Royal Ascot possible lands Cork gamble

Trainer Ken Condon maintained his 100% record in two year old races this year as his Mamba Noire made a winning debut in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Maiden at Cork today, landing a gamble to win under jockey Shane Foley.

The daughter of Wootton Bassett, a E60,000 yearling purchase, was initially available at 10/1 yesterday evening, and having been back at 6/1 this morning, was returned the heavily supported 2/1 favourite.

In the race, Mamba Noire missed the break but travelled strongly once moving, and eventually scored an impressive two lengths win over Summerseat Mist

Afterwards Condon, whose only other juvenile runner Romanised won a Navan maiden on debut recently, stated “she’s very good looking and Tom Whitehead bought her as a yearling and he is a good judge.

“It has been so dry the past month, we didn’t get a chance to get her on the grass and even though there was money for her today, I was worried would she be street-wise enough. She showed talent in the race, has plenty natural pace and Shane (Foley) said she was green when she hit the front and took a blow at the furlong pole so you would expect improvement from her.

“She’ll go to Naas for a Listed race next - we had a filly, Newsletter, that was third in the Queen Mary (at Royal Ascot) in the past and I think this filly is better. It depends on how the next few weeks go but the Queen Mary is the target."

By Tom Weekes