Mac Swiney

Mac Swiney (foaled 23 February 2018) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the leading juvenile colts in Europe in 2020 when he won three of his six races including the Futurity Stakes in Ireland and the Vertem Futurity Trophy in Ireland.

Mac Swiney
SireNew Approach
GrandsireGalileo
DamHalla Na Saoire
DamsireTeofilo
SexColt
Foaled23 February 2018[1]
CountryIreland
ColourChestnut
BreederJim Bolger
OwnerJackie Bolger
TrainerJim Bolger
Record6: 3-0-0
Earnings£183,560
Major wins
Futurity Stakes (2020)
Vertem Futurity Trophy (2020)

Background

Mac Swiney is a chestnut horse with a white blaze and a white sock on his left hind led bred in Ireland by Jim Bolger. He races in the colours of Bolger's wife Jackie and is trained by Bolger at Coolcullen in County Carlow. The horse was named after the Irish playwright, author and politician Terence MacSwiney.[2]

He was from the eighth crop of foals sired by New Approach, who won the Epsom Derby and Champion Stakes in 2008. His other foals have included Masar, Dawn Approach and Talent.[3] Mac Swiney's dam Halla Na Saoire was an unraced sister to the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Light Heavy. As a descendant of the French broodmare Evisa, she was related to many good winners including Estimate, Enzeli and Ebadiyla.[4]

Racing career

2020: two-year-old season

Mac Swiney was ridden in all of his races as a two-year-old by Kevin Manning who married to Jim Bolger's daughter Una. The colt began his racing career by finishing fifth in a maiden race over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 28 June. In the following month he started at odds of 15/2 for a maiden over the same course and distance and recorded his first success as he overtook the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Wembley inside the final furlongs and pulled clear to win by one and a half lengths.[5] On 6 August the colt was stepped up in class to contest the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse but made little impact as he faded from contention in the last quarter mile and came home ninth of the ten runners behind Military Style. Despite his poor run at Leopardstown Mac Swiney was moved up in class again to contest the Group 2 Futurity Stakes over seven furlong on soft ground at the Curragh sixteen days later. The highly regarded maiden winner Cadillac started favourite ahead of Van Gogh with Mac Swiney starting a 28/1 outsider in an eight-runner field. After racing in second place behind the front-running Ontario he stayed on well in the closing stages, gained the advantage in the final strides and won by half a length from Cadillac.[6] After the race Una Manning said "We're delighted with that run. He did it well on ground he wouldn't really appreciate... When he won here the last time dad thought he was his Derby horse. We're very pleased with him, he was very good. It seemed to be a strong race today."[7]

Mac Swiney was elevated to the highest class for the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh on 13 September but never looked likely to win and came home eighth, beaten just over eight lengths by the winner Thunder Moon. On 24 October the colt was sent to England for the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy over one mile on heavy ground at Doncaster Racecourse. The Autumn Stakes winner One Ruler started favourite while Mac Swiney (the only other Group race winner involved) went off at odds of 12/1 in an eight-runner field. Mac Swiney tracked the leaders as Cobh set the pace, before moving up to dispute the lead in the last quarter mile, gaining the advantage in the closing stages and winning by three quarters of a length from One Ruler.[8] Jim Bolger, who was winning his first Group 1 for more than three years said I've been regarding him as my Derby horse since he first went to the races, and after today that opinion is not about to change." Commenting on the connection between the horse and the man after whom he was named he added "I must have known he was good back in January when I called him Mac Swiney because it wouldn't have been good for me or anyone around here to name a horse after a Cork man which wasn't capable of delivering, especially such an important Cork man. He was one of our outstanding patriots, and I'm thrilled for his memory and his extended family of today that this horse was able to go back to 100 years after his death and win like he did."[9]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Mac Swiney (IRE), chestnut colt, 2018[1]
Sire
New Approach (IRE)
2005		 Galileo (IRE)
1998		 Sadler's Wells (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Fairy Bridge
Urban Sea (USA) Miswaki
Allegretta (GB)
Park Express (IRE)
1983		 Ahonoora (GB) Lorenzaccio
Helen Nichols
Matcher (CAN) Match (FR)
Lachine (GB)
Dam
Halla Na Saoire (IRE)
2010		 Teofilo (IRE)
2004		 Galileo Sadler's Wells (USA)
Urban Sea (USA)
Speirbhean Danehill (USA)
Saviour (USA)
Siamsa (USA)
1997		 Quest For Fame (GB) Rainbow Quest (USA)
Aryenne (FR)
Amoura Northfields
Visala (FR) (Family: 13-c)[4]
  • Mac Swiney is inbred 2 × 3 to Galileo, meaning that this stallion appears in both the second and third generations of his pedigree.

References
  1. "Mac Swiney pedigree". Equineline.
  2. McGreevy, Ronan. "Horse named after Terence MacSwiney wins big race in England". The Irish Times.
  3. "New Approach – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  4. "Stray Shot – Family 13-c". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  5. "Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden result". Racing Post. 12 July 2020.
  6. "Futurity Stakes result". Racing Post. 22 August 2020.
  7. "Mac Swiney and High Definition spark Derby dreams with Curragh victories". Racing TV. 22 August 2020.
  8. "Vertem Futurity Trophy result". Racing Post. 24 October 2020.
  9. Dietz, Andrew (24 October 2020). "Bolger Lands Group 1 Double With Mac Swiney and Gear Up". The Blood-Horse.
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