Johanna Walsh Seals Cary's First Group 1 Win

Nearly 25 years since moving to the Bluegrass State to pursue his career in the Thoroughbred industry, bloodstock agent Andrew Cary celebrated a major milestone by purchasing his first group 1 and classic winner, Irish Oaks (G1) heroine Johanna Walsh (IRE), who triumphed by 4 lengths July 18 at the Curragh. "It was just surreal; it was like your eyes didn't believe what was happening," Cary said as he watched the race online. "It's so hard to win any race anywhere—and to have a horse in a classic race—that is incredible to begin with. "It's been a dream summer really. My wife (Matia) and I got to watch her almost win the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, which was a bucket-list trip in itself, and to see her do that in the Irish Oaks was just mind-boggling. It still hasn't fully sunk in. It was pretty spectacular." Cary, a native of Zimbabwe, spent his early years in California before moving to Kentucky in 2002 and working for various entities, including the Thoroughbred Times, Taylor Made Sales, and Hill 'n' Dale Farm, before joining Select Sales in 2009. Following the dissolution of Select Sales in 2020, Cary went out on his own and announced the launch of his agency, Cary Bloodstock. Cary's reputation for spotting equine talent truly took off in 2014 when he became an adviser for Keith and Ginger Myer's Coteau Grove Farm. Introduced by his close friend, former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme, Cary now manages broodmare matings for the commercial breeding operation near Sunset, La. For the first time, Coteau Grove Farm was announced as a finalist for the 2025 National Breeder of the Year, after finishing 17th overall by North American race earnings, with a 17% win rate. While Cary remains active at North American sales primarily through the sales of Coteau Grove's homebreds, his buying focus has shifted heavily to Europe. "(Owner) Wells Watson had dabbled in some partnerships, but he wanted to start having higher quality, and we had talked about the best way to go about it, and I felt that turf racing was the way to go for getting the most bang for your buck," Cary explained. "The best turf horses are in Europe, so that's why we journeyed over there. The original plan was to bring them all back to America, but that kind of morphed after we had some industrial success with Celtic Motif, who ran third in the Goffs Million. "Wells (Watson) is a great client and a great friend. We talk every day, and he's passionate about his horses and the business, and this was always a dream for him to have horses that could race at the top level." Riding the high of Celtic Motif (IRE)'s game third-place finish just days before, Cary began shopping Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale in 2024 with a strong desire to find another top-quality prospect for Watson. "We wanted to step up a little more on the sire power and try and get a filly with a little more of a classic profile, and Sea The Stars was right at the top of our list. "It's obviously very competitive at any sale to get what you want, but she was a gorgeous physical, had a nice deep page underneath her, and we were just hoping we would be able to get her. It was definitely love at first sight." Cary signed the ticket for the filly on behalf of Wells Watson for €460,000 (US$497,924). Johanna Walsh as a yearling at the Goffs Orby Sale Just under two years later, Johanna Walsh became her superstar sire's 26th group or grade 1 winner, and his third Irish Oaks victress. Leading European sire Sea The Stars (IRE) heads the roster at Aga Khan Studs' Gilltown Stud, standing for the 2026 season at an advertised fee of €300,000. "They're typically, stretchy, rangy, classic-type horses—10 furlongs and above," Cary explained of Sea The Stars' progeny. "They generally get better with age. He doesn't really have a very strong strike rate with 2-year-olds, but we were definitely thinking something for the 3-year-olds and beyond. "She would just run one time as a 2-year-old, and you know Joseph (O'Brien) was pretty deliberate about bringing her along slowly and not rushing her, and sure enough when she turned 3, the light bulb came on, and she just started doing better and better and strengthening. Each one of her races, it's incredible how she's advanced, and that's kind of how Sea The Stars was himself. He got beat first time out, and then he never lost again." Cary credited trainer Joseph O'Brien's meticulous talent and patience for the success of Johanna Walsh. "Joseph is the key, and he's got a tremendous team of trainers, riders, and employees. The care and the communication are just phenomenal," he said. "Wells is a great owner who is very patient and deserves the success. We're very, very thankful for our success. It's a lot of ups and downs, just like everyone goes through. But it's a great, great team to be a part of for sure." Cary said he is already looking forward to going back to Goffs in the fall to search for his next superstar. When asked how shopping the sales differs in Europe from North America, Cary responded, "There's not a huge difference. I mean, I'd say the horses themselves are probably a little more natural; they're not overdone," he said. "They're all bred to walk, but they're taught to walk too; you can just see that they're very good at just walking, relaxed and loose, and you really get a chance to see them use themselves. For me, it's very easy to work those sales because the horsemanship is top notch, the hospitality is incredible too. We love going to Goffs; it's very straightforward as far as getting around and seeing the horses." Before Cary heads overseas, he will next set his sights on the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he will wear many hats, as he is involved in selling clients' horses and buying for his growing list of American clients. "It always depends on the actual individual," Cary said about what he looks for in a horse. "The pedigrees are great to look at and great to have, but you've got to have the horse first. The physical is the most important thing of all."