Bertie Le Belge and Colin Keane (red and yellow) come to head Cape Clear Island close home© Photo Healy Racing
Ger Lyons & Colin Keane recorded their fifth winner of the week as Bertie Le Belge got off the mark on the first time of asking in the opener at the Curragh, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
The son of Big Bad Bob was sent off a 16/1 chance with Cape Clear Island going off the 11/8 favourite (opened 11/10) for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien.
Drawn out wide in stall three the Anamoine Limited owned victor was settled right out the back and he had plenty of work to do from two furlongs out.
He was brought wide for room over a furlong out and he soon began to make ground getting to the front with over 50 yards to race before going on to score by a length and a quarter.
Cape Clear Island, who took up the running from the furlong pole, had to settle for second while Cape Wolfe (16/1), also trained by Lyons, was a further length and a half back in third under Gary Carroll.
Lyons said afterwards: "He has been ready to run for quite a while. He was a bit slow into stride but he handled the ground.
"That's as short as he would want to go but it is a nice place here to introduce a two-year-old. I like him and he is a typical Big Bad Bob.
"We will look for a winners race and ultimately I would see him going into stakes company."
The winner is a full-brother to Banker Burke who has won once for Jessica Harrington, while he is a half-brother to Anton Dolin who has won five times in the UK.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
