TDN Q&A With Ken Condon

[Wandering Eyes]

Irish trainer Ken Condon has packed a lot into the first half of 2018. In addition to winning a first Classic with Romanised (Ire) (Jeremy) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, Condon traveled a horse, Success Days (Ire) (Jeremy), to Australia for the first time. The TDN‘s Alayna Cullen caught up with Condon to discuss what is ahead for both horses, as well as his string in general.

AC: Romanised has always been a very promising horse for you. Was the 2000 Guineas in Ireland always your mission with him?

KC: I suppose if I go back a step, his maiden win at first asking was quite impressive. Interestingly with that race, there was a lot of chatter before the race and as time has proven there’s been several stakes winners that have come out of it and about 14 winners.

He’s a horse we always liked. He went to Ascot next [for the G2 Coventry S.] as a little bit of a raw horse, a work in progress. He missed the break a little bit but he still ran a very solid race to be beaten just a fraction over two lengths. Then he ran in the [G1] Phoenix [S.] and ran a nice race there. We were a shade disappointed on the day there because we always had that high expectation with him, but that Sandown run was lovely [second to eventual Derby winner Masar in the G2 Solario S.].

He was very good at Sandown in the prelims and during the race, he ran a lovely race behind, as we know now, obviously a top-class horse, with Purser behind, who is a good, solid horse of John Gosden’s. It’s a race that has worked out really well. Traditionally, it’s been a very good; the likes of Kingman have won it in the past, it’s always a very informative 2-year-old race.

AC: You’ve had another first experience with traveling to Australia with Success Days (Ire) (Jeremy). How did you find the international travel down under? (Editor’s Note: Success Days finished last of 10 behind Winx in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. over ground far too fast for his liking)

KC: I thought it was a fantastic experience. I’ve said it to anyone that has asked, the Australian Turf Club couldn’t have been more accommodating and welcoming. Really, we got first-class treatment. When we arrived on the Monday–I literally was on the ground for five days–but when we arrived it was 35 degrees and it was the first time since 2006 that they had what they called a fast track. For Success Days, of course, that’s no good. It was just a freakishly warm autumn, a dry autumn and usually they have softer, heavy [going]; it was almost to the point of being cancelled a few times over the years, but that’s the way it was.

They looked after us really well. It’s good and fine to mention too the transporters and the vets and all those people, they’re so experienced at that now that international racing is going from strength-to-strength.

I couldn’t believe how well Success Days took the trip back. He ran in the [G2] Mooresbridge [S.], and he ran a hell of a race to be second to Cliffs of Moher, 23 days after he ran in Sydney; that’ll tell you its own story. That’s really down to the horse’s constitution and his mental state. No small part either to the transporters, to the veterinary people. He landed in Newmarket, he overnighted there, but they are just very experienced at it and accustomed to it. It just makes it easier from the trainer’s point of view.

AC: Having the right horse is key to international travel, but is it something you’d like to do more of with your string?

KC: Yeah, sure. We only have a small string and it’s really a case of identifying the correct horse. You might have a Breeders’ Cup or even Australia again; I’d love to go back with something more suitable. Definitely, it would be something that would be on the horizon if we had the right horse. If you have the right horse, it’s no trouble to travel with them, it’s definitely worth doing.

AC: You’ve had more exciting news happening recently–you’ve purchased Mr. Hugheses yard, which is on The Curragh grounds. What’s the plan there? What did it offer you that your current yard doesn’t and when are you hoping to be in there?

KC: I suppose it offers stability for our own futures. It’s something that was on our mind for a long time and it’s great to be in a position now to carry through on it. It’s a yard with a tremendous tradition and history, obviously for the last 40 years Dessie, and followed by Sandra, have had wonderful success there; countless Cheltenham winners, an Irish National winner Sandra had. It’s just been a yard that’s been very lucky for them over the last four decades.

It was built in 1897, I think there have been 11 trainers that have now had very good success through there, three Irish Derby winners and about 18 Classic winners. From a horseman’s point of view, that’s fantastic to have that knowledge. It’s a place that’s played at the highest stakes and had the highest levels over a real, long sustained period of time. That’s great to know. Hopefully, we can continue that on and have success in the future.

The plan is now to move the string maybe in the winter time. We won’t move them now. We’ll go in and maybe make a few changes and put our own stamp on it. That’s going to take a little bit of time but we’re very much looking forward to the challenge and delighted to get the opportunity to do it.

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