Ken Condon

TDN Horses of the Year: Moss Tucker

We all have our favourites, and this week members of TDN Europe's editorial team each select a horse who provided particular enjoyment in 2023. Kicking off the series, Brian Sheerin puts forward the case for the sprinter whose victory in the G1 Flying Five was made all the more special by his human connections. I don't know about you, but I love an underdog story. Perhaps that is why I fell in love with National Hunt racing at a young age. Danoli (Ire), Bobbyjo (Ire) and Papillon (Ire) developed something...

[ Read More ]
Flying Five Glory For Excelebration's Moss Tucker

First there was the Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) at 28-1 in the Nunthorpe, then Saturday's Haydock Sprint Cup turn-up courtesy of the 10-1 shot Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}) and now Moss Tucker (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}--Rare Symphony {Ire}, by Pastoral Pursuits {GB}) to complete the shock treble at 16-1 in Sunday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five S. at the Curragh, a GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint qualifier. This looked a surefire renewal for the Brits on form, but one by one Highfield Princess (Fr)...

[ Read More ]
Phil D'Amato Q&A: 'You Don't Have To Spend A Lot To Find A Going Global'

   One of the finest turf trainers in America, Phil D'Amato has done exceptionally well with his European imports in recent years, highlighted by Grade I winner Going Global and more recently American Oaks scorer Rhea Moon.     In this week's Q&A with Brian Sheerin, D'Amato explained how, with the help of Niall Dalton, Craig Rounsefell and BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe, he has built one of the most competitive stables in America.      Read about his approach to finding 'diamonds in the rough' on a budget, his training methods and...

[ Read More ]
Ten Sovereigns Filly Fetches Record €300,000 At Sportsman's Sale 

More records were broken at the Goffs Sportsman's Sale on Thursday as David Ryan went to €300,000, the highest price ever paid for a yearling at this sale, to secure a Ten Sovereigns (Ire) filly (lot 713) on behalf of Rabbah Bloodstock from Abbeville Stud. Trade sky-rocketed at the Orby Sale on Tuesday and Wednesday and the opening session of the two-day Sportsman's Sale at Goffs was much the same. Of the 245 yearlings offered, 217 found new homes, representing a clearance rate of 89%. However, what was most impressive...

[ Read More ]
Breeders' Cup Aim For Laws Of Indices

The GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6 is on the long-term radar for Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), who earned a first Group 1 win in last weekend's G1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. Trainer Ken Condon, however, has his sights set first on a return trip to Deauville for the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest next month and the G1 Prix de la Foret on Oct 3 for the €8,000 Goffs Autumn yearling graduate. "The Maurice de Gheest is on Aug. 8," said Condon....

[ Read More ]
Weekly Wrap: A Legend Departs

One horse overshadowed all other news items of the past week as the bloodstock world came to terms with the death of Galileo (Ire) at the age of 23.  Fulsome tributes have been paid to him from across the globe with the overwhelming feeling being that we will never see his like again. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that many of us felt the same when his own extraordinary sire Sadler's Wells died 10 years ago. That colossus of the breeding world appeared in the third or fourth...

[ Read More ]
Jean Prat Surprise As Power's Laws Of Indices Prevails

Unexposed at this seven-furlong trip and staying on in eye-catching fashion when fifth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 18, Charlotte Holmes's G2 Railway S. winner Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) benefitted from a masterclass of front-running riding from Olivier Peslier to take Sunday's G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. Sent off at 29-1, the Ken Condon-trained bay quickly established a comfortable lead racing up the centre and saw off one by one the threats of the fillies Reina Madre (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and...

[ Read More ]
Laws Of Indices Possible For Sandy Lane

Group 2 winner Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), fourth in the G3 Goffs Lacken S. at Naas on May 16, will likely make a quick return in the G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock on May 22. Successful in the G2 Railway S. as a juvenile and third in the 2020 G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in October, the Ken Condon trainee was fifth in the Listed Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" 2000 Guineas Trial S. at Leopardstown in the wake of subsequent G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas victor Poetic Flare...

[ Read More ]
French Guineas For Miss Amulet

Doreen Tabor's Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) will take up a Classic assignment in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches on May 16, trainer Ken Condon reports. Miss Amulet won Naas's Listed Marwell S. last August before beating Wednesday's G3 Nell Gwyn S. scorer Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) by a length in the G2 Lowther S., after which she was purchased privately by Tabor. Miss Amulet rounded out her juvenile campaign with placed efforts in the G1 Cheveley Park S. and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf....

[ Read More ]
Romanised Retired To Bouquetot

Classic winner Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}-Romantic Venture {Ire}, by Indian Ridge {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2021 at Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy, France, for a fee of €7,000. Campaigned by Robert Ng and trained by Ken Condon, Romanised won at first asking in April of his 2-year-old campaign and was second to eventual G1 Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G3 Solario S. that fall. He sprang a 25-1 upset when beating US Navy Flag (War Front) in...

[ Read More ]
Romanised Camp Still Considering Hong Kong

G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) is still a potential candidate for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile at the Longines Hong Kong International Races in mid-December at Sha Tin. Although third when favoured after a slow beginning at Dundalk on Monday, the 5-year-old won the G2 Minstrel S. earlier this year and was sixth in the G1 Prix du Moulin in September. Also a winner of the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, the Ken Condon trainee's performance has not discouraged his connections. "I think...

[ Read More ]
French Guineas Target For Miss Amulet

Trainer Ken Condon is looking ahead to next spring's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with Miss Amulet (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) after Doreen Tabor's G2 Lowther S. winner ran a fine race in third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. "The mile was always a question mark, but to my eyes she got it well, and we were delighted with her," said Condon. "She's had a busy season, but she's retained her form well, and there is plenty to look forward to next year. "I think her main...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.