Lyons seeking Group 1 glory with Marble Hill winner

Ger Lyons is targeting Group 1 glory with today's Marble Hill Stakes winner Siskin whose price was also cut for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

The son of First Defence made a winning debut at Naas earlier this month and today, under regular rider Colin Keane, comfortably made the step up to Listed company when proving two and a half lengths too strong for King Neptune.

The win gives trainer Lyons options and following the race the Royal Ascot winning trainer stated “our initial plan is to stay here for the Railway Stakes but I’ll have to talk it over with the owners. The important thing with him is to try and aim at a Group 1 and not leave it in Ascot. My plan would be to stay at home and hopefully have a Phoenix horse.”

He also said “he’s very straightforward and has been from day one. I’d love to tell you how difficult it is to train him and how brilliant I am but its push button stuff when you have horses like this. He has a fantastic temperament.

“As I’ve been saying for years training horses is not rocket science, it’s about getting the horses and if you don’t have the horses you can’t train the winners.

“Colin said you can drop him back, you can step him up, you can do what you like on him.”

Despite Lyons' warnings about race plans, Betfair Sportsbook later cut his Coventry Stakes odds to 8/1 from 14s.

Quotes by Alan Magee