Psychedelic Funk draws clear of Downforce© Photo Healy Racing
Psychedelic Funk made a winning start to his campaign when readily landing the Group Three Gladness Stakes over seven furlongs at Naas. Downforce blitzed away from the gates and was soon clear under Billy Lee as they attempted to follow up on a Listed success in Navan last weekend.
However, Colin Keane and Psychedelic Funk started to inch closer with a quarter of a mile to negotiate. The pair soon challenged Downforce and picked him off over a furlong out.
Psychedelic Funk kept up the gallop to come in by two and a quarter lengths at an easy to back 5/1 out from 7/2.
Downforce had to settle for second at 5/2 from 'Burlington Bertie 100/30'.
This gave Keane a double on the card as also took the opener on Dadoozdart
Keane said: "As I said beforehand, he was as fit as we could have him. He did have a blow so he will improve a good bit from it.
"He handles that ground well so it was nice. He's a classy horse when he's on his day.
"He's probably a seven (furlong) or a mile horse in that ground but probably seven is his best trip. Hopefully he can go on to better things."
Trainer Ger Lyons said: "That was lovely. He's heavy and he has grown into some beast of a horse.
“He loves the ground, loves Naas and I'd love the Lockinge to to be run in Naas if someone could sort that for us!
“I think he deserves to go over here if conditions are right. Knowing our luck it'll dry up between now and then and it'll go against us but anything bar fast ground.
“He holds the entry there and that's the next obvious target.
“I hate putting blinkers on them on their first run back but he'll literally do nothing without them.
“Colin said he just felt brilliant. He got a great lead off Billy and blew up as he got to him. If there was a hole in him they'd have found it out then.
“That's probably as good a performance as he's put up in his career and he just seems to be getting better and stronger.
“The team talked me out of gelding him. I don't think there is any reason to keep them colts unless you think they can perform at the top end. He deserves his chance now and we'll see.
“Of the horses we've seen up to now I think he has every right to go for a Lockinge. We just need a bit of luck that the conditions stay in our favour.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
