Irish Oaks a possibility after Lemista takes Gowran feature

Lemista (5/2) goes from strength to strength and carried her Group Three penalty to success in the Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial Stakes for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane.

A course winner of a maiden on her third and final start at two, she beat older rivals in the Park Express Stakes at Naas back in March and repeated the feat here.

She was always close to the pace and wasn’t hard pressed in the last two furlongs to beat 20/1 chances Come September and Snapraeceps by two lengths and two and a half lengths. The 7/4 favourite Elfin Queen bombed out completely and trailed home last of eleven.

The 16,000 Euros the winner cost as a foal at Goffs in November 2017 looks a good bit of business now as connections ponder a tilt at a Classic.

Assistant trainer Shane Lyons said: “That was a plan well put together and the ground is a big factor for her. She’s a real Who’s Steph type as Colin said. The slow side of good or softer.

“We bought her as a foal and she’s just improved and improved. She’s in the (Irish) Oaks and if the ground is safe that’s where she’d go.

“I can’t wait to step her up in trip. I think she’s crying out for it. Whether she’s up to that (Group 1 company) or not we’ll see.

“It’s lovely to win this race — we won it with Who’s Steph last year. It’s wonderful the way the horses are running. They are running the way we think they should be running.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee