Fozzy Stack
American Dream
Fozzy Stack had been a consistent achiever since taking over the training licence from his father before this year’s landmark triumph
Words: John O’Riordan • Photos: Healy Racing
Fozzy Stack made the breakthrough at the elite level this season, with Aspen Grove winning the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in July. Despite disappointing on her previous start in the Irish 1000 Guineas at Curragh Racecourse, connections kept faith in the daughter of Justify, sticking to a route that had been plotted since May.
“The race in America was always part of the plan,” says Stack. “(Co-owner) Craig Bernick came over in the spring and we drew up a programme. Aspen Grove ran very well in the Guineas trial (Cornelscourt Stakes) at Leopardstown, staying on well to finish third having been forced to race wide from a high draw. Unfortunately, she was in season before the Irish 1000 Guineas but realistically, we had no option but to let her take her chance. It wasn’t as if she could run in the race again next year!”
Having a valid excuse for that below-par run, Aspen Grove went out to New York just over a week before the Belmont Oaks. “After leaving our yard, Andrew Balding very kindly kept her overnight, before she completed the second leg of the journey.”
Mark Enright, who had had his penultimate ride before retirement when partnering the filly in the Irish Guineas, oversaw her preparations Stateside. After 48 hours in quarantine, she had her final workouts on the track in the days leading up to the race. The trainer travelled over on the Thursday.
On the day itself, everything worked out just as Stack had hoped. Oisín Murphy gave the Irish raider a textbook ride, sticking to the fence throughout in order to save ground. The gaps opened at the right time, allowing the filly to quicken up and win well. “It ticked the box anyway!” Stack remarks of achieving that maiden Grade/Group 1. “I was just delighted for Craig and Mrs (Sue) Magnier for putting their trust in us, allowing us to bring the filly over.”
Stack succeeded his legendary father Tommy, who was best known for steering Red Rum to his historic third Grand National triumph in 1977 before carving out a fantastic career as a trainer that included two Classic successes. Fozzy was a boarder in Glenstal Abbey at the time Las Meninas won the Newmarket 1000 Guineas in 1994.
“RTÉ showed the race at the time but they were also covering a national hunt meeting from Punchestown that same afternoon. As soon as Las Meninas and Balanchine flashed by the winning line together, the coverage switched over to a juvenile hurdle!” With just a short head separating the two horses, it took the judge almost 20 minutes to call Las Meninas the winner. Fozzy admits to a nervous wait, ringing his mother every few minutes in order to get live updates from the racecourse.
Four years later, Stack, who was now in Leaving Cert, witnessed Tarascon winning the Irish 1000 Guineas in person. Again, the winning margin was tight, with the filly getting up close home under Jamie Spencer to beat Kitza a neck.
“I was in primary school with Jamie, so knew him most of my life,” he says. “It was a great day for all of us.”
Coming from a family steeped in racing, it was perhaps only natural that Fozzy always wanted to make his life within the industry. He went over to trainer John Dunlop in Arundel in order to gain further experience in the autumn of 1998. The plan had been to stay for a year at least, before maybe, spending some time in America or Australia. However, those plans never came to fruition.
“Dad got meningitis at Christmas, so I came back straight away. I was more or less catapulted into the role of assistant trainer from that point onwards.”
For the best part of two decades, together with his father, Fozzy enjoyed numerous big race successes. When pressed on those, he mentions three in particular that stand out for him - Myboycharlie winning the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville in 2007, Alexander Tango scoring in the Grade 1 Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park that same year and Lolly For Dolly prevailing in the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2011.
“It’s not easy to win a Group 1 race... Thankfully, we got our turn this year”
In 2017, the baton passed over, with Fozzy taking over the licence. While it had been in the offing for a number of years, timing dictated that it wasn’t until quite recently that the name J A Stack (James being the never-deployed Christian name) was to appear as the trainer on the race card.
“I could just never find the time to do the trainers’ course. Each time I planned to do it, the course just clashed with one sale or another.”
Diamond Fields was the first significant success winning the 2017 Group 3 Gladness Stakes at Naas. Sirici provided another memorable afternoon when winning a listed race at Tipperary later that July. “She was a very fast filly who was owned by David Wachman, Michael Slevin and some pals.”
Son Of Rest proved to be a real flagbearer in the initial stages of Stack’s training career. After winning a premier handicap at Cork as a three-year-old, he was just touched off in the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh before making a quick reappearance when dead-heating in the Ayr Gold Cup less than a week later. Not only was he part of the first ever dead-heat in the long history of the race, the Pivotal colt also became the first and thus far, only Irish-trained winner.
Despite never having a large number of horses, Stack counts himself fortunate to have the support of some very loyal owners and owner/breeders. The aim has always been to have quality over quantity, although a bad batch is not unknown. Stack notes that the operation “leads itself more towards fillies than colts for whatever reason”. In recent years, the stable has enjoyed listed and group success with horses of the calibre of Wood Creek, Lady Wannabe, Aloha Star, Castle Star, Hermana Estrella and Too Soon To Panic. Aspen Grove also did her part when winning a Group 3 in her juvenile season. However, despite a whole host of wins just below the top level, that breakthrough had proved elusive prior to 2023.
“It’s not easy to win a Group 1 race; there are only so many of them every season. Thankfully, we got our turn this year.”
While reflecting on a solid campaign, which aside from Grade 1 success for Aspen Grove, saw listed wins for both My Eyes Adore You and Aussie Girl, the Tipperary man has mixed views on 2024, particularly with Aspen Grove remaining in America to race there.
“The two-year-olds were slightly disappointing this year, so we just have to hope they improve over the winter.”
You Send Me, a maiden winner at Cork in April, went on to finish second in Group 3 company at Leopardstown before finishing an honourable sixth in the Irish Guineas. However, Stack feels that that run wasn’t her true form either.
“I think she is better than that Guineas run and she could be the main flagbearer for 2024.”