During Fasig-Tipton’s The November Sale, the Newmarket, England-based Ace Stud made a splash when it dopped $5 million to secure Puca, dam to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage and belmont Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch. Immediately, the expectation was that Puca would be heading overseas. But Ace’s bloodstock and racing manager paul Curran quickly put any speculation to rest, saying she would stay in Kentucky. It was a decision Ace needed to make quickly as it did not plan on bidding on Puca.

With such a headline-grabbing purchase in North America, the question was often asked, “Who is Ace?” Puca’s ticket, being signed by the Raging Torrent Syndicate, only led to more questions regarding who was involved in the purchase and the operation.

Curran spoke with BloodHorse ahead of Day 2 of the recently completed Tattersalls December Mare Sale, where Ace spent $3,422,180 on six head on the sale’s opening day and $3,783,580 through two days (not including sales believed to be either by Ace under different names or by affiliated groups-more on that later).

Curran discusses his start in the industry, plans for Puca, and how Ace wants the industry to talk about it.

BloodHorse: How did you get started in the industry?

Paul Curran: I’ve worked directly and indirectly with the operation for four years now. I come from a breeding background. My dad and myself breed a couple of horses and a couple of mares at home.So I caught the bug that way, and soon got into it. With my university degree in equine science, I caught the bug for the bloodstock side of things, and got a brilliant chance to work with BBA Ireland four or five years ago. I got to know (Yulong Investments chairman Zhang Yuesheng) that way. since then, the thing has evolved severely, and in a huge way, in a great way. I started working directly for him about two years ago now and I’ve seen the exponential growth that’s happened in the meantime. It’s been really good to watch. I can see how driven he is, and not just here, but internationally, as you can see. We’ve had a large presence in America in the last number of years.It’s been an amazing journey, and one that is only starting for him especially, and for us here in Europe as well.

BH: puca,at the time when you bought her,you said you really weren’t sure what the plans were,but she was going to stay in the States. Has there been any more clarity as then?

PC:

Ace Bloodstock: A New Force in European Breeding

We are a new entity entering the bloodstock and breeding world. Harris Li, our general manager and owner (and Zhang’s son-in-law), developed the name and works with us daily. He is deeply passionate about growing this sector in Europe and America. The name itself doesn’t have a specific origin; we’ve simply rebranded while maintaining our existing color schemes, so you’ll continue to see our horses running in the same colors. The change is primarily in name only, and we aim for complete transparency.

BH: What does the operation look like now?

PC: It’s brilliant. We have a stallion operation featuring one of the most promising young sires in Europe, with his first runners expected in two years.We had a very successful week at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale, achieving a key average of £70,000 for Shaquille from a £15,000 covering fee – an incredible result. The operation is thriving, and our new stud farm is a beautiful property. We’re attracting talented new team members, including Ben Shoare as nominations manager, Lilly Sahla for marketing, Claudia Metaireau as racing secretary, and Ben Hyde as stud manager.It’s a young, passionate, and highly capable team. This is an exciting project with significant growth potential, and it’s a pleasure to be involved, especially seeing it develop from the very beginning.We’re generating a lot of positive attention.

BH: You’ve mentioned Yulong.What is the relationship between Yulong and Ace?

PC: Ace stands Yulong stallions. our primary function is to provide that service. We also manage broodmare farms and the mares for Yulong. The relationship is close, but simply put, that’s what Ace does.

BH: Ace made a significant impact on Day 1 of the Tattersalls December Mare Sale.How significant is it for Ace to…