65/1 double for Keane as Ebony Maw stays on well

Colin Keane said after his earlier winner Ecclesiastical that he thought the step up to 10f would suit Ebony Maw in the Metges Lane Maiden.

Keane took his time in mid-division on the 10/1 chance before getting after him passing the two furlong marker. The Iffraaj gelding moved into third a furlong out, and stayed on well to collar Charlie Bassett (7/1) on the run to the line.

A length and a quarter was the margin of victory, with Lady Hanson (16/1) back in third. The 3/1 favourite Eaglemont finished eighth.

The winner, an £85,000 yearling purchase, had a couple of runs at the back-end of last season and was third in a mile maiden at this track at the end of August on his first start of 2020.

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Shane Lyons, assistant to winning trainer Ger Lyons, said: "We were knocking on the door, finishing second, in the last couple of weeks so it's grand to get one before the weekend.

“He did that lovely and is a typical Iffraaj. He loved taking a lead and got to the front as late as he wanted to get there.

“He's still green as he hasn't got a lot of miles on the clock. That yielding ground is what he wants, he wouldn't want on the quick side of good, and his minimum trip is a mile-and-two.

“It's ten days since he ran after a break and he took a couple of blows so should improve for that.

“We've got his maiden out of the way and hopefully off his mark there is a nice handicap in him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson