Following on from earlier winners, My Laureate (Gary Carroll) and Frenetic (Colin Keane), Fight Zone brought up a treble for Ger Lyons with Sam Ewing up in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk Apprentice Nursery Handicap.

Supplementing a Naas maiden win from just over a fortnight ago, Fight Zone made a successful transition here to the polytrack, and he was well-backed to do so as well, going off the 11/10 market-leader.

Wendy O’Leary’s War Front colt soon led narrowly, and he was pressed halfway.

Ridden a furlong and a half out, Fight Zone kept on best under pressure in the final furlong to account for Kaluz and Lightning Boltz by half a length and a neck.

“It was fantastic for the horse and he got a great ride from Sam, he's a smart kid,” said Shane Lyons.

“We wanted him to go forward. He thought there was going to be a lot of pace with it being an apprentice race but he was very positive on him and was able to go his own pace in front and dictate. That's a fine art in itself but for a kid it's even better.

“Turning into the straight he went down the inner and made a bee-line for the winning post and that was the winning of it as they all had to come around him.

“This lad is in the October Sales and that's where he'll probably go now. He's got a lot of ability.

“We're having a lot of luck up here at the moment. We stayed away from the track for a while due to the going. They've resurfaced it and we're reaping the rewards now. It needed to be done and fair play to them they did it. We'll support it now.”

(GC & EM)