John’s Letter

Dear Breeder,

Our flagship sire Lope de Vega confirmed to everyone that he is one of the world’s elite stallions. As I write, he is the world’s number one sire of Gr.1 winners with 6, and Stakes Horses with 60, in 2024.

It is with great pleasure that I can announce that Lope de Vega’s outstanding Classic winning son Look de Vega will come to join his sire at Ballylinch for 2025. A very impressive winner of the stallion making Prix du Jockey Club, just like his sire and grandsire. Breeders will be very impressed by his physique, athleticism and temperament. He has all the makings of an elite sire of the future.

New Bay’s crop of 2-year-olds left no one in any doubt that he is one of the best sires in Europe with a bunch of highly rated and unbeaten 2-year-olds. 2025 is going to be a huge year for him.

Bayside Boy is New Bay’s most precocious and fastest son to date. He has been given a great chance at stud with excellent books of mares in his first two crops. His foals look strong, well-muscled and very athletic. It will be a surprise if he doesn’t make an immediate impact when his first runners hit the track in 2026, and now could be a very shrewd time to invest in him.

Make Believe has black type statistics that would be the envy of many stallions at multiples of his fee. He offers breeders an amazing opportunity to breed a really good horse at a very affordable fee and trainers love the attitude of his stock.

Waldgeist has sired 3 Stakes Winners from his first crop in 2024, including the high class fillies May It Be, Waldora and Forest Fairy. In 2025 he will transfer to Germany where his female family has achieved great success. He will stand at Gestüt Lünzen under the excellent management of Nikolas Schenke.

Dream Ahead will again stand at Bearstone Stud in 2025, the home of his Breeders’ Cup winner Glass Slippers. His first Bearstone sired crop will race as 2-year-olds next year, and as the perfect base for a speed orientated stallion we could expect to see plenty of fireworks amongst his juveniles next season.

On the racetrack Ballylinch bred and raised stock achieved great success all over the globe and that success has been reflected in an excellent sales season for the farm. Highlights include the 2,200,000gns for the No Nay Never colt out of Bella Estrella sold to Godophin and the €1,000,000 Lope de Vega filly out of Normandel sold to Victorious Racing at Arqana.

As usual I would like to sincerely thank all our clients both at the farm and at the sales for all your support and to wish you all every success and happiness in the year to come. Our experienced and talented team are here to help you in whatever way we can.

Yours sincerely,

John O’Connor
Managing Director