Imaginarium win sees Keane go two up in title race

Imaginarium went one better than his recent debut second when running out an impressive winner of the SP Or Better Guaranteed With The Tote Maiden at the Curragh.

The Ger Lyons-trained gelding proved easy to back as money came for Only For Me but in the race itself, there was only ever going to be one winner, as Colin Keane travelled ominously well throughout.

Only For Me was done with over a furlong out, so it was left to the Jim Bolger-trained Vocal Studies to throw down the last challenge. However, try as he might, the gelding could never get to Imaginarium.

The win left Colin Keane two ahead of Billy Lee in the battle for the Irish Flat Jockeys Championship.

“That was grand. He's a bit of a square peg in a round hole, as you can see you could drive a car underneath him,” said Lyons.

“I came back from holidays last year and there was a yard of horses like that. I said 'ah lads I don't have a national hunt licence'. It's been all about time and we've had to be so patient with them.

“He ran well in Leopardstown and this was the only option left for him. We knew nine was way too sharp for him but heavy ground was going to play to his strengths so we took a punt.

“He ripped his shoe off two days and stood on a nail so hats off to my head lad Martin as it was touch and go but we got him here.

“This was important for a number of reasons, A I'd like him to win at three, B Colin and C going into a four-year-old carrying ten stone in maidens wasn't where I wanted to be with him.

“He is a four-year-old though and he's going to be a lovely horse next year, please God.

“The dream is still alive. Vincent bought him as a foal, which is important too, but I've warned him 'don't keep buying me these big horses as they are not what I'm about!'. It's nice that it's worked out.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson