Keane doubles up with Buddha Boy

Colin Keane, successful aboard Lily’s Prince half-an-hour earlier, completed a quickfire double as a change of tactics proved just the trick for Buddha Boy in the Christmas Party Packages At Dundalk Stadium Nursery Handicap.

The Ger Lyons-trained gelding, available at 9/2 earlier in the day but well-backed on track from 7/2 into 11/4 favourite, was soon racing keenly at the head of affairs.

Keane had to get hard at work from well over a furlong out but his mount responded gamely to hold on by a head. Only Spoofing finished best of all in second, with Magnification half a length away in third.

Lyons' brother and assistant Shane said, “He’s not the finished article yet. We liked him at the very start of the year but he was still immature and was kind of showing us false speed.

“He’s maturing all the time, his last few pieces of work have been excellent, and hopefully he’ll be a nice three-year-old.

“He did everything right today and that helped him. Hopefully this lad will improve into next year to what we thought he was at the start of this season.

“He’s in a nursery next week but I don’t know whether we have to go now. He’s definitely a horse that we’ll show a little bit of appreciation with. He’s for next year.

“The last couple of months he’s told us ‘I was a baby’ and he’s after coming into himself.”

(GC & AM)