Ger Lyons | Horse Racing Free Tips

Siskin’s Next Start Up in the Air

Classic hero Siskin (First Defence), who lost his unbeaten tag with a third in last week’s G1 Qatar Sussex S., has emerged from that effort well, but his connections are not sure where he will start next. Trained by Ger Lyons for Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte operation, the homebred had scored an impressive victory in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas in his sophomore bow at The Curragh on June 12. The bay was unbeaten in four runs as a juvenile, including the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. and G2 GAIN Railway S.

“He’s come out of the race well,” said Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. “I’ve got to discuss with Prince Khalid what he would like to do. We’ll look at all the options, which are pretty straightforward really.”

Another Juddmonte colourbearer also received a positive update, as two-time G1 Prix de l’Arc heroine Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) continues to shine after take the July 25 G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. at Ascot, her third win in the race. Second in the 2019 Arc ,the John Gosden trainee filled the same position in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. on July 5. She is pointing to either York’s Aug. 20 G1 Yorkshire Oaks or Aug. 19 G1 Juddmonte International S., followed by another try in the Arc in France in October.

Added Grimthorpe, “All is good with Enable. She hasn’t done a lot since Ascot, but she came out of the race well and everybody is happy with her.”

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Classic Winners Kameko, Siskin Clash In Wednesday’s ‘Win And You’re In’ Sussex Stakes

Classic winning 3-year-olds, Kameko and Siskin, are set to clash in the Qatar Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood on Wednesday. The winner will earn an automatic berth into the US$2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

QIPCO 2000 Guineas (G1) winner, Kameko, and Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) winner, Siskin, will take on the older generation on Wednesday in the British Group 1 mile showpiece.

Prince Khalid Abdullah's unbeaten homebred colt Siskin travels from Ireland for this hot contest. The son of First Defense (USA), trained by Ger Lyons, has not been seen on a racecourse since scoring in impressive fashion at the Curragh.

Lyons said: “On form figures we have to improve. I think he has but we won't know until the day. The horse has done everything I've asked him and has been working well at home. Physically he is improving — you can see him getting stronger. It is going to be a tough contest.”

Regular jockey Colin Keane will take the ride despite facing 14 days' quarantine on his return to Ireland, with Lyons adding: “These are the races that you want to win. He has to self-isolate when he comes home. These are strange times though, and we are lucky to be racing.”

Owned by Qatar Racing and trained by Andrew Balding, Kameko steps back down in trip after finishing a credible fourth in the Investec Derby (G1) last time out. The dual Group 1 winner set a course record over a mile in the 2000 Guineas (G1), beating Ballydoyle's Wichita (IRE) by a neck.

Wichita is one of three runners for trainer Aidan O'Brien, alongside Queen Anne (G1) winner Circus Maximus (IRE) and Irish Guineas runner-up Vatican City (IRE). The former's Royal Ascot victory guarantees his place in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.

Others lining up at Goodwood for the Qatar Sussex Stakes and looking to earn their place at this year's Breeders' Cup include Mohaather (GB) and San Donato (IRE), the first two home in the Group 2 Betfred Summer Mile at Ascot this month.

Mohaather was an emphatic winner that day, having previously endured a luckless run behind Circus Maximus in the Queen Anne Stakes. His trainer Marcus Tregoning is hoping for his first Group 1 success since landing the Derby with Sir Percy in 2006.

Marcus Tregoning said, “It's a tough order but I don't think we could have Mohaather any better and he deserves a crack at it. He took his race in the Summer Mile very well and was back cantering the next day.

“I don't see why he won't handle the track because he's a neat horse who travels well and has plenty of speed. Hopefully he's going to run a big race.”

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Qatar Sussex Stakes to start in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile, which will be run over 1 mile at the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of US$40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

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Lyons Takes Long View For Even So

Ger Lyons took his second Irish Classic of the season on Saturday with the Coolmore-owned Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and is already looking forward to her 4-year-old season.

“A real plan hasn’t been made, but her real career could kick in at four because there’s a good programme for the older fillies,” he said of the three-time winner. “There’s obviously the Yorkshire Oaks, but I wouldn’t be in a rush to take on Love, without talking to connections they let all of their horses take each other on, but I don’t think I need to do that with her.

