Ger Lyons has identified the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next month as a likely destination for his unbeaten colt Siskin.
The impressive Khalid Abdullah-owned colt provided Lyons with his maiden Group One success in Ireland as he landed Friday’s Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh. Colin Keane’s mount shrugged off the challenge of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Monarch Of Egypt in the closing stages to protect his unbeaten record.
Trainer Lyons is now eyeing up some of the leading end-of-season two-year-old contests in Britain for his charge. “He’ll be in all the relevant races. Obviously the Middle Park is sponsored by his owners and he’s in the Vincent O’Brien [National Stakes] over here at the same time.
Then there’s the Dewhurst, so I’m not thinking beyond that at the moment,” said Lyons. “At this moment in time you’d have to be thinking the Middle Park would be his next race, but we’ll discuss that in the next week.”
Siskin defied conditions to win at the Curragh, as Lyons admitted he held some concerns over the amount of rain that fell before race. “The rain was a huge concern. We know his forte is the turn of speed, but basically the soft levelled the playing field,” he told Racing TV.
“It was the same for them all, Monarch Of Egypt probably wants better ground as well and I know they think a lot of him, but we beat him on better ground.
“I was worried that when Colin (Keane) pressed the ‘go’ button he’d get stuck in the mud a bit, but thankfully the horse pulled it out.” With his latest success Siskin has earned a quote of 9.00 for next season’s 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Leave a comment
Link Dafabet