By Tom Frary
Continuing the fine form of Ger Lyons's two-year-old team, Sean Jones's Howd'yadoit (Nando Parrado) swooped to conquer in Monday's Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes. Coming into the valuable six-furlong median auction race on the back of a Down Royal maiden win last month, the 13-2 shot tracked the pace near side and stayed on best in the final 50 yards to beat Unbreakable Duke (Advertise) by 3/4 of a length.
“I'm gobsmacked as I didn't think he'd be good enough,” Lyons said. “What an honest horse, he's been doing it well. We wanted to win a maiden en-route to winning a nursery, but he hit him with a mark that I thought was ridiculous for what I felt was a poor maiden.
“We came here because it was a good pot, and I said any bit of the prizemoney is grand. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he'd win. I'm delighted, as Sean's horses are now bought for and named by his sons Eddie and James to keep them interested and they are here today. They are the next generation, so it's great. Sean has been with me from day one and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.”
The Ger Lyons-trained Howd'yadoit captures the €200,000 @IrishEBF_ Ballyhane Stakes 🏆 pic.twitter.com/OZwco4VBpv
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 4, 2025
The dam, whose foal is a full-brother to the winner, is kin to the multiple Scandinavian Listed winner Tatoosh (Xaar) from the family of the Listed Prix des Lilas scorer Azabara (Pivotal).
7th-Naas, €200,000, Cond, 8-4, 2yo, 5f 205yT, 1:10.68, g/y.
HOWD'YADOIT (IRE) (c, 2, Nando Parrado {GB}–Madam Macie {Ire}, by Bertolini) Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-1, $153,066. O-Sean Jones; B-Michael McGlynn (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. *€38,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF.
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