Chiricahua appreciates drop in class

There was a nice S.P. of 4/1 about morning favourite Chiricahua in the concluding Metcollect Maiden over the extended mile and a half.

The Camelot colt, last to finish in the Irish Derby, tracked the leaders and came through to head the front-running Silver Fox 15/8 fav after morning support) and beat that one by two and a quarter lengths.

The winner had been runner-up on both starts last term, behind subsequent Group 3 scorers Degraves and Nobel Prize.

Assistant to winning trainer Ger Lyons, his brother Shane Lyons said: "He's still immature, he's a baby and we asked him a massive ask to run him in the Derby, and it was unfair of us to do that on him with the year it was and without a run. In fairness to Colin (Keane) he looked after him (in the Derby).

"This is more like it - we'll take baby steps after today and climb up the ranks. He's a horse going forward that we will geld.

"Being by Camelot we will look forward to him as he's a big, gorgeous, handsome horse that can have a nice campaign next year.

"He can go on any ground to be fair. He travelled there and he has a touch of class hence why we ran him in the Derby. There are big races to be won with this lad over trips next year."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham