Finbar Kent off and running

Finbar Kent made quite the sales debut in late August when turning over £158,000 for two yearlings at the Goffs Premier Sale in Doncaster, highlighted by a £110,000 colt from the first crop of Persian Force.

But then we shouldn’t be surprised. The Kent name has long been synonymous with differing aspects of the industry, notably as a constant supplier of winners from the various bases belonging to  different members of the family on both sides of the Irish Sea. That has been particularly true this season for Finn’s father Richard, whose Mickley Stud scaled Group 1 heights at Royal Ascot  courtesy of Dockland’s win in the Queen Anne Stakes. Appropriately, Harry Eustace’s stable star is a son of Mickley resident Massaat, a stallion who gives smaller breeders a chance at a fee of just £3,500.

Finn, in turn, is a well-known figure on the sales circuit, ranging from his time at the helm of a Mickley Stud draft or as part of the Yeomanstown Stud team. Spells with Paul McCartan in Ireland  and the likes of Spendthrift Farm and Hill ’n’ Dale in Kentucky have also given him an invaluable grounding ahead of making a leap under his own banner.

I always wanted to develop my own reputation, my own name, my own brand

Based at Glebe Stud in Newmarket, Kent and business partner Declan Deegan opened their doors in February, attracting a collection of boarders through word-of mouth before turning their  attention to yearling prep. When all is done and dusted, around 30 yearlings will have passed through the Cheveley-based farm, ranging from a handful of Book 1 hopefuls to the much admired Persian Force colt who set the ball rolling in such good style at Doncaster.

“I always wanted to develop my own reputation, my own name, my own brand,” says Kent. “I’m very proud of what my dad has achieved and what he’s done – he’s a friend to everyone and he’d do  anything to help anyone. He’s bred an awful lot of good horses – I think he’s bred six Group 1 winners including Docklands of course. But I just felt it was the right time to go out on my own and do my own thing.

“We moved into Glebe in February. I’d been on the lookout for my own place for a while and Glebe came up and I loved it. The landlord has done a wonderful job with it. They’re beautiful facilities – it’s 60 acres and there are 26 stables so it’s a real nice size. And it’s good efficient land – it’s coped well with the summer we’ve had.

“We didn’t foal any down this season but I hope to next year. I didn’t really push for any business early on. I just wanted to see what I could take and find my feet. It was kind of word of mouth to begin with and thankfully I got really well supported.”

His work ethic is absolutely scary

That Doncaster sales debut may have pushed Kent and Deegan into the limelight but Kent is quick to acknowledge those who have helped him along the way, some of them responsible for  inspiring a work ethic that can be seen underpinning Glebe as the season wends its way through the year.

Dad sent me to Paul McCartan’s for the summers when I was 16 and 17,” he recalls. “They were the best two summers. It was hard work but I was very lucky as well. Paul was riding the crest of the Kodiac wave back then so I was there at the time of Tiggy Wiggy, Kodi Bear and Coulsty. Paul was still at Croom House Stud at the time but he also had [his own stud] Ballyphilip to run as well. His work ethic is absolutely scary.

“I also went to Kentucky for a few years, firstly to work for Peter O’Callaghan at Woods Edge Farm. Then I did a stud season at Hill ’n’ Dale, where Curlin was the big stallion, and then the stallion night time shift at Spendthrift, which was an amazing experience with the likes Into Mischief.”

From Kentucky, it was a return to Europe and the machine that is Yeomanstown Stud. From stallions to breeding to pinhooking and breeze-ups, few operations cover such breadth as Gay and Annette O’Callaghan’s Kildare farm.

“Yeomanstown was a big learning curve,” says Kent. “When I first started, Gay said to me you can come for a month and if you don’t like it here, we’ll shake hands at the end of it and be friends, or if I don’t like you, we’ll also shake hands and be friends. And I ended up staying for five years.

“It was incredible. It wouldn’t matter what business the O’Callaghan family went into, they would be successful. And I think that comes from their work ethic. Gay would be the first man up every morning into the yard. They inspire that into you.”

It was at Yeomanstown that Kent met Deegan and come last November, the pair were scouring the foal sales hunting for potential pinhooks. Among them was a Persian Force colt out of Baroness Blixen bought for €30,000 and a Dandy Man filly out of Vichy France who cost €20,000; nine months on and while the Persian Force received the ultimate seal of approval by selling to the stallion’s owner Amo Racing for £110,000, the Dandy Man filly also turned a profit at Doncaster, in her case by selling for £48,000 to Peter and Ross Doyle.

We felt Persian Force was going to be a commercial first-crop sire

“Myself and Declan went to the foal sales and we bought five foals and they were the first two to resell,” says Kent. “We wanted two horses that could showcase what we could do and they were just two very good physicals. They were perhaps lacking a bit of pedigree but they were proper Donny types with great action.

