Irish trainer Ger Lyons reached his 1,000th-winner milestone when Offiah (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) won the Class Grass H. at Roscommon on Monday. Aboard the 5-1 shot was Colin Keane, who was also in the saddle for Lyons's first two Classic winners-2020 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas victor Siskin (First Defence) and 2020 G1 Irish Oaks heroine Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Lyons celebrated his first winner in 1994, and his first Royal Ascot success was in the G2 Queen Mary S. with Elletelle (Ire) (Elnadim) in 2007. The G1 Cheveley Park S. of 2011 went to Lyons trainee Lightening Pearl (Ire) (Marju {Ire}).
“Ger is so dedicated,” said Lyons's brother and assistant trainer Shane Lyons. “He just loves animals and that shines through with certain horses, especially this lad.
“He doesn't copy what other trainers do–he thinks outside the box. Sometimes you think 'this lad is losing it', but all of a sudden you realise none of us would have thought of that with certain genius things that he does.
“It's been a great ride and it will be a long ride for the next 1,000, but hopefully we are still there for it. We're delighted to get it in Roscommon as well as it's a very lucky track for us. Michael Finneran and his crew are very good to us and have great facilities which they are always upgrading.
“The horse was threatening to do that for a long time and it's great for Sean Jones and David Spratt to be part of this historic winner.”
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