Our Friends in Ireland: Michael Halford Stable Tour featuring Sinawann and Ridenza

Michael Halford is now firmly established as one of the leading trainers in Ireland and he saddled his 1,000th winner when Platinum Warrior won the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh in 2018.

Despite enjoying notable success with the likes of Golden Cross over jumps, Haflord has focused on the Flat more recently with Casemento's victory in the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in 2010 his most notable success.

Halford continues to be supported by owners such as Sheikh Mohammed, Aga Khan and Paul Rooney and is looking forward to the new season with his exciting string.

Our Friends in Ireland - Michael Halford

• Stable star: Sinawann
• Horse to follow: Ridenza
• Handicapper to follow: Sendmylovetoyou

Alatar

He’s a smashing horse, a really genuine horse, as tough as nails, and he loves an ease in the ground. We gelded him over the winter, and we’re looking forward to stepping him up in trip. He is a horse who is crying out for a mile and a half, and he should improve as the year progresses.

Arcanears

He’s a very versatile horse for Carol Roper, who also bred him. He seems to like a good dig in the ground on turf, yet he handles Dundalk well. The handicapper gave him a fair whack when he won at Dundalk in January, but he ran well off his new mark at Naas last time.

Balmari

I thought that he would have won his maiden before Christmas, but he ran well at Dundalk twice in December, finishing second on both occasions. He has done well since then, and he has been given a handicap mark of 81, which gives us options with him.

Feminism

She’s a nice unraced filly of Godolphin’s, a Shamardal filly. She’s doing nicely and we like her. She should be able to win her maiden and progress from there. We’re looking forward to getting her out.

Finans Bay

He’s a nice colt by Kodiac, owned by Nicky Hartery. He was quite green on his racecourse debut at Naas last September. He was just a little bit weak, so we backed off him. He has done well over the winter though, he has been working well and will be ready to run soon. He should be well up to winning his maiden.

Hamariyna

She won the Leopardstown Guineas Trial last year, and she ran a big race at Naas last month on her debut this year to finish second to Lemista in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes. That was a great effort, with 10st 2lb on her back. We always said that she wanted an ease in the ground, but it was very testing, holding ground that day.

Even though she travelled well the last day over a mile, she should get 10 furlongs all right. She is lightly raced, she has only run five times, so she is open to improvement.

Harakann

A half-bother to Hamariyna, he was a bit backward as a two-year-old, so he didn’t get to race. He wouldn’t over-excite you at home, but he has a great attitude. He is a typical horse that His Highness would like a lot. He could do with a trip away from home, just to get his mind on the job, put him in the right frame of mind, but we like him. He’s one for middle distances.

Hieroglyphic

She did well to win her maiden at Dundalk in December. She was quite weak, so it was nice for her to win as a two-year-old. She’s got a rating of 77, so that gives her options. She’s a lovely looking filly, and she has strengthened well since she ran. She loves a good surface, and seven furlongs is a good trip for her for now, although she will maybe get a mile.

Kalapour

He ran a nice race to finish fourth in a Dundalk maiden over a mile on his only run so far. He’s a half-brother to Kalaxana and he could be better than a maiden. He’s not that far off a run, and we’re looking forward to getting him going this season.

Karbasann

He is similar to Balmari, in that I thought that he would have won his maiden by now, and in that he finished second on his last two runs at Dundalk late last year. He has done well over the winter too and, like Balmari, a mile on good ground should suit him well.

Katiymann

He’s been a great servant, he’s a very special horse for us. My late father always wanted to have a winner in Galway, and the year that he wasn’t well, Katiymann won his maiden there. He loves to run at a strong pace. He gets a mile, but a fast-run seven furlongs is ideal for him.

Kerandi

He won well on his racecourse debut at Dundalk last month. He was working lazily at home, but we always liked him, and Ronan (Whelan) said that he gave him a lovely feel at Dundalk on the night. He’s a horse we like and he should improve.

Massif Central

He ran some big races last year, and he did well in Dubai earlier this year without winning. Actually, he has never managed to win on turf. I don’t know why that is really, I don’t think that he’s a better horse on all-weather than he is on turf. He can be a bit keen, so Dubai was great for him, he settled well and he stayed further than he had been staying at home, so that opens up options. Paul Rooney is a very patient owner, so hopefully that patience can be rewarded.

