Ken Condon is enjoying a fine campaign and Newsletter, who ran such a big race when third in The Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, looks one of the best juvenile fillies around. She should give her connections plenty of sport in some of the better two-year-old contests in the second half of the season.

“She is a smart filly and there were mitigating circumstances for her run at Naas before she went to Ascot. She has come out of that outing in great shape and I would be very hopeful that she will get seven furlongs which opens up more options for her,” Condon stated.

“We have 25 horses in and we have more two-year-olds this year. It is always more difficult to win races when you have fewer older horses but some of the two-year-olds are nice and the fact that Newsletter has done so well is a plus.

“A few of them will need a bit more time but we’ll try and get them out in the second half of the season,” he added.

Factfile

BALLYORBAN

4yo b g /184600-780

Cape Cross – Macheera

Ballylinch Stud Partnership

He is rated 82 and he ran well at the Curragh on Guineas weekend on slow ground. The ground at Naas the last day was a bit faster than ideal for him. He didn’t get the clearest of runs that day but he needs a little relief from the handicapper as hasn’t won since March 2013 and is probably rated a bit high at the minute. He looks particularly well at the moment and seven or a mile suits him well.

BIG BAD LILY

6yo b m /96565715-05003187

Big Bad Bob – Ginger Lily

Brendan McDonnell

Her optimum conditions a couple of years ago were fast ground and five furlongs, but she is not as quick as she was, so six on slow ground is what she likes. When she gets her conditions, I’d expect her to win again. She won well at the Curragh from a good draw and on the basis of that run, I think she can win another handicap over six on yielding or soft ground.

BOLD THADY QUILL

7yo ch g -454822

Tale of The Cat – Jazzie

Mrs Pauline Condon

He is a real stable favourite. He is seven now and while he doesn’t win too often, he has more than paid his way already this year. I suppose he has been a victim of his own consistency. He has been a super horse for us. He has won a stakes race, a Derby Day handicap and he has been placed in several premier handicaps. We tried him in a couple of stakes races but he could never get competitive on ground that was a shade too quick for him. He can compete when the ground is very testing and he ran a blinder when second on Guineas weekend and again on Derby weekend when runner up to Table Rock on good fast ground. He ran off 99 that day and he last won a handicap off 81. He will head onto Galway for The Topaz Mile and the good seven-furlong handicap there on the Saturday. All the premier seven- furlong/mile handicaps later on this year are there for him after Galway. If he gets an end-to- end gallop, he can be relied upon to come home well. He is a very genuine tough, honest campaigner.

CELTIC ARTISAN

3yo ch c 432

Dylan Thomas – Perfectly Clear

Eurosoaker Syndicate

He is a nice-moving colt and ground doesn’t seem to bother him. He is showing progression in his races and I would like to win a flat maiden with him. Off his rating of 66, I would prefer to run him in another maiden and we have just started to school him and he should have a good future in that sphere. He is sound and he should develop into a good dual-purpose horse. I think he can win a country maiden.

CHATTERTON

4yo b g 67

Excellent Art – Elba

Raymond Doyle

He is a horse that works fine and he should get better with experience and racing. He should be able to win a handicap over a mile and a quarter/mile and a half.

IN SALUTEM

4yo ch g -40083581208

Sakhee’s Secret – Irish Light

Declan Ryan

Overall, he has been a little disappointing as I had higher expectations for him last year as he always worked well. He has a good placed record. He has only won once but he has been consistent if a little bit frustrating at times. Fast ground over seven furlongs on a turning track is what he wants. He is inclined to opt out of things if he is crowded or hassled so small fields tend to suit him. Hopefully he can get his head in front at some stage this season.

LITTLE ARROWS

6yo b g -348519904

Danehill Dancer – Lovers Walk

Mrs Pauline Condon

He is a real favourite about the place and he seems to win a couple for us every year. Mind you he hasn’t won a handicap for two years and he probably needs a bit of relief from the handicapper. He has won a couple of rated races around Dundalk which he seemed to enjoy over the winter. But he last won a handicap off 60 and he is still rated 68 so he needs a bit of help before he can win a handicap. He will be aimed at the winter programme again at Dundalk.

STRAIT OF ZANZIBAR

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Arch – Royal Opportunity

Raymond Doyle

He won last weekend for us at Bellewstown and is he is best over seven or a mile. He has had a good season and he has won twice and he has been second twice as well. He is creeping up the ratings and he is 85 now, which will make it difficult for him now, but we’ll keep him going in his own grade. There is a rated race for him as well at Killarney next week that he might go for. He operates well around Dundalk and anything bar extremes is fine for him. He is a very consistent horse.

TWO-YEAR-OLDS

ALP D’HUEZ

2yo b f 78

Royal Applause – Kawkaba

R.J. Condon, N. Vallely, G. Casey, Mrs A. Whelan

She is a nice filly that works well. She is more a nursery type and once she qualifies for one, I can see her being competitive in handicaps over seven or a mile. She will have her second run this week and if she were to win a race this year, it will be a nursery.