“We felt Persian Force was going to be a commercial first-crop sire who would be well supported by his ownership group. And the colt got to the sale and it just started unfolding. It was  unbelievable. And I’d had luck with Dandy Man the year before – there’s quite a few trainers who have had luck with that stallion as well. So I was quite keen to look at them again.”

The momentum continued at the Tattersalls Somerville Sale, where a Perfect Power filly out of Voom Voom sold for 40,000gns to the stallion’s trainer Richard Fahey, having been bought by Vicky McMahon for 27,000gns as a foal. A Bated Breath filly originally purchased for just 7,000gns also turned a tidy profit when resold for 32,000gns to Virtue Assets.

It is all about to step up a gear, however, thanks to a debut presence at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale that includes a Saxon Warrior half-sister to Group 3 winner One Look. Paddy Twomey’s filly has kept good company since running away with the Goffs Million on her debut in September 2023, notably when taking the Kilboy Estate and Park Express Stakes. Out of the winning Holy Salt, she is also a half-sister to Italian Group 3 winner Baptism.

She’s a real quality filly

“She’s a real quality filly,” says Kent. “Her breeder was looking for someone to take her on for yearling prep. One Look has always been very talented and Saxon Warrior has come to life again this year. And it’s a proper fillies’ family going back.”

Kent’s Book 1 draft is completed by a Sea The Stars filly out of Kitkitty, a close relation to the stallion’s venerable eight-time Group 3 winner Al Asy. She was bought for 90,000gns as a foal.

The highlight on paper of a trio destined for Book 2, meanwhile, is a half-brother to July Cup winner No Half Measures. By Territories, he was bred by Bumble Mitchell and Sally Nicholls out of the  Helmet mare Fascinator.

“When I moved to Glebe, I was approached by Adam Hill, who helps Bumble Mitchell and Sally Nicholls, to see if I would prepare a few yearlings and consign them as well,” says Kent. “And one of  them was this colt. He’s a belter, a big, deep, chestnut horse with loads of scope. He’ll be a headline act, all being well.”

Kent has reason to be positive given the interest shown in his stock to go through the sale ring so far. But he is taking nothing forgranted, highlighting the well-publicised decline in the foal crop as ‘terrifying’ in the long-run.

“The sales season has started off well, the market has been very vibrant,” he says, before adding: “There were 20 fewer yearlings in the Arqana August Sale, 70 fewer in Donny and 190 fewer in  Somerville, which was cut back to a day this year. Then Fairyhouse is down 160 yearlings over the two books and Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Sale is down by 50 – where are they all?

“Yes, Tattersalls are up in numbers across all three books of its October Sale. But overall, there’s a big reduction in supply. Now that big pull back in supply could increase demand for this year,  which in the short term is brilliant. But long term I think it’s terrifying. 4

“Plus there’s very few breeders left in this country and an even smaller younger generation coming through. Overall it’s very worrying.”

‘It looks like it will be a decent sales season’

Opinion: what have you made of the yearling market so far?

Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan
The season has started off well. There seems to be plenty of people about and plenty wanting to buy horses. It’s probably a little bit tight at the bottom as usual but from the middle to the top it’s been strong so far – I thought there was a great buzz around Somerville and Doncaster and if a class horse was there, it sold very well. From what  we’ve seen so far, it looks like it will be a decent sales season.”

Freddy Tylicki
“So far it’s been very healthy right the way through. There still seems to bea great appetite for racehorses and that seems to be getting stronger. People are buying horses left right and centre. We operate plenty in the middle market and we’ve found that’s quite competitive although there are some gaps here and there.”

“I attended Keeneland for the first time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone was very helpful. It was a very strong, healthy market with a lot of international money – it was a real eye-opener.”

 

“The Perfect Powers look like they’ll run”

Opinion: which first crop sires have impressed you?

Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan
“I like the look of the Perfect Powers.

They look fast, sound sort of horses and they look like they’ll run. They’ve been received very well – he averaged around 40,000gns at the Somerville Sale. And the Persian Forces look sharp as well. It looks like they’ll run.”

Freddy Tylicki
“I bought a lovely Caturra colt at the Somerville. He looks an early type. I thought Caturra stamped them well, there’s a Mehmas look to them.

“The Perfect Powers also look early, he’s stamping his stock too and people have latched on to them.

“Minzaal also looks to be stamping them well and I’m looking forward to seeing more of them at the next Irish sales. I also tried to buy a Naval Crown at Doncaster – he was a good racehorse and if the right one came along, I’d take a punt on him.”

Federico Barberini
“It’s early days with plenty of sales still to come but the Minzaals looks solid and I really like the Perfect Powers.

“I was at Keeneland – I’ve never seen a market like it, I think it’s the strongest sale I’ve ever attended. I saw a lot of Epicenters there that I liked – good movers with substance.”