Silk Cravat gives Keane two on the beach Colin Keane booted home a double on the sand at Laytown as Silk Cravat justified 13/8 favouritism in the seven-furlong maiden at Laytown. The four-year-old gelding raced prominently on the inner from stall two and was right in contention with three furlongs to travel. He moved ahead of Dandy Rock a furlong and a half out and was kept up to his work to account for Haraz (5/1) who flashed home once in the clear. The winning margin was half a length. Live Twice (8/1) came in third, beaten two and three quarter lengths by the winner. “He had to come here to win his maiden but he's a horse with plenty of ability,” said Shane Lyons, assistant to trainer Ger Lyons. “Colin is a very strong jockey but equally he's a very brainy jockey. He said going out 'if I hit this horse once he'll curl up'. “He had the confidence to ride hands and heels and that was the winning of the race. "He's the kind of horse that if you hit him once he would be beaten a short-head rather than win a short-head. “We have a good record around Laytown, love it, and for horses like this it revitalises them. It's great for the syndicate. “If that lad put it in like he does at home he'd have a few more under the belt. Hopefully this gives him confidence and he can move on from there. “On a slow five on the Curragh he ran a cracker and that's seven on quick. He has plenty of speed and we should have a bit of fun with him.” Keane took the preceding race on his father Gerry's Red All Star. Additional reporting by Gary Carson
