Justifier and Colin Keane prove too strong for Potala Palace (inside)© Photo Healy Racing
Newcomer Justifier became the first winning progeny of freshman sire Free Eagle, as he took the opener at Leopardstown, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Bought for E60,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale last October, the Ger Lyons trained colt was backed from 6/1 to 9/2 on-course.
Settled behind the leaders by Colin Keane, he received a reminder a furlong and a half from home, and soon picked up on the outer, getting to the front inside the final 50 yards, going on to prevail by a length.
The Joseph O'Brien trained Potala Place (6/1) looked the most likely winner when he hit the front at the furlong pole, but he couldn't hold off Justifier, and had to settle for second under Shane Crosse. Armory who was sent off the 11/4 favourite, was doing all his best work towards the finish, and was a neck back in third.
Lyons said afterwards: "He has a great temperament. Colin said early-doors he was working well at home and he had him in the same category as (stablemate) Siskin, which would be a long way from my thoughts.
"He said the ground rode lovely and he wouldn't want 'firm' in the description. He is a lovely horse, will get further and I think there should be huge improvement going forward as I have been tender with my two-year-old's this year.
"We would normally have tried a load of them but are taking them along quietly this year and he is my fourth two-year-old runner. Hopefully they are all queueing up now and ready to run and hopefully that's a sign of things to come.
"I'm disappointed Sean (Jones) isn't here as he got held up in a meeting but it is lovely to run one in his colours and hopefully we can start getting his blue and white colours in the winners' enclosure again soon."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
