By Tom Frary
Ger Lyons and Colin Keane are the men of the moment in Ireland at present and the combination were in clover again on Monday as TDN Rising Star Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) recorded an impressive success in Fairyhouse's Listed Ballyhane Blenheim S. Handling soft ground with aplomb on his debut over this six-furlong trip at The Curragh Aug. 21, Juddmonte's homebred led at every step on this good-to-firm going en route to a 5 1/2-length success from Glengarra (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) as the 2-1 favourite.
“He's a work in progress,” Shane Lyons said. “Ger and Barry [Mahon, Juddmonte's European Racing Manager] will speak to the Abdullah family and see where we go now. He'll probably be finished for this season. He's a horse that we've loved and we have to thank the Abdullah family for bringing horses like this into our yard, because this is what we get up for in the morning. He's very calm and collected and he's what a good horse needs to be. He'll keep us dreaming anyway.”
Straight Answer's dam, who was runner-up in the G3 Prix du Calvados, G3 Prix d'Aumale and G3 Prix de la Grotte, is a half to the G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Announce (GB) (Selkirk) and another winner of the Prix de la Grotte in Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), who was also third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. His listed-winning third dam Choice Spirit (Danzig) is kin to the outstanding G1 2000 Guineas hero and notable sire Zafonic and his full-brother Zamindar who also made his mark at stud. Straight Thinking's yearling colt is by Oasis Dream (GB).
BALLYHANE BLENHEIM S.-Listed, €40,000, Fairyhouse, 9-20, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.40, g/f.
1–STRAIGHT ANSWER (GB), 131, 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 BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €24,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $39,548.
2–Glengarra (Ire), 131, c, 2, Profitable (Ire)–Puzzled (Ire), by Peintre Celebre. (130,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Mrs A G Kavanagh & Michael Downey; B-Michael Downey & Roalso Ltd (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. €8,000.
3–Mise Le Meas (Ire), 126, f, 2, New Bay (GB)–Mise (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). (€37,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £36,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Syndicates Racing & Medallion Racing 2020 LLC; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Johnny Murtagh. €4,000.
Margins: 5HF, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.00, 10.00, 2.75.
Also Ran: The Entertainer (Ire), Ultramarine (Ire), Eriskay (Ire), Lopes Gold (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result.
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