Masen and Colin Keane with groom Dec Quirke © Photo Healy Racing
The 2/1 favourite Masen made all for an emphatic victory in the Listed Knockaire Stakes.
The gelded son of Kingman, who landed a handicap over course and distance on Irish Champions Weekend, quickly put the race to bed once he straightened up off the home turn and was a good five lengths clear a furlong out.
Market rival Njord (11/4) ran on late to reduce the winning margin to two and a quarter lengths but Colin Keane’s mount was never in danger of being caught. San Andreas (16/1) kept on into third place a further length and a quarter away.
Shane Lyons, assistant to winning trainer Ger Lyons, said: “It's a job well done. He's a work in progress and hopefully he'll have a nice winter and mature mentally.
“If he winters well, and there is no reason why he won't fill into a man, we think he is a very good horse.
“Ger will have a chat with Barry and the Abdullah family and make a plan. Colin thinks the world of him as do we.
“Every race that he has run in he's shown a bit of class and he's improving with each race.
“The winter can't come soon enough so he can have down time and mature. We're really looking forward to him next year, we think he's a proper horse in the making over seven or a mile.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
