do you prefer to breed your own horses?
A: Neither. But I have done them both. I have sold almost all my breeding stock. It is very difficult to get a horse to the racetrack. Nowadays I prefer to watch them race and take my chances at buying them at that point. In the past thirty years, the trend has caught on.
Q: As a man who has worn so many different hats in the Thoroughbred industry, who inspires you?
A: One of the earliest people to inspire me was Alec Head. He was an owner, breeder, and trainer at the highest level. I really aspired to be like him. Another man I admire is George Strawbridge (Augustin Stable). He is both a leading owner in the steeplechase racing industry in the U.S. and has had great success in flat racing in North America and Europe. His horse Call The Wind won the inaugural Red Sea Turf Handicap last year. He is a man of principles. You can't make him do something he doesn't want to do.
And like him, as I'm completely independent and not beholden to anyone, I am able to do what I feel is right. Most people don't care for such an attitude but it's been worth it.
Q: As a man who has worn so many different hats in the Thoroughbred industry, who inspires you?
A: One of the earliest people to inspire me was Alec Head. He was an owner, breeder, and trainer at the highest level. I really aspired to be like him. Another man I admire is George Strawbridge (Augustin Stable). He is both a leading owner in the steeplechase racing industry in the U.S. and has had great success in flat racing in North America and Europe. His horse Call The Wind won the inaugural Red Sea Turf Handicap last year. He is a man of principles. You can't make him do something he doesn't want to do.
And like him, as I'm completely independent and not beholden to anyone, I am able to do what I feel is right. Most people don't care for such an attitude but it's been worth it.