Condon’s Queen conquers, as Moss Tucker bows out Classic seventh-placed Queen Of Thunder (5/4) made a belated return today, landing Killarney’s Outlook Publications Maiden for trainer Ken Condon, who afterwards announced the retirement of top sprinter Moss Tucker. Four-year-old Queen Of Thunder had finished mid-field in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on her previous start last May and today, dropped to maiden level under Shane Foley, chased leader Convincing before quickening to lead over a furlong out to score readily from Royal Entry. Condon, registering a first success since last June, confirmed the retirement of 2023 Group 1 Flying Five Stakes winner Moss Tucker and quipped “the trainer and horse lost their form at the end of last year! “He has always had back issues which have now caught up with him. We gave him a good break, so only called it three weeks ago, as it wasn’t to be. “He was great and the owners had great enjoyment from him. He was a super horse and I liked the way he worked his way up from handicaps to Group 1s. He wasn’t the most talented but got every bit out of it.” Regarding his smart 102-rated Queen Of Thunder, Condon commented “she has obviously had issues but has always shown talent. She ran a really good race in the 1,000 Guineas but unfortunately pulled up lame and it has been a long road back. I’d like to thank Jabber (Abdulla) for having the patience to stick with her and she has been very good in the past six or eight weeks. “I picked this race out in February as you can nearly always depend on Killarney, even in a dry spell, to have kindness in the ground. “She was entitled to do that, if she didn’t you’d be disappointed but she did it well and she can go back into Stakes company now. She is talented, is by an elite sire and has a great temperament. “You have to dream a small bit, but she could go for the Kilternan and Pretty Poll Stakes, and has the temperament to work back from the Prix Jean Romanet. I’ll speak with connections and see what they want to do.”
