RACING NEWS: LOVE LOCKDOWN vindicated Ger Lyons' decision to forego Royal Ascot when he took the Kerry Spring Water Rochestown Stakes at Cork yesterday.
Once a possible for the Coventry Stakes, the progressive Love Lockdown (11 to 8 favourite) was aimed instead at this Listed event and completed his hat-trick with a neck success over King Ledley.
The Verglas gelding made virtually all the running under Keagan Latham and had enough in the tank to keep King Ledley at bay in the final furlong. Roi De Vitesse, trained by Rod Millman, stayed on nicely for third, while the other British raider, Mark Johnston’s Avonrose, faded into fifth after being prominent in the early stages.
A delighted Lyons said: “Love Lockdown may not be the most talented horse in the world but he is the most professional horse I have ever brought to the races.
“He should get further and the way he races, the sky is the limit for him. I’m delighted we didn’t go to Royal Ascot. We need to put down our markers in Ireland first.”
Pat Smullen drove home Grace O’Malley in the Kerry Group Noblesse Stakes to complete a 194½ to 1 treble. The champion jockey, successful earlier on En Un Clin D’Oeil (7 to 1) and Snaefell (15 to 8 favourite), switched to Grace O’Malley in the Group Three contest after his intended mount, Profound Beauty, was a late withdrawal.
He was made to work hard on the 15 to 2 shot, trained by Dermot Weld, who burst through to lead a furlong out but was all out to hold Tanoura by a short head. Weld said: “I walked the course before racing and took out Profound Beauty as the ground was firm in patches of the course. It was unfortunate to have to take her out but the race worked out very well for us in the end.
“Grace O’Malley had a hard race there and Pat gave her an excellent ride and we were very lucky to avoid Always Beautiful when she pulled up quickly down the back straight. We’ll now take a chance and run Grace O’Malley in the Oaks at the Curragh. She is entitled to run there.”
* The red-hot run of trainer Jean-Claude Rouget and jockey Christophe Lemaire continued as Stacelita absolutely bolted up in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly. Settled in second behind the pace-setting Onega Lake, Lemaire had an armchair ride all the way and his mount's acceleration was stunning when he pressed the button just inside the two pole.
