Ger Lyons: No shortage of two-year-old talent in 2024
Sunday Naas review and replays: Revoke makes big impression with debut strike
By Alan Magee
17:17 · SUN August 25, 2024
A review of the pick of the action from Naas on Sunday as Ger Lyons sent out another exciting juvenile.
Revoke makes big debut impression
Ger Lyons introduced yet another top-class prospect for Juddmonte when Revoke made a taking winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Naas.
Lyons already has one Group One-winning juvenile filly for the same owners in Cheveley Park-bound Babouche and another nice prospect in Red Letter.
Revoke was well found in the market, going off the 1/-10 favourite, and having tracked Oxford Rock for much of the contest, Colin Keane let her stride on entering the final furlong and she pulled away to win by four and three-quarter lengths.
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“Colin said she’s done what we said she’d do at home, which is lovely,” said Lyons.
“That’s her first time away and her first time galloping on turf. We do that as I’m adamant I don’t care if they are beaten first time out, as they get a second bite and then we know where we can go with them.
“We won’t shy away with her from what we can get at two and heading for black type, as she’s quick.
“We’ll just see how she takes this, as there is nothing of her and she’s only a 410 kilos filly. She’ll either come forward from this or she’ll go back, so she’ll tell me what to do.
“Worst case scenario is she’ll be in Dundalk for the Mercury or something like that.”
Shandy proves the toast of Naas
Fozzy Stack came up with a well-executed plan to cause a 50/1 surprise in the Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes with Shandy at Naas.
Only two runners raced away from the rest of the field, who stuck to the far side of the track – and both were trained by Stack.
While the slightly better fancied You Send Me was soon sending out distress signals, Shandy was always in contention under Andrew Slattery.
Emerging from the pack was the 15/8 favourite Firebird, and soon she was in a clear advantage on that side.
The width of the track separated the pair as they crossed the line but it was the huge outsider who got the verdict by a head.
Stuart Williams’ Pandora’s Gift was third but the David O’Meara-trained Nighteyes finished last, with something seemingly amiss.
Stack said of his winner: “She ran well in the Listed race here the last day and won the race on her side.
“We were drawn 11 and 12 and the middle is the worst place to be, so we took a chance and it worked out. The ease in the ground helped, as she needs an ease in the ground. We tried different things with hoods, as she over raced once or twice, and it all came together today.”
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Big-price double for jockey Cleary
Aidan O’Brien can barely train a loser at present and struck again with 18/1 chance Garden Of Eden in the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden, in which there was a messy finish.
Apprentice Jack Cleary kept the eventual winner handy and she did nothing wrong in the closing stages, but the original second, Celtic Motif, was demoted to third having interfered with Twolatebabydoll.
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Chris Armstong, representing O’Brien, said: “They both (winner and Medici Venus, interfered with in fourth) ran in the same maiden at Leopardstown, which was probably a decent enough maiden, and they went a hectic pace throughout.
“They were both unbelievably green and have come forward nicely at home and stepped up again there on the track.
“Jack said she’s very, very tough and kept fighting all the way for him. He set a nice, even tempo in front and when challengers came, she picked up and went again.
“She’ll probably step up to a mile later in the season and is a nice filly to look forward to for next year.
“It’s great to get the Goffs (€50,000) bonus, which is a great incentive from Goffs and is greatly appreciated by everybody.”
Cleary made it a double on Chris Timmons’ Chicago Storm (20/1) in the first division of the Hartes Group Apprentice Handicap.
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