Condon 'steals' Punchestown's fourth Davy Condon 'stole' the Festival Hospitality On Sale 3-y-o Maiden Hurdle from the front on the Gigginstown House Stud-owned and Gordon Elliott-trained Chatham House Rule (12/1) at Punchestown. Sons and daughters of Authorized are ones to have on your side when the going is testing and here Condon sent the grey out in front, on his second hurdles start, and he never saw another rival. He extended his advantage from before the third and despite 'missing' some of his flights he held his strong finishing fellow Gigginstown House Stud-owned odds-on chance, Petite Parisienne, by two and three parts of a length. "Half-way down the back straight I'd a look around and couldn't believe they were 20 lengths off me. He did get a bit of a freebee in front but in fairness he enjoys making the running and made it a few times on the flat," reported Condon. "I got him steadied a bit down the back, and he was entitled to get a bit tired in the straight." D.J. Casey, rider of Abby Cadabby trained by C.F. Swan, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount finished lame. (AM & EM)