DAWN SINGER

2yo gr f 9

Footsepsinthesand – Charmingly

Raymond Doyle

She is a filly with ability. She didn’t run like that at Limerick but she is not straightforward temperament wise. Her homework suggests that she is more than capable of winning her maiden over seven furlongs. She is 480kgs so she doesn’t want fast ground. She is a big filly with a knee action. She will have an entry for Tipperary at the weekend and I’d expect her to win her maiden if she starts to do things right. Her homework is more than good enough to win a maiden and she will get further than seven in time.

ENTER THE PRIORY

2yo b f

Dandy Man – L’acajou

Gravity Partnership

Even though she is by Dandy Man, she trains as if she is one that wants a trip. She could be one for handicaps for next year and hopefully we’ll have her out by September. She should progress as a three-year-old in handicap company.

HAROLD PETO

2yo b g

Vale Of York - Almansa

Mrs Pauline Condon

He is a nice horse by Vale Of York. He is tall and is still a bit unfurnished but he comes from a very good farm. He has been gelded and will need a bit of time but he is a horse that we would expect to win a country maiden with this year. I’d like to think that he will develop into a useful handicapper next year and we won’t see the best of him until then. He won’t be out until August and he is a nice prospect.

KOYBIG

2yo b c

Kodiac – Amber Nectar

Pat and Terry Whyte

He is not a typical Kodiac as he grown a lot and he is quite scopey. He is still a raw horse but he shows ability in the half speeds that he has done. I hope to get him out around August/September time over seven furlongs. I would expect him to win his maiden on nice ground.

MISS AMERICA

2yo b f

Bernardini – L’ile Aux Loups

Zinlo Syndicate

She has a really nice pedigree and has an excellent attitude. She will need time and is one that could develop into nice filly. She was sent to us from the Arqana breeze-ups and she is a big filly with a lot of quality and scope.

NEWSLETTER

2yo b f 153

Sir Percy – Payphone

Gravity Partnership

She has been very good from day one. We started to work her in March and she was a natural from the outset. She likes her work and has always been very enthusiastic. She has a very good attitude and I was delighted with her when she won on soft ground on her debut at the Curragh. She ran very well at Ascot and she came from a good bit back. The right horses were in the mix and it looked a very good Queen Mary. There was plenty of chat about the second and fourth and the winner is very smart. She has plenty of options. She is in The Lowther, The Phoenix Stakes and The Moyglare. She is bred to get further than six and although she has a lot of natural speed, I think she’ll get seven. I’d say her next run will be over six and the Princess Margaret at Ascot is under consideration for her. Looking back at her run at Naas, there were mitigating circumstances that day. I don’t think she was at her best but her homework on the lead up to Ascot was very good.

RECOLLECTION

2yo b f

Lawman – Green Lassy

Pristine Partnership

She is a nice filly from a good family and is more a three-year-old type. We will get her started sometime in August or September time over seven or a mile. I would like to think that she will make into a progressive filly over a trip next year.

REGAL BEAUTY

2yo b f

Rock Of Gibraltar – Chantilly Beauty

Robert Ng

She is a filly that I think will be a nice prospect next year over a mile and a quarter. We are in no rush with her but we will try and get a run into her towards the back end. I think she will be a nice three-year-old maiden and she is a filly that we like and she won’t come into her own until next year.

SHANGHAI BEAUTY

2yo b f 5

Jeremy - Shanghai Visit

Robert Ng

She is a nice filly that ran a very nice race on her debut at the Curragh on soft ground. She is a filly that we think needs easy ground. She has been well entered up since but we are not going to take a chance running on ground that would be too quick for her. I think she is a filly that is well capable of winning her maiden. Five or six furlongs will be fine for her. The form of that race has worked out well and hopefully she’ll win her maiden and progress from there.

SPIRIT STONE

2yo b f 6

Zebedee – Stoneware

Spirit Partnership

I thought she ran very well last weekend for a filly that had only worked on the grass once. It was a big ask for her around a tough track like Bellewstown. She was quite well back early on but she came home very well. I had thought of her as a nursery filly but I think she might be able to win a country maiden. She might run again on Friday at Navan and she doesn’t want soft or heavy ground. She is not a strong robust filly even though she is tall. It was a very encouraging first run and she should come on for that.

SUCCESS DAYS

2yo gr c

Jeremy - Malaica

Robert Ng

His dam was third in The Albany Stakes but he hasn’t inherited per precociousness. He is a good-moving horse and he will start in a mile maiden and I see him as a nice progressive handicapper for next year. I would expect him to improve over the winter and we’ll try and get him out around September time.

THE LUCKY ONE

2yo b g 7

Kodiac - Moynsha Lady

Two’s Company Syndicate

He is a nice colt by Kodiac. I never had one before but he is typical of his sire as he is a strong horse. He is not over big and he looks a real two-year-old. He started off at the Curragh but he just hung left and when he came home, he was a bit sore. He has been gelded and has had a break since. We will look for a maiden on good ground or maybe a bit easier – the slow side of good will be fine for him. Six furlongs should be fine for him and he works like a horse that will hopefully win his maiden.

UNNAMED

2yo b f

Thewayyouare – Catwalk Dreamer

Raymond Doyle

She is by a sire that has started to make a name for himself. She came to us about two months ago and hopefully we might get a run into her around October time and if she didn’t make that, we have Dundalk as an option for her. We are in no rush with her but we like what she has done to date.