By Tom Frary
Lady Iman had already provided Starman with his first black-type winner and things only got better for Tally Ho Stud on Sunday as she led home a one-two for their much-vaunted first-crop sire in Naas's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Blackbeard Fillies Sprint Stakes. Having made the breakthrough in The Curragh's Listed First Flier Stakes earlier this month, the Ger Lyons-trained half-sister to the talented sprinter West Acre travelled with ease under Colin Keane before hunting down the sire's other runner Green Sense in the final furlong.
At the line, the 2-1 second favourite had 3/4 of a length to spare as she led home the sire's forecast, with Ballydoyle's newcomer Signora by Frankel 1 3/4 lengths away in third. TDN Rising Star Simply Astounding, the daughter of Wootton Bassett and Minding, was a well-beaten fifth as the 4-5 favourite.
“She came to me with a reputation and she's done everything easy,” Ger Lyons said. “Colin said she gets to the front and she idles, which is lovely. I asked the question 'where to now?' and Colin said 'wherever you want'. We'll sit down with Tony and Roger [O'Callaghan], it's all about the sire and doing the right thing by the filly going forward.”
“People have to put guns to my head to get over there for Ascot. I'll do whatever I'm asked to do by the owners, but at this moment in time we'll sit back. She had Queen Mary written all over her, but it's not the be all and end all. Who knows, she could be the next filly to win a Phoenix.”
3⃣ out of 3⃣
Lady Iman maintains her unbeaten record in the Group 3 Blackbeard Stakes.
Warm favourite Simply Astounding bombed out completely. @ctkjockey | @HoStud pic.twitter.com/bvMjR0dEG0
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 18, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Lady Iman's dam Lady Aria, who was runner-up in the G3 Dick Poole Stakes, has already produced the aforementioned G2 Blue Point Sprint winner West Acre by Mehmas. A half to the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes runner-up Union Rose, she hails from the family of the G2 Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Taajub and Harry Angel's Listed Spring Cup winner Iconic Moment. Her yearling colt is by Persian Force.
Sunday, Naas, Ireland
COOLMORE STUD IRISH EBF BLACKBEARD FILLIES SPRINT STAKES-G3, €70,000, Naas, 5-18, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT, 1:10.19, gd.
1–LADY IMAN (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Starman (GB)
1st Dam: Lady Aria (GB) (GSP-Eng), by Kodiac (GB)
2nd Dam: Dot Hill (GB), by Refuse To Bend (Ire)
3rd Dam: Purple Tiger (Ire), by Rainbow Quest
1ST GROUP WIN. (£185,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK). O-Mrs A O'Callaghan; B-Tally-Ho Stud; T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €42,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $96,436. *1/2 to West Acre (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), MGSW-UAE, $378,255. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Green Sense (Ire), 128, f, 2, Starman (GB)–Big Boned, by Street Sense. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€90,000 Ylg '24 GOFORY). O-Simon Munir & Isaac Souede; B-N Hartery; T-Joseph O'Brien. €14,000.
3–Signora (Ire), 128, f, 2, Frankel (GB)–Heartache (GB), by Kyllachy (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien. €7,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 3/4, 4HF. Odds: 2.00, 8.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Miami Destination (Ire), Simply Astounding, Saffron Dandy (Ire). Scratched: Dawn Romance (Ire), Leblon Beach (GB).
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