It's All A Joke and Colin Keane battle off Lady Sandy and Billy Lee© Photo Healy Racing
"It's a nice one to get us back. He's been working well at home but we just haven't been able to run him because he's rated 66 and there were only 0-65s," said Shane Lyons after his brother Ger's It's All A Joke justified strong 5/4 favouritism (from 7/4 on track) in the Windsor Bar & Restaurant Handicap at Dundalk.
The Colin Keane-ridden It's All A Joke headed front-runner Lady Sandy under a furlong out but that Dandy Man filly rallied and just a head split them at the line.
"There has been absolutely nothing for him but he's been ticking over, leading the two-year-olds, enjoying himself," further explained Lyons on the yard's first winner of 2018.
"On his pieces of work the last couple of times we would have been a little bit disappointed if he didn't win today. He was top weight in the race for a reason.
"He'll mix between five and six furlongs as long as the handicapper now allows him to stay in that grade and work his way up.
"Colin always thought that he'd like a cut in the ground, more so than Dundalk, so that's a bonus and he could mix it with both.
"He might go to Tipperary in a couple of weeks over five or something like that. We'll keep plugging away with him.
"I thought Colin was very good on him the way he held on to him as long as he could.
"He was always a bit mentally immature and he has, in our eyes, matured mentally but it looks like we'll have to produce him on the line again the next day.
"Hopefully he'll pay his way for Vincent until his better ones come out."
(GC & EM)
