Success Days approaches the winning post in the Curragh© Photo Healy Racing
Success Days is well known for loving a cut in the ground and he clearly relished his run round the Curragh today when making virtually all in the Group Three Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip Stakes.
Shane Foley soon sent him into the lead in this mile and a quarter contest with Fascinating Rock tracking in second. US Army Ranger was held up at the rear of the seven-runner field.
US Army Ranger then made ground between horses into fourth over three furlongs out.
Success Days had poached an advantage of a couple of lengths racing towards the two pole and was ridden a furlong and a half out.
Fascinating Rock (2/1) couldn't reel in the 10/1 shot despite reducing the deficit to three parts of a length at the line.
US Army Ranger didn't threaten in the final quarter of a mile as he finished fourth.
“I was talking to Paul Hensey (racecourse manager) beforehand and he was saying that it rated like a Group One race,” Ken Condon said
“On ratings we looked up against it as we were fourth best and it just shows how strong a renewal it was.
“He's very straightforward and a solid galloper. The plan was to see if he would stay on the far rail and he did it comfortably. He stayed straight which is great to see.
“His last two runs were his best and it looks like he's after stepping forward again.
“He'll go to Leopardstown for the Champion Stakes if the ground is suitable and, if for some reason it's not, we'll look at the Champion Stakes at Ascot. You'd be hoping in late October the ground would be in his favour.
“He's had a break and hasn't run since May. He's five kilos over his optimum weight so I'd expect improvement.
“This was his best performance visually and he kept straight. Shane was brilliant on him and was confident enough to let him roll along.
“He set good enough fractions and when they got to the two pole it was going to take a good one to get by him.
“He works like an 80 horse at home so you have no clue how he is going and can never be very confident. He does it on the track and that's the main thing.”
This win gave Ken Condon a double on the card as Landfall took the preceding maiden.
Seamie Heffernan said of US Army Ranger: "It was an odd type of a race. I planned on dropping him in but I was kind of detached at one stage and when I made a move it didn't work out and he got a bit unbalanced and I left him alone the last bit."
Aidan O'Brien said of US Army Ranger: "He'll be grand, he just got a little bit tired.
“He was galloping away to the line. The race got a little bit rough off the bend. He'll be fine. He ran a nice race. He was always going to be just starting.
“You'd have to be delighted for Ken's horse.”
When asked about the Irish Champion Stakes, he replied: “We'll see how he is. It's a possible.”
Paddy Power cut double Derby winner Harzand to evens from 7/4 for the Irish Champion Stakes after this race. The firm also introduced Success Days at 12/1 for that race.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