“There’s no plan at the moment for Even So—she’s out in the paddock with Yaxeni and Lemista and she’ll be there all of this week at the very least to help her get over her exertions.”

He added: “The initial thinking was to find a little prep and head for [Champions Day at] Ascot.”

Lemista (Ire) (Raven’s Pass) added to a fantastic weekend for the Lyons stable with her victory in the G2 Kilboy Estates S. over nine furlongs. The filly, who was racing in the colours of American owner Peter Brant, has Even So behind her in third when winning the G3 Park Express S. in March before racing was halted. She then bounced back to win the listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. on June 20.

“Lemista is a great filly. It was a big decision to sell her for David Spratt,” said the trainer. “She’s winning over a trip shorter than I think is her best, and on ground quicker than I think she wants. If you could see her and Even So work on the gallops you’d be scratching your head, but they turn it on on the track. They lead the baby 2-year-olds on the gallops.”

Lyons added, “The day she won the Park Express we were speculatively black-type hunting, but Chris Hayes rode her and told us we were under-estimating her. I don’t think she’s an [Irish] St Leger type–I have Nickajack Cave for that, who won the Saval Beg. You could run Even So over a mile and six, or Yaxeni.”

A maiden winner last season, Yaxeni (Fr) (Maxios {GB}), owned by SBA Racing Ltd, which also races the smart juvenile Frenetic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), finished sixth in the Irish Oaks and has also been Group 3-placed this year.

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‘Worth Sacrificing’: Ireland-Based Jockey Colin Keane Faces Quarantine By Partnering Siskin At Goodwood

Ireland-based jockey Colin Keane will face 14 days of quarantine after reuniting with Siskin at Glorious Goodwood – but the red-hot rider says that's a sacrifice he was willing to make in a heartbeat.

Dual Classic winner Keane piloted Ger Lyons' cracking colt to a brilliant victory in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas last month, toppling Vatican City at the Curragh to extend Siskin's flawless record to five wins from five.

Lyons confirmed that Goodwood's Qatar Sussex Stakes will be next for the 3-year-old, as the trainer targets another Group One glory following Even So's triumph in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks this weekend.

The coronavirus restrictions mean Keane will face two weeks of quarantine upon returning to Ireland after Goodwood, however, severely jeopardizing his chances of usurping Shane Foley's lead at the summit of the Leading Jockeys table.

Keane has partnered Siskin in all five of his trips so far and while this time may all but end his chances of regaining his Champion Jockey crown of 2017, he says he simply couldn't pass the opportunity to team up with the speedster once more.

“It's definitely worth sacrificing the two weeks,” Keane told Nick Luck's Daily Podcast. “There are not too many like Siskin that I've got to sit on before, so when a horse like that comes around you want to be on him everyday – especially on the big days.

“Hopefully there'll be other championships in the future, but there might not be another Siskin for a very long time, so I want to take every opportunity.

“He's been great since the Guineas, he looks a million dollars and we couldn't be happier with him. We'll keep him wrapped up and it's about getting him there in one piece.”

The Keane-Lyons axis banged in their second Classic winner of the season on Saturday as Even So followed in Siskin's glittering footsteps in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks.

The fabulous filly reeled in Jessica Harrington's Cayenne Pepper – with Foley on board – as Keane delivered a red-hot performance of his own to make things spicy in the Leading Jockeys table.

The 25-year-old has now ridden 28 winners this season, one behind Wayne Lordan but still 11 triumphs adrift of Foley's table-topping 39 efforts.

Foley and Harrington remain without a Classic victory this campaign, however, with Aidan O'Brien landing the other two races with wins for Peaceful and Santiago in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

Keane, the 2014 Champion Apprentice, is a man for the big occasion and while both his Classic triumphs have come behind closed doors, it's done little to diminish his joy.

“It was a brilliant weekend – it's still surreal, and one we'll remember for a while I think,” he added.

“Anytime I've ridden a Group One winner there's been nobody there, so it's strange but we're not going to complain.

“There was a lot of pressure for Siskin, but not so much on the filly, so we were just hoping for black type. To go and do what she did was surreal, she was very good.”

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