By Sean Cronin
Colin Keane had already steered Eclat de Lumiere to TDN Rising Stardom in The Curragh card's opening contest and repeated the dose to bring up a quickfire double aboard Juddmonte's 2-year-old colt Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the DMG Media Irish EBF Maiden over six furlongs at the County Kildare venue. Breaking smartly and racing under a firm grip in a prominent third initially, the 15-8 favourite slipped to sixth when angled to the centre of the track at halfway and soon had matters in hand when swooping for control at the quarter-mile marker, keeping on powerfully under late urging to easily hold Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Ire}) by 1 1/4 lengths in another TDN Rising Star performance.
“We always liked him, he's a big horse and it's all about next year with him so this is a bonus,” said assistant trainer Shane Lyons, who was saddling the third 'TDN Rising Star' for Kodiac (GB). “When we got him we were thinking the back end of the year, but he's always shown us something. He has a big stride on him and he'll prefer better ground than that [soft going]. He did that on his own, it was a genuine performance and he'll improve from it. He was doing what we've seen at home, he was very relaxed today and took it all in. We'll get him home and make a plan now.”
Straight Answer becomes the second winner from four foals and three runners for G3 Prix du Calvados, G3 Prix d'Aumale and G3 Prix de la Grotte placegetter Straight Thinking (Mizzen Mast). His dam is kin to G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Announce (GB) (Selkirk) and G3 Prix de la Grotte victrix and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro). His Listed Prix de la Calonne-winning third dam Choice Spirit (Danzig) is a half-sister to the brillant G1 Dewhurst S. victor and record-breaking G1 2000 Guineas hero Zafonic (Mr. Prospector) and his G3 Prix de Cabourg-winning full-brother Zamindar. Straight Thinking has a yearling colt by Oasis Dream (GB) to come.
2nd-Curragh, €16,500, Mdn, 8-21, 2yo, 6fT, 1:16.44, sf.
STRAIGHT ANSWER (IRE), c, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Straight Thinking (MGSP-Fr), by Mizzen Mast
2nd Dam: Hachita, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Choice Spirit, by Danzig
1ST-TIME STARTER. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $11,584. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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