Maker Of Kings rules at Leopardstown

Alan Magee
May 9, 2021 2:19 pm

Amethyst delight for Lyons and Keane.

Maker Of Kings returned to winning form in first-time blinkers with an authoritative display in the Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown.

Ger Lyons’ four-year-old was runner-up in the Irish Lincolnshire on his first start this season and was then a beaten odds-on favourite when he went down by a short head at Tipperary last month.

But he had no trouble with this rise in class to Group Three level, as the 7-1 winner under Colin Keane.

👏 Fine ride @ctkjockey
He guides Maker Of Kings to victory in the G3 Amethyst Stakes for Ger Lyons at @LeopardstownRC
Results & free replays ➡ https://t.co/sBcsavHpYf pic.twitter.com/xs2V5TiVft

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 9, 2021

Maker Of Kings was soon up with the pace set by Raise You, then took over in the final two furlongs to assert by a length and a quarter – with Erzindjan staying on to get closest to him, a neck in front of 7-4 favourite Ace Aussie.

Lyons’ assistant and brother Shane said: “He’s a grand horse who ran well in the Lincoln. Colin said we should put headgear on, and it’s worked.

“He’s a fun horse for his owners. He loved the ground and will get further.

“We’ll probably put the headgear on and off. He just gets a bit lonely – and with the headwind today, it helped.”

Eaglefield gave trainer Jim Bolger and jockey Kevin Manning a winning start on the card as he got off the mark at the second attempt in the opening John R Fitzpatrick Agricultural Contractor Maiden.

The Gleneagles gelding was second on his Gowran debut over this same trip of seven furlongs just four days ago.

Eaglefield and Kevin Manning (right) on the way to winning the John R Fitzpatrick Agricultural Contractor Maiden (Brian Lawless/PA)

He proved he was ready to go again, though, sitting just behind Jeroboam and clear of the rest before collaring the long-time leader in the final furlong and then just having enough left to hold on from closers Baldomero and Emilie Gray by a neck and a head.

The line came just in time for the 13-8 favourite, for whom there do not appear to be any big plans just yet.

Bolger’s daughter Una Manning said: “You’d be happy with him – Kevin said they went a right gallop the whole way, and he battled well.

“I’m told we’ll see how the handicapper treats him and go from there.”