Ex-Varian filly makes a winning start for Lyons

The well-bred Ela Katrina (2/1 fav) made a winning start for Ger Lyons when taking the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Maiden by a comfortable two and a half lengths from Longbourn (11/4). Lets Get Started ( 8/1) filled the third spot another length and a half adrift.

The winner came through to lead over a furlong out, and only had to be pushed out by Colin Keane to account for the similarly-rated runner-up.

Yet another shrewd acquisition from Britain by part-owner David Spratt (bought out of Roger Varian’s yard for 30,000 sterling in December), the winner had shown promise when second at Kempton in November.

She’s a Kendargent half-sister to the talented, but quirky, stayer Pallasator and four other winners, and her dam Ela Athena won the Lancashire Oaks twenty years ago for Michael Jarvis and Philip Robinson.

“We're absolutely delighted with her, said assistant trainer Shane Lyons.

“She's a half-sister to Pallasator so that was all important, and we were being a bit cheeky trying to nick a bracket today for her breeding as we always thought she wanted a mile-and-four.

“I think she will want an extra couple of furlongs but Colin said it was very straight-forward. She's very genuine and wants good ground.

“She's a big filly so in mid-summer when she fills into her frame we could have a bit of fun with her. We'll see how far we can go with her.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson