Sky Lantern looks horse to follow

After coming second in the previous Listed race, Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes went one better with grey horse Sky Lantern in the featured Listed juvenile fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas.

Sky Lantern and True Verdict settle down to fight out the finish from a furlong out, but Richard Hughes won a touch snugly in the end by half a length to justify 11/8 market favouritism.

True Verdict ran a good race for David Wachman and Billy Lee and took second placed prize money at 4/1.

Assistant trainer Richard Hannon junior said: “She’s a lovely filly and crying out for seven furlongs. We’ll enter her for the Albany 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.”

The time of 1m 11.56 was only 0.08 of a second slower than what the two-year-old colts ran in the previous Listed race also over six furlongs.

Michael Graham