They say lightning never strikes twice, but it certainly has in Hunting Hill Stud’s case via the exploits of Big Evs and more recently Big Mojo. All this soon after their accountant diplomatically suggested to Conor and Kathryn Quirke that they might want to get another job!
If you haven’t heard of Hunting Hill Stud/Quirke Bloodstock and its lovely proprietors, then be prepared, because the big softy from Liverpool and the former phone shop manager from Cork are a
breadth of fresh air in what can be, at times, quite a stuffy industry.
Conor had no equine background, but fate works in mysterious ways. When his phone company boss suggested a marketing degree might be the way to progress, Conor took the hint and set upon
enrolling. However, a night on the beer with a good mate who was looking to do an equestrian course saw the two swap courses by closing time – a case indeed of Guinness being good for you!
Kathryn’s entry into the equine industry was more typical, as a pet pony ignited her passion which was further fuelled by a couple of years spent in training yards, including with Donald McCain. In
2015 the pair met while doing the stud management course in the National Stud in Newmarket and following stints across the globe encompassing Australia, New Zealand and the USA, they returned to Cork and Conor’s late grandfather’s farm in Castletownroche in 2018.
The 96-acre farm is an idyllic place to raise thoroughbreds, with generous fields surrounded by wonderful natural hedging that helps keep stock sheltered from the vagaries of the Irish climate. Hunting Hill is an organic nursery in every sense of the word, with not only the land and soil nourished in its natural state, but also its equine inhabitants who are kept outdoors from the time they foal to weaning and, indeed, when being prepped for the sales (a lesson learnt from their US experience).
Matching the quality of the land is those who walk it every day and nurture its stock. Initially it was tough going – “youthful ignorance” as Conor says – with off-farm work in nearby Castlehyde helping to pay the bills, but 2020 saw them make the jump to full-time work at home. Cue long, cold nights foaling with hot water bottles, complete with a pull-out bed in the barn, but the couple were slowly rewarded when their first colt foal (by Acclamation) sold well at Tattersalls UK in November of that year.
As they say, start as you mean to continue, and this colt, subsequently named Rousing Encore, finished second in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes. He kickstarted what is fast becoming a trend of Group-class horses arising from Hunting Hill, be they born, reared or acquired. Big Evs moved them into the Group 1 league, and he has certainly showcased the canny eye of Conor and Kathryn, as he was spotted breezing with a colt who was a half-brother to a foal they had pinhooked and was their original focus of interest.
Acquired for big Hunting Hill supporters RP Racing (Paul and Rachael Teasdale), Big Evs went on to win the Windsor Castle, Molecomb, Flying Childers, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and King George Qatar Stakes before retiring to stand at Tally Ho Stud. Not far behind came Big Mojo, who was bought by Conor for RP Racing at the December 2023 Tattersalls Yearling Sale. A
recent winner of the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock, he could be heading to Hong Kong or the US for his next big outing. Hopefully his siblings will follow in his footsteps as Conor and Kathryn bought his fine-looking dam last year (in foal to Blue Point) and have his half-brother, a cracking foal by Showcasing.
The corner has thus been well and truly turned for Hunting Hill, as its small collection of mares (seven foaled this year, with Kathryn saying ten is their optimum) also includes Jolie Chanson (dam of Rousing Encore) and Ares Choix (dam of Magny Cours – second in the Tattersalls Super Sales race at the Curragh) along with Beenham, who was Havana Grey’s first Classic winner in the 2024 Italian 1,000 Guineas.
Don’t be fooled, though, into thinking this is all due to the exploits of the two ‘Biggies’ – it is rather due to the knowledge and skill of the stud principals, whose experience and knowledge enabled them to pick up both Ares Choix and Jolie Chanson for under €4,000 each. As Conor says, “look out for a good mare with a not so good cover”, with Jolie Chanson purchased in foal to Dunaden. Good covers are in abundance now, though, with both Lope De Vega and Night Of Thunder figuring highly in this year’s coverings – a testament to how far the farm has come in the last couple of
years.
Whilst all breeders need a bit of luck, or as Conor aptly puts it “every horse is like a lottery ticket”, the hard yards put in by the couple in the early days and indeed every day now continue to pay off. Every penny earned is reinvested in the farm, with the sale of Magny Cours ensuring a fine concrete surface for the stable yard.
A crucial ingredient in their success has to be the care and attention they lavish on all their equine inhabitants. Kathryn admits to being far too emotionally invested in the stock and still finds it
difficult despatching them to the sales. For her, welfare is everything, as can be seen in the pensioners’ paddock, where an assortment of retired mares and geldings live in luxury, and even more clearly by their Hunting Hill business card, which has the unique and very welcome message: ‘Should this horse need a home when it retires, please contact us’.
Whilst the breeding industry faces many speedbumps at present, it is comforting to know that it is not all doom and gloom, as with young breeders like Conor and Kathryn, the future is bright.
