Oh Cecelia lands gamble on first start for Condon Oh Cecelia landed a gamble on her stable debut for trainer Ken Condon when getting up close home to win the DAR Golf Handicap at Naas. Available at 14/1 in the morning, the David Kelly owned filly was supported down to 9/2jf at the off. Prominent throughout under Billy Lee, the three-year-old looked booked for minor honours at the furlong pole but stayed on strongly inside the final 50 yards to beat Shadow Run half-a-length. “She was fit from her all-weather runs and we didn’t do a whole pile with her,” said Condon. “We weren’t sure about the very deep ground but Billy said she travelled everywhere. When he needed her there was a bit of fight in her as well and she went to the line well. “David Kelly is always watching for an opportunity and he saw this filly in an online sale. He bought her and fair play to him as he picked her out. “She’s been straightforward since she came. We’ll find something similar in the next few weeks, those three-year-old only races are good when you find them. “She obviously copes with the soft ground and she did everything right there. We’ll just keep her happy, she doesn’t seem to need much work. “I don’t think she liked Dundalk. On the best of her turf form, off 72, she was hopefully going to be competitive and she has been, “She didn’t win by much, there were three of them there in a good tussle, so hopefully the handicapper gives her a chance going forward. “It’s important, if you can, to get a winner early on. It gives you a bit of a line on some of the others.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
