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Stallions & Power - The Scandals of the Irish National Stud
The Irish National Stud has a proud worldwide thoroughbred breeding history and has been home to many famous stallions including ‘Invincible Spirit’, ‘Indian Ridge’ and its famous nurturing of the great ‘Sea the Stars’. Throughout its eventful history the Irish National Stud has demonstrated a penchant for controversy.
Hillgate Publishing Ltd., now reveals that full, uncensored, thoroughly researched and scandalous story , with the publication of ‘Stallions and Power- The Scandals of the Irish National Stud’.
Researched and written by investigative journalist and author Conor Ryan, this compelling account of bullying and bad business practice mixed in a heady cocktail of money, power and glamorous, ruthless people , will keep you riveted to the very last word.
With ‘Stallions and Power- The Scandals of the Irish National Stud’ , we reach out into the territory of investigation and revelation. We do so because we passionately believe that this is a story which had to be told. The Irish and International Thoroughbred Industry and all those seriously interested in the workings of this vital commercial enterprise, deserve to know
Hillgate Publishing has a proud pedigree in horse industry publishing. Our best-sellers include ‘Martin Moloney – A Legend in his Lifetime’, ‘Cheltenham Gold Cup Immortals’, and ‘T. P. Burns- A Racing Life’
With ‘Stallions and Power- The Scandals of the Irish National Stud’ , we reach out into the territory of investigation and revelation. We do so because we passionately believe that this is a story which had to be told. The Worldwide Thoroughbred Industry and all those seriously interested in the workings of this vital commercial enterprise, deserve to know.
Hillgate Publishing Ltd., now reveals that full, uncensored, thoroughly researched and scandalous story , with the publication of ‘Stallions and Power- The Scandals of the Irish National Stud’.
Researched and written by investigative journalist and author Conor Ryan, this compelling account of bullying and bad business practice mixed in a heady cocktail of money, power and glamorous, ruthless people , will keep you riveted to the very last word.
With ‘Stallions and Power- The Scandals of the Irish National Stud’ , we reach out into the territory of investigation and revelation. We do so because we passionately believe that this is a story which had to be told. The Irish and International Thoroughbred Industry and all those seriously interested in the workings of this vital commercial enterprise, deserve to know
Hillgate Publishing has a proud pedigree in horse industry publishing. Our best-sellers include ‘Martin Moloney – A Legend in his Lifetime’, ‘Cheltenham Gold Cup Immortals’, and ‘T. P. Burns- A Racing Life’
With ‘Stallions and Power- The Scandals of the Irish National Stud’ , we reach out into the territory of investigation and revelation. We do so because we passionately believe that this is a story which had to be told. The Worldwide Thoroughbred Industry and all those seriously interested in the workings of this vital commercial enterprise, deserve to know.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 11, 2026
Pro tip for anyone starting their own country: never have a National Stud for Thoroughbreds. There's a reason why horse racing is called the Sport of Kings -- because you have to be as rich as a king to afford it. Millions of government money was poured into this bottomless well, without any return.
This is a decent history of the Irish National Stud, up to 2011. However, nobody associated with the stud was involved in the making of this book. In fact, the author states that Stud tried to get the book squashed.
The main scandal the book details (besides wasting the public's money) are disturbing sexual assault charges. Neither the victim nor the perp seemed to cooperate with the author, so you're left scratching your head trying to figure out just what happened.
Every few years, the racing industry hails a new Best Racehorse Ever. In this book, it's Sea the Stars. He's the son of Urban Sea, one of the few fillies ever to win the Arc. The best bits of the book are the biographical sketches of Urban Sea, her foals, and the people around her.
If you're reading this for the racing angle, you're going to be disappointed. If you're not Irish, you're going to be confused by some terms and customs, so get ready to hit Google hard here.
The main thrust of the book is that the Irish National Stud never knew what it was doing. It does not blatantly say that the Stud needs to stop leeching money from the state, but it's hard not to get that impression.
This is a decent history of the Irish National Stud, up to 2011. However, nobody associated with the stud was involved in the making of this book. In fact, the author states that Stud tried to get the book squashed.
The main scandal the book details (besides wasting the public's money) are disturbing sexual assault charges. Neither the victim nor the perp seemed to cooperate with the author, so you're left scratching your head trying to figure out just what happened.
Every few years, the racing industry hails a new Best Racehorse Ever. In this book, it's Sea the Stars. He's the son of Urban Sea, one of the few fillies ever to win the Arc. The best bits of the book are the biographical sketches of Urban Sea, her foals, and the people around her.
If you're reading this for the racing angle, you're going to be disappointed. If you're not Irish, you're going to be confused by some terms and customs, so get ready to hit Google hard here.
The main thrust of the book is that the Irish National Stud never knew what it was doing. It does not blatantly say that the Stud needs to stop leeching money from the state, but it's hard not to get that impression.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review