Lyons Ready to Roll

Ger Lyons's Glenburnie Stables enjoyed a banner 2019, adding to the 2011 G1 Cheveley Park S. success of Lightening Pearl (Ire) (Marju {Ire}) with a first domestic Group 1 triumph courtesy of Khalid Abdullah's hitherto unbeaten G1 Phoenix S. and G2 Railway S. hero Siskin (First Defence), and the Co. Meath-based trainer is primed for the resumption of racing whenever that moment arrives.

“I'm blessed with a beautiful array of horses, I've a lovely bunch of 2-year-olds and a smashing bunch of 3-year-olds, and the team is very much led by Siskin,” said Lyons. “We've carried on training as usual and, fingers crossed, we get up and running sooner rather than later.”

Turning to Siskin, who was withdrawn from Newmarket's G1 Middle Park S. after turning over in the stalls, he continued, “Obviously, the [G1] English [2000] Guineas is up in the air, but he's training well and in good order. He has done plenty of stalls work and I couldn't be happier with him.”

Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass) had her heavily-supported stablemate Even So (Ire) (Camelot (GB) behind in third when the pair flew the flag for the 3-year-olds in the G3 Park Express S., the sole pattern-race event of the Irish season so far, at Naas last month.

“I ran Lemista because I knew she'd handle the heavy ground [at Naas], but I was worried about the trip beforehand. I knew she was training very well and looked very well so we took the punt. I was surprised how fantastically well she travelled through the race and she won going away. She's a smart filly and comes into the reckoning for races such as the [G1] Pretty Polly and Irish Oaks going forward. She's one that I'd suggest is ground dependent and would appreciate better ground, but I couldn't imagine running her on fast ground. Even So got stuck in the mud, but she'll improve for better ground and a step up in trip. She still has a way to go, but I wouldn't rule out running her in the [G1 1000] Guineas just yet.”

Other talented fillies include Peace Charter (GB) (War Front), who followed a debut win at Naas in April with a second in the G3 Fillies' Sprint S. back there in May and a third in the G2 Airlie Stud S. at The Curragh in June. She was lame after finishing fourth on her finale in a conditions event also at Naas in August.

“Peace Charter raced in good company last year, but we didn't overdo it with her and she is training well. We think she might develop into a stakes filly and, hopefully, she can do that.”

Nurse Barbara (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was off the mark at the first attempt at Cork at the start of September before a nose defeat in Leopardstown's Listed Ingabelle S. on the Irish Champion S. undercard. She was not disgraced when sixth in Newmarket's G1 Cheveley Park S., her closing effort as a 2-year-old.

“Nurse Barbara was unlucky not to win her stakes race last year when she was caught on the line at Leopardstown. She's a small filly and her size is her achilles heel. She doesn't think she's small and behaves like a big filly. She hasn't got much bigger since last year, but there's nothing to say she's not going to have her day in the sun and win her listed race at the very least. Her work is suggesting just that.”

Yaxeni (Fr) (Maxios {GB}), a Niarchos-bred from the family of Hernando (Fr), was successful tackling one mile on her sole start at Cork in August and retains an entry in the July 18 G1 Irish Oaks.

“Yaxeni is a lovely filly and the type, going into the winter, that might be thought of as an [Irish] Oaks filly. She was a bit immature and took a while coming to herself. We were looking to start her off at [nearby] Navan and will try bringing her back in a 10-furlong winners-of-one race. She's slowly, but surely, coming to herself, she's training very well and, physically, looks good.”

Of the colts, Camorra (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) took a Killarney maiden on debut in August before finishing a fourth in the G2 Beresford S. at The Curragh the following month.

“Camorra is a lovely colt by Zoffany. He's done massively well from two to three and I'd expect he'll appreciate juice in the ground. He's a 10-furlong type and has been training well.”

Juddmonte's Lough Cutra (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) was second at The Curragh in October and third in the mile maiden on Naas's season-opening card last month.

“Lough Cutra ran well there [at Naas] in his first start of the season and that was encouraging. He appreciated the [softened] ground and will definitely appreciate a step up in trip. He'll win his maiden, but time will tell if he's any better than that.”

Lyons also gave favourable mention to the twice-raced maiden and G1 Irish Derby entry Chiricahua (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a €125,000 Goffs Orby yearling who ran second in one-mile starts at Navan, behind subsequent G3 Eyrefield S. victor Degraves (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), and Naas last term.

“Chiricahua is a gorgeous individual and probably the best looking horse in the yard. Being by Camelot, he was always going to progress from two to three and beyond. He's a big, scopey individual and 10 furlongs will be his minimum this year. He is training very well and is the dark horse that could be a stakes horse in the making.”