Sport : Horse Racing

SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR LANTERN

4th June 2012, 05:57pm

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Hughes: Won aboard Sky Lantern

Hughes: Won aboard Sky Lantern

Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes teamed up with Sky Lantern who landed the Coolmore Stud EBF Sprint Stakes at Naas on Monday.

The grey daughter of Red Clubs showed a willing attitude as she saw off the persistent challenge of True Verdict.

Verbal Honesty and Nandinga cut out the early running with Sky Lantern handy in third place.

Hughes asked her for an effort two furlongs out and the 11-8 favourite went about her business in meritorious fashion as she followed up her Goodwood debut success to strike by half a length.

Hannon's son and assistant, Richard Hannon jnr, said: "She's a lovely filly and crying out for seven furlongs. We'll enter her for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and see what happens.

"I was very impressed with the way she did it. The second horse came to beat her and had lots of speed, but she stuck her head out well.

"She improved from her first run and this was a massive step up. I don't want to say she's a Guineas filly, but she's that type of make.

"She's big and has lots of scope. She's not just a two-year-old."

One Spirit (6-1) was rewarded for her good effort behind Emulous in a Group Three heat at the Curragh recently when winning the other Listed race on the card, the Owenstown Stud Stakes.

Having benefited from her first run for seven months nine days earlier, she hit the front about a furlong out and stayed on well for Niall McCullagh.

Gordon Lord Byron, who was chasing a hat-trick, had to settle for second place, a length behind the winner.

Lyons said: "That's job done. She has a good pedigree and she's a nice honest-to-goodness filly.

"She ran a cracker last week and we just kept her fresh for today.

"She won in spite of the ground. It's lovely ground, but just on the slow side for her. She's best at seven furlongs to a mile on top of the ground."

Lyons completed a double when Emmet McNamara drove 15-8 favourite Dark Passion home by a length and a half from Crimson Sunrise in the Paul Byrne Memorial Handicap.

I'm Sheikra (8-1) pipped the more experienced Reaching to make a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The Captain Rio filly, owned and trained by Brendan Duke, got the verdict by a nose over the Aidan O'Brien-trained 6-4 favourite under Rory Cleary.

"Mentally she'll improve for the run, but she wouldn't improve much fitness-wise," said Duke.

The well-backed 5-1 favourite Bold Thady Quill landed the www.thetote.com BBQ Evenings At Naas Handicap, while the closing Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap went to Charlie Swan's Lady Bennett (9-1).

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