Locally bred horses among the World’s best

By Thomas Conway

As Ethical Diamond looped around the outside and surged down the home straight in the final stages of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Turf in Del Mar, California, time was standing still in Tullamore Park Stud, outside Nenagh.

The feeling, once the horse finally did cross the line first, was one of sheer elation. The Willie Mullins-trained Ethical Diamond, in the capable hands of 22 year-old newly crowned Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, had just confounded the horse racing world and defied odds of more than 20-1 to secure a famous victory.

That the horse was bred by local trainer William Kennedy in Tullamore Park only reinforces the growing strength of racing in North Tipperary.

With a prize pot of $5 million, this Breeders’ Cup success ranks as the most lucrative win of Mullins’ illustrious career and probably sits up there with some of his greatest achievements. However, it was also special for Kennedy and his entire team at Tullamore Park. They were glued to the action in California on Saturday night. The screaming and shouting was such that a delighted Kennedy was still slightly hoarse on Monday afternoon.

“We’re absolutely over the moon, and that’s why I’ve lost my voice - I was so busy shouting him on Saturday night that I’m afraid I lost my voice thereafter,” Kennedt said.

Prior to last Saturday, half of Diamond’s fourteen career starts were over hurdles. He was not expected to flourish so brightly in this race, and although Mullins was visibly surprised in the aftermath, Kennedy says that the 69 year-old trainer obviously saw potential in the horse and knew that he could compete.

“I don’t think Willie Mullins would have sent him over there if he didn’t think he could run a good race. But by the same token, to win was, I think, more than anyone could ask for,” Kennedy said.

He admits that Ethical Diamond, from the day he was born, was “always special.” He had all the hallmarks of a champion, and Mullins handled him well in his early years.

“He was a very easy foal to deal with,” Kennedy says.

“He grew and developed well. He was given a nice easy time when he was a younger horse, and now I think Willie Mullins and his team are basically benefitting from that. And I don’t know if we’ve seen the top of his level yet, because he seems to improve with every flat race he runs.”

Ombudsman

Ethical Diamond is not the only local horse making waves on the international stage.

Ombudsman, bred by James Hanly of Grange Hill Stud outside Nenagh, sits atop the Longines World Rankings for Racehorses (3 years and upwards) for the period from January 1st to October 5th, 2025.

With a rating of 128, Ombudsman is one of five Irish horses in the top 10, which also includes Field of Gold, Delacroix, Romantic Warrior and Caladangan.

Trained in the UK by John & Thady Gosden, and owned by Godolphin, this is the second month in succession that the Grange Hill colt has topped the rankings. It was his victory over the Aidan O’Brien-trained Delacroix at York which earned him the number one spot. He had already shown promising form at Royal Ascot in June, winning the Prince of Wales Stakes.