Orchid Gardens

She finished second at Dundalk on her first two runs, and she finished third in a listed race there in February. She has done very well since then. She should be able to win her maiden, and she has been given a handicap rating of 80, so that gives her options.

Ridenza

She only ran once last season, she fractured her pastern when she won on her racecourse debut at Leopardstown in August. But thank God, everything went well with her operation, and we have been delighted with her since.

She’s a lovely filly, a well-bred filly, and we have always thought a lot of her. The plan is to go for the Irish 1000 Guineas. I’d love to be able to get a run into her before the Guineas, just to give her a bit more experience.

Sendmylovetoyou

She did well to win first time out at The Curragh last August. She was quite a slow developer, and it can be difficult when you win your maiden first time out. Her work has been good though, and I was happy with her comeback run at Naas last time. The ground was a bit dead for her, and things got a little tight for her on the inside rail. She has a wonderful attitude though, she has a big heart, and she could improve during the season.

Simsir

He progressed well last year in just three runs. He went to Dubai earlier this year with good form, but with not much experience, and it made a man of him. We were delighted with his win in a good 10-furlong handicap, and the whole experience brought him on.

Most of the horses thrive in Dubai. It’s a wonderful atmosphere over there, it’s all very relaxed, the lads have plenty of time, the sun is shining. He was relatively inexperienced going there, he had to take on horses who were a lot more experienced than him, but he really enjoyed it. He came home a stronger horse, both mentally and physically. He has pace for 10 furlongs, but he will go 12 furlongs too.

Sinawann

He has had a good winter. He has done very well. He kept improving all last year. He only had three runs, that was all we wanted for him, and he improved with each of them. We always felt there was more to come from him.

He ran a really good race on his final run last season to finish second to Mogul in the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend. We’re very happy with him now, he did a nice piece of work on Wednesday morning, and the plan is to go for the Irish 2000 Guineas.

Sindhia

She made a lovely racecourse debut at Naas in September, she was just a little bit keen. She was drawn wide at Leopardstown next time, so we rode her forward, hoping that she would back off and relax in front, but she didn’t, and Ronan was easy on her once she was beaten. Her work has been good, and she’s settling better at home. I think she’s quite smart, she’s just keen, but she should settle better as she matures.

Sky Seven

He started off very promisingly at Dundalk, but he lost his way a little after that. We have gelded him, and changed a few little things in his training, and I think we have him back working better than ever now.

Spelga

We had a great winter with him. We bought him at the breeze-up sales, but it has taken him a long while to get it all together. He is testament to owner Paul Rooney’s patience, he was happy to wait for him, to allow him come in his own time, and that patience has been rewarded.

Niall (McCullagh) rode him at Dundalk in October, he didn’t have much luck in-running on him, and he came in and said that he would win his next three. Sure enough, that’s what he did! He is obviously up in the handicap now, but he has been working well, and he should be able to transfer his all-weather form to turf.

Surrounding

She was wonderful year, she won five stakes races in 12 months. She’s just back from Dubai, she’s just having a rest, she’s enjoying life. She is seven years old, but she continues to enjoy her racing.

She is a sound and honest mare, and she thrived on her racing last year. She is a credit to her owners, her breeders, they were so patient with her. They never pushed me with her, we just let her come forward herself, that’s the way we operate. If she tells us that she is not enjoying it, we’ll stop straight away, but there’s no sign of that at present.

War Diary

We bought him at the Goffs Champions Sale on Irish Champions Weekend from John Murphy. I really liked him as a racehorse last year, he won a good handicap on Irish Derby weekend at The Curragh in which Massif Central was fourth.

We got him home, gave him a break and started from scratch, and he has been impressing in everything that he has been doing at home. His new owner Paul Rooney is hoping that he could be a horse that we could bring to Dubai. In the meantime, he should be competitive in some of the good handicaps off his mark of 84.

Zarzyni

He won well first time out over seven furlongs at Gowran Park, but we thought at the end of the season that six furlongs might be his best trip. He’s rated 101, and he may not be the easiest to place as a result, but we like him. He was gelded over the winter and he has only run four times, so he could improve this season. He likes good ground, and we have a couple of different possible plans for him.

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