Markaz Paname, light blue cap, leads them home at Headquarters© Photo Healy Racing
Ger Lyons' Markaz Paname continued his march through the ranks when delivering in the Group 3 Gladness Stakes at the Curragh.
Since winning his maiden at Cork in September, he finished third in a Listed race at Dundalk the following month before returning with a victory in the Madrid Handicap at Naas last month.
He went off even-money favourite for this seven-furlong assignment and improved from fourth racing into the final quarter of a mile.
Colin Keane then gave him the office to head Current Option approaching the furlong marker. The 'jolly' kept up the gallop to see off his staying-on stablemate Sh Boom (16/1) by half a length. Thunder Moon was well supported down to 7/2 and finished nicely for third, beaten a length and a half by the winner.
This winner gave Lyons and Keane a double on the card as they were earlier successful with debutant Tough Talk
Lyons said: “That was good. I'm happy now but beforehand I got very watery as I just thought it's impossible for a three-year-old to do that. He was a bit switched on and a bit buzzy but as Kerri said 'he's just a freak Dad' and I said 'you're right'.”
“I'm not thinking next, I don't go beyond today as I could be dead tomorrow!
“That ground is as quick as he'd want. It's all about ground with him and he could have the summer off.
“We knew the record for three-year-olds was horrible in the Gladness but because the ground could dry and stay dry, we came here.
“You could be talking about the Ballycorus and races like that but he can't run on anything better than that ground.
“Seven is his trip, Colin knows he'll get further but not at the moment.
“I'm absolutely over the moon with Sh Boom. She's grown into a lovely stakes filly and Gary (Carroll) said there is one of them in her.
“That's brilliant, Gowran was only a piece of work for her the other day. We were only taking a pot as we own her ourselves, so to get black-type for these fillies is fantastic.
“It was a good race all around and I can go home now and watch the match in peace!”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
