Days-ja vu at Gowran as Inner Success emulates his sire with maiden victory in Kilkenny

Inner Success emulated his sire Success Days by winning his maiden at Gowran Park on Monday – and the similarities didn't end there for the three-year-old who was successful in the extended nine-furlong contest and in the process became the first winner from the debut cop of his sire.

He is trained, like Success Days, by Ken Condon and carries the vibrant red and purple silks of his-owner breeder Robert Ng, who co-bred Success Days with Dermot Farrington, and raced him to win the Group 2 City of York Stakes, one of six black-type wins for the stallion who stands at Kilbarry Lodge Stud.

Condon was delighted to train the first winner of a horse that was clearly thought of with plenty of affection by his trainer and all involved with him.

"It's important for his sire and we were fond of Success Days, this horse was his first runner and now he is his first winner," smiled Condon.

Inner Success was bred by Robert Ng out of the Invincible Spirit mare Royal Memory and is a half-brother to Spring Feeling, a winning daughter of Buratino who was bred and owned by Ng and trained by Condon to be third in the Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes.

"Like father, like son," said Condon. "The sire won his maiden here in the August of his two-year-old season. Billy [Lee, jockey] remarked that he is still a work in progress, but like his father he has that nice long action and he went to the line well. 

"It looked like it took a while to pull him up too and that's usually a good sign; he could probably go a mile and a half."

His sire excelled at a mile and a quarter; winning the Ballysax and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trials, beating Mondialiste at York and defeating Fascinating Rock to win the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes, having previously been third behind that rival in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Success Days during his racing days with Ken CondonCredit: Caroline Norris

The son of Jeremy was retired as the winner of six of his 30 starts, earning a peak Racing Post Rating of 116 and sent to stand at the O'Keeffe family's Waterford farm.

Success Days has been represented by just two runners in Ireland and Britain from his first crop of 38 three-year-olds, both of whom are trained by Condon for Ng.

Sirene Success was bred by Rossenarra Stud out of Ittasal, an Any Given Saturday half-sister to Queen Mary and Prix Robert Papin winner Signora Cabello, and was purchased by Condon and RPG Bloodstock for €52,000 at the Goffs Sportsmans Sale in 2022.

"The filly ran a nice race at Limerick first time out and the winner [Fleur De Chine] came out today and won the Gowran Classic, so it's great that this horse has come on and won," added Condon of Inner Success, who was making just his third start.

Success Days' crops have increased in size in each of his seasons, as breeders are impressed by the quality of his foals and the results in the sales ring. His second crop numbers 57, while there are 93 registered yearlings by him.

Two fillies from that first crop caught the eye at last week's Tattersalls May Store Sale, their prices earning them spots in the top five most expensive stores on the day. 

Rob James and Matty Flynn O'Connor bought the pair at €37,000 and €36,000, which is 18 times his advertised fee of €2,000 in 2020.

His fee last year was published as €3,000 and it is listed as private this year.

Condon also trained Ng's Irish 2,000 Guineas and Prix Jacques le Marois winner Romanised, who was retired to stud a year after Success Days. The Haras de Boquetot resident sired his first winner in recent weeks. 

O Sole Mio made a winning debut at Tarbes in April for Philippe Sogorb, who purchased her at Arqana's October Sale, and followed that up with victory at Dax in late May to remain unbeaten.

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