Camorra (blinkers) and Gary Carroll beat grey stablemate Thunder Kiss © Photo Healy Racing
Camorra (18/1) made all in the the Group 3 Paddy Power Stakes to complete a 2,507/1 treble for Ger Lyons.
Gary Carroll was able to control the pace in front and began to get to work on the Zoffany gelding on the home turn. The 5/2 favourite Innisfree who had raced in second, was pushed along to challenge when going wrong and being pulled up two furlongs out.
This left Camorra with a lead of a couple of lengths but he looked like being swallowed up in the final furlong as the fillies Thunder Kiss Forbearance and Zawara all came to have a crack at him.
The winner pulled out a little bit more, though, to defeat his stablemate Thunder Kiss by a neck with Forbearance another head away in third.
It was a third career victory for the 100-rated winner and his first at stakes level.
Winning trainer Ger Lyons said: “What a day and that's special because Gary is such a huge part of the team. To give him a Champions Weekend winner is fantastic.
“He's as nice a person as you could meet in a day's walk and probably the best judge in Ireland so he's a huge asset to me.
“He has enough intelligence and enough experience to read what the race is doing and then has the confidence to do what he did. It was the winning of the race so fair play to him.
“You don't like beating yourself but isn't it a high class problem. I was happy with two for the weekend and anything after that was a bonus.
“As long as they all run their races, that's our rules. I didn't want to be going home scratching my head.
“It's the first day I'm back racing, and (owners) Sean (Jones) and David (Spratt). Leopardstown do a fantastic job anyway but Champions Weekend is special. It was a great innovation by Irish racing and it's getting stronger and stronger.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
