Ger Lyons

Irish trainer Ger Lyons reached his 1,000th-winner milestone when Offiah (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) won the Class Grass H. at Roscommon on Monday. Aboard the 5-1 shot was Colin Keane, who was also in the saddle for Lyons's first two Classic winners-2020 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas victor Siskin (First Defence) and 2020 G1 Irish Oaks heroine Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Lyons celebrated his first winner in 1994, and his first Royal Ascot success was in the G2 Queen Mary S. with Elletelle (Ire) (Elnadim) in 2007. The G1 Cheveley...

Completing a group 3 double on The Curragh's Friday card for Juddmonte, Ger Lyons and Colin Keane, Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) took her impressive record to four-from-four in emphatic fashion in the Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. Coming into the six-furlong test off professional if less demonstrative displays in the five-furlong Listed Tipperary S. June 30 and the valuable Ballyhane S. at this distance at Naas Aug. 2, the homebred full-sister to Viadera (GB) belied any fears that she had reached an early plateau by raising her...

Colin Keane had already steered Eclat de Lumiere to TDN Rising Stardom in The Curragh card's opening contest and repeated the dose to bring up a quickfire double aboard Juddmonte's 2-year-old colt Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in the DMG Media Irish EBF Maiden over six furlongs at the County Kildare venue. Breaking smartly and racing under a firm grip in a prominent third initially, the 15-8 favourite slipped to sixth when angled to the centre of the track at halfway and soon had matters in hand when swooping for...

Juddmonte's unbeaten 2-year-old filly Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), fresh from a career high in Tipperary's June 30 Listed Tipperary S., kept her perfect record intact with a game victory in Monday's €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas. 3rd-Naas, €300,000, Cond, 8-2, 2yo, 5f 205yT, 1:12.01, gd. SACRED BRIDGE (GB) (f, 2, Bated Breath {GB}--Sacred Shield {GB}, by Beat Hollow {GB}), backed up a June 23 debut score over course and distance with a career high dropping to five furlongs for Tipperary's Listed Tipperary S. on stakes bow...

Hammered down to 1-2 favourite for Saturday's G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey S. at The Curragh following his impressive winning debut over six furlongs here June 25, Beauty Inspire (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) duly landed the gamble after a tussle with Andreas Vesalius (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Hadman (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Keen early tracking that duo, the Ger Lyons trainee looked poised for a facile win two out but ultimately had to work to get to the front passing the furlong pole. Grinding it out from there, the Beauty Stable...

Sent to Wednesday's Listed Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Tipperary S. just a week after scoring on debut at Naas, Juddmonte's Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) was able to continue the momentum and gain a first black-type success in a race marred by the fatal breakdown suffered by Ballydoyle's Amalfi Coast (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}). Sent off the even-money favourite dropping back from six furlongs to five, the Ger Lyons-trained full sister to last year's GI Matriarch S. heroine Viadera (GB) pursued the early pace and after gaining the advantage passing the...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a full-sister to Grade I winner Viadera. 4.25 Naas, Mdn, €15,500, 2yo, f, 5f 205yT SACRED BRIDGE (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) is a full-sister to last year's GI Matriarch S. heroine Viadera (GB), who before joining Chad Brown spent her formative period with this filly's trainer...

Thirty minutes after Ballydoyle's Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status at The Curragh, there was another who filled the eye at that venue to also gain that tag in Peter Brant's newcomer Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Sent off the 5-2 second favourite for the six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race, the Ger Lyons-trained grey who cost 420,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 travelled with distinct ease in rear under Colin Keane with the pace hot throughout the early stages. Cruising between...

The €200,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane S., run at Naas on Aug. 2, has 278 juveniles entered after the latest forfeit stage, Naas Racecourse announced on Friday. Restricted to juveniles that are EBF eligible and whose sire established a median price of not more than €75,000 at the 2020 yearling sales, the race's winning breeder will receive a free nomination to one of the Ballyhane sires courtesy of Ballyhane Stud. In addition, if the winner is by a Ballyhane Stud stallion, there is a €50,000 bonus on top of the €200,000...

Classic winner Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}-Breeze Hill {Ire}, by Danehill), has been sold by Coolmore to Japan for broodmare duties, Irishracing.com reported on Saturday. Lyons's brother and assistant Shane Lyons told Irishracing.com, "Even So has gone breeding and has been sold to Japan. She was an absolute lady, had a beautiful Dr Devious-pedigree so hopefully she does well over in Japan for her new connections. "She was a superstar and to win a Classic on home soil, you couldn't get any higher. It's what dreams are made of and...

Classic winner Siskin (First Defence-Bird Flown {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) will stand for ¥3,500,000 at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan, the stud announced on Tuesday. It was earlier revealed the Juddmonte homebred's breeding rights had been sold to a group of breeders in June. Trained by Ger Lyons, Siskin won his first five starts, breaking his maiden at Naas in May of his 2-year-old year and quickly adding a listed race later that month, before first tasting group success in the G2 Railway S. that June. He saluted in...

Khalid Abdullah's Siskin (First Defence) is aiming at a run in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 7, provided ground conditions suit. "The Breeders' Cup Mile is under serious consideration," Juddmonte Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe told the TDN. "We're concerned about two things: one is the amount of rain that's fallen in Kentucky the last few days; we know he's a horse that's best on fast ground so that's one concern. The other concern is if they continue to race on the turf track leading up to...