Lemista puts gloss on fine weekend for Lyons and Keane

Horse Racing

Winner could join Irish Oaks victor Even So at Ascot on Champions Day.

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane were celebrating the victory of a smart filly for the second time in 24 hours at the Curragh as Lemista continued her winning streak in the Kilboy Estate Stakes.

The daughter of Raven’s Pass arrived on a roll having won a Listed and a Group Three on her previous two outings this season, and on the first of those she had stablemate and subsequent Irish Oaks winner Even So back in third.

Settled at the rear as Crotchet set the pace, there were plenty in with chances as the runners entered the final furlong, but one who was not was the favourite, One Voice. Shane Foley found himself trapped behind horses on the rail with nowhere to go and her run can be forgotten as she finished full of running.

Lemista quickened up smartly when asked, beating Lovelier by three-quarters of a length with Kiss For A Jewel third.

“She’s different gravy on the racecourse compared to what she is at home and you could not get it soft enough for her,” said Lyons.

“The fact that she’s doing this on ground that’s against her and she’ll get much further is great. I always thought she wanted a mile and a half.

“We took the view there was no point in having three in the Oaks when she had a nice chance today.”

He went on: “She’s improved and improved on track. New owners have bought into her and my advice would be that she should stay here and enjoy the fillies’ programme until at least the end of next year, as she will get her conditions here.

“She will get a mile and a half every bit as well as the filly on Saturday did.

“Even So will probably have a prep after a break and then go for the Ascot race (Fillies and Mares Stakes on Champions Day), and this filly could go for the same race. At that time of the year the ground could be heavy and this one will handle it, as will Yaxeni.”

Chris Hayes caused his second major Group Two shock of the weekend as Aloha Star ran out a 33-1 winner of the Airlie Stud Stakes.

Off the back of his 66-1 success with Laws Of Indicies in the Railway Stakes on Saturday for Ken Condon, he teamed up with Fozzy Stack on this occasion.

Aloha Star (right) just gets the better of Frenetic
Aloha Star (right) just gets the better of Frenetic (PA Wire)

A winner at Bellewstown on her third start last time out, the daughter of Starspangledbanner picked up in fine style.

The race was billed as a match between Lyons’ Frenetic and Aidan O’Brien’s Mother Earth and those two went head-to-head from some way out.

But entering the final furlong Aloha Star breezed past Mother Earth and set down to battle it out with Frenetic.

She looked like going away to win comfortably, but to Frenetic’s credit she battled back only for the line to come too soon as Aloha Star prevailed by a head.

Hayes said: “We were disappointed when she got beaten first time out at Naas, but she’s too generous sometimes and ran very free.

“The lad who rides her out at home has done a great job and has kept her nice and settled. She probably needed the run at Tipperary as we backed right off her.

“The race went to plan today. She was a filly always crying out for that trip and hopefully she will improve.”

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Chris Hayes Ger Lyons Aloha Star

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