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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Lyons' newcomer grasps his Opportunity

Thu 15th Aug 2019, 17:32

Last Opportunity (right) and Colin Keane race clear at Leopardstown.Last Opportunity (right) and Colin Keane race clear at Leopardstown.
© Photo Healy Racing

Ger Lyons continued his good run of form by taking the opener at Leopardstown, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction 2-y-o maiden with the debutante Last Opportunity (7/1).

The winner, a son of Dandy Man who cost 40,000 Euros as a yearling, had plenty to do turning for home in this 6f contest, but came with a withering run down the outside under Colin Keane to lead half a furlong from home and stretch clear to score by five and a half lengths. Camachita (7/2 fav) was second and Danielle’s Diamond (6/1) took third place.

The winning trainer Ger Lyons remarked: "That's grand. He was green and today's race was about qualifying him, giving him experience and hopefully winning on route to the sales race on Champions Weekend.

“He has breezed but that's the first time I have galloped him on grass. He has a great temperament.

“The negative is that we've won with a few Dandy Mans first time and they haven't done much after that but the positive is that he's a nice horse and has a great temperament.

“He's been trained with the sales race in mind and that's the next target.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

1st
7/1
Tote €8.80 €2.90
2nd
5.5L
7/2Fav
€1.60
3rd
0.5L
6/1
€1.80
4th
0.5L
10/1
About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.