GER Lyons and Colin Keane enjoyed a memorable afternoonwhen recording a treble at the Royal Ascot Trials fixture at Naas, completed by Babouche, as the Group 1-winning juvenile returned to her very best in the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes. Sent off 2/1, the Juddmonte home-bred led under two furlongs out, staying on strongly to beat 4/5f Whistlejacket by two and three-quarter lengths.

Winning trainer Lyons said: “That’s the first time I’ve seen that this year from her. We sucked it up and we went to Cork; it wasn’t the obvious right thing to do, but it was the right thing to do for what I was seeing at home.

“We parked the reputation and the ego and we said ‘right go down there, you’re going to get beat because it’s a furlong too short for you. We’ve spent the whole spring trying to settle you down and doing it right’.

“Now she’s back. Now we can go to the Commonwealth and, if we get beat, we get beat, but at least we know we are locked and loaded.”

Lady stays perfect

Just over half an hour earlier, the Lyons-trained Lady Iman (2/1) made it three from three in the Group 3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Blackbeard Fillies’ Sprint Stakes. Owned by Mrs Tony O’Callaghan and bred by Tally-Ho Stud, the Starman filly led close home under Keane to beat Green Sense by three-quarters of a length.

Lyons commented: “She came to me with a reputation and she’s done everything easy. Colin said she gets to the front and she idles, which is lovely. I asked the question where to now and Colin said ‘wherever you want’.

“There are plenty of nice races here. People have to put guns to my head to get over there (Ascot). She has Queen Mary written all over her, but it’s not the be all and end all.”

Blacktype next for Beckman

Beckman initiated the three-timer, when quickening up smartly to win the Royal Ascot Trials At Naas Handicap. Sent off 7/2, Keane had to wait for a run on the Newtown Anner Stud home-bred, before staying on strongly to beat favourite Mississippi River by two and a half lengths.

Lyons commented: “I thought that was a nice effort, I loved how he quickened away when he got the gap. I don’t think I’d come back to seven with him. You have the option of the Ballycorus with him. Maurice [Regan, of Newtown Anner Stud] would like to get a bit more blacktype for the sire, because that’s his pet project.”

THE Adrian Murray-trained Bucanero Fuerte made a successful return from a failed stint at stud when justifying 13/8 favouritism in the Listed Sole Power Sprint Stakes.

A Group 1 and Group 2 winner as a juvenile, he had won the Lacken Stakes here at last year’s fixture and dropped down to five furlongs on return.

David Egan made all on the Amo Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar-owned entire to beat Powerful Nation by a length and three-quarters.

Ger Lyons’ Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint victor Magnum Force (9/4) disappointed, finishing last of seven, with the vet later reporting the colt had a small wound on his upper gum.

On the winner, Murray said: “He’s only back six or eight weeks with us and you’d never think he was away at stud. He’s so cool and calm, we even said to David going out ‘just wake him up a little bit’ because he’s so relaxed.

“He finished out the race well, he galloped right to the line. He put plenty of daylight between them. There is a race in Cork in three weeks’ time and he’ll be entered for the Nunthorpe. He’s in not in Ascot.”

Darwin charts route to Ascot

Aidan O’Brien’s well-regarded juvenile Charles Darwin justified odds of 1/14f to win the opening Coolmore Stud The Antarctic Race, backing up last month’s impressive maiden win at Navan.

An own-brother to Blackbeard,

the Coolmore and Westerberg-owned colt made all under Ryan Moore to score by three and a quarter lengths from promising newcomer Cardiff By The Sea, who cost 320,000 gns.

“We’re very happy,” O’Brien said. “Obviously, the plan is to go to Ascot with him and it was nice to do it on lovely ground. Ryan was very happy with him, he’s still babyish and I suppose he’s been doing everything so easy.

“Obviously when he goes to Ascot he won’t have much time for learning. Hopefully that will have done the job and we’ll just look after him between now and then.”

Maiden winner to seek blacktype

Donnacha O’Brien and Gavin Ryan won the Twydil/Clovelly Irish EBF Fillies’ Maiden with 13/2 shot Sound Of Lightning.

The Flaxman Stables’ home-bred swept to the front inside the final furlong to score by three-parts of a length.

The winning trainer commented: “She had a very good run the first day and then she ran with the choke out for the first few furlongs in Navan and shut down then. It’s nice to get her back on track. Getting her to switch off and do things right was more important than the ground.

“She’s a filly with a great pedigree, so you’d love to get a bit of blacktype with her. I think she’ll probably stay a mile and a quarter, if she does things right. We’ll try and find a nice Listed race or something.”

Powell breaks stakes duck

JAMIE Powell landed his first blacktype race aboard the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Copacabana Sands (18/5) in the Listed Owenstown Stud Stakes.

Forced to wait for gaps to appear, Powell showed great composure before switching his mount to lead inside the final furlong to get up for a half-length win from the favourite One Smack Mac.

On the winner, owned by his wife, O’Callaghan said: “She jumped and travelled and everything panned out exactly how he wanted to ride her. It’s a huge day for the filly as she has a nice pedigree.

“We only picked her up in February and she’s done nothing but improve. That’s the best she’s been. She’s out of Montjeu mare and we think that a mile is probably her optimum trip.”

Special silks

Independent Expert (85/40f) landed the mile handicap for Stephen Thorne and Jack Kearney. Leading from two furlongs out, she stayed on strongly to win by three and three-quarter lengths for owners Shamrock Thoroughbreds and Riverstown Stables.

“She’s very tough, honest and genuine,” Thorne commented. “The colours are very important; she sports the colours of my assistant Stephen Mooney’s grandparents.

“My first winner carried those colours, so it’s nice for Stephen and his family to have a nice winner on a day like this.

“She might run well in a fillies’ handicap on one of the big weekends. We’ll see what’s on Oaks or Derby weekend.”