Lyra scores for Fahey
Dancing Lyra is proving a real money-spinner for the Richard Fahey stable and he took his tally to two wins from as many starts for the Malton trainer with a battling performance in the DM Hall Handicap at Musselburgh.
Fahey bought the five-year-old for 25,000 guineas at the Newmarket sales in October and he made a successful start for new connections at Southwell a week ago.
On the strength of that run Dancing Lyra was sent off the 5-6 favourite, despite carrying a 6lb penalty, and in the end he had to dig deep for Paul Hanagan to get the better of Emerald Bay by a head on going described as heavy, soft in places.
“He gave him a good ride,” said Fahey.
“This horse loves this ground to be fair. I don’t know what his best trip will be, somewhere around this mile maybe.
“I gave 25 grand for him because he was on one or two lists as one to look out for as a sound horse.
“He’s a grand little horse and he’s done the job now. I just hope the handicapper doesn’t get excited but if he goes up a bit, he might get into a half-decent race.
“I might give him a break now and bring him back for the York May meeting.”
John Forbes was another to relish the testing conditions when he made all the running in the Lothian Handicap over a stamina-sapping two miles.
It was the four-year-old’s first attempt at the trip on the level but Pat Cosgrave had no hesitation sending the 16-1 chance straight into the lead.
He stayed there too, galloping away in the straight to beat Hernando’s Boy by eight lengths.
“I said to Pat not to worry about getting the trip, if he gets it or doesn’t get it, just let him make the running and let him enjoy it,” said winning trainer Brian Ellison.
“He loves the ground, that’s the main thing, and he stayed well.”
Forcing tactics also paid dividends for Manouche (10-1), who gamely held off the 8-11 favourite Historic Appeal by half a length in the Jock Whitelaw Maiden Stakes.
Neil Callan set a searching pace on the heavy surface and he soon had most of his rivals in trouble but it was not until inside the final furlong that he saw off the persistent challenge of the runner-up.
Trainer Kevin Ryan said: “Obviously he’s fairly fit off the all-weather and Neil just bounced him out and went a good gallop.
“There were some horses here having their first run of the year while he was fit so he put it up to them and if they were going to beat him, they would have to do it the hard way.
“In fairness to the horse he has stuck his head out today because I think he may be saving something for himself but it was hard work out there in that ground.”
Robert Winston brought Dorn Dancer with a late rattle to take the Wallyford Fillies’ Handicap.
After struggling early on, it was the 7-1 winner’s extra reserves of stamina which carried her to the front inside the last of the five furlongs to beat Ashes comfortably by two lengths.
Her trainer, David Barker, said: “The rest of them all stopped, that’s what’s happened there.
“She got badly handicapped after she won a Chester maiden at two and that messed her up at three but that’s the beauty of her starting this season. She’s assessed right now.
“She’s handled the ground. It was survival of the fittest in that ground. She didn’t travel in the first four furlongs but she picked up in the last furlong.
“She wants a bit further and it has been a test of stamina which has suited her.”
Ingleby Image showed her rivals a clean pair of heels on her debut in the Caledonian Produce Doug’s Leaving Do Maiden Auction Stakes.
Paul Fessey had her smartly away from her draw on the far rail but inside the final quarter of a mile, she tacked across to the stands’ side before going readily clear to beat My Mirasol in good style by three lengths.
Ingleby Image, who had shown some ability at home, was backed from 9-1 into 6-1 and her trainer, David Barron, was not surprised to see her win.
He said: “She’s a quick little thing and she was ready to run but you never know if they are going to get home the way the ground is. If she stayed, she won.”
There was a turn-up in the Rectangle Group Handicap when 16-1 shot Attacca got home by a neck from Insubordinate, with the odds-on Vancouver Gold two and a half lengths back in third.
However, trainer John Weymes was not surprised by the outcome.
He said: “He hasn’t been back in long and he looked like a woolly bear but his work has been pleasing. He has won on firm but he has also been placed on the soft.”
Winston went on to complete an 18-1 double on the front-running Garlogs (11-8 favourite) in the Balcarres Handicap.
