Room To Roam signed off for the year with a hard fought victory in the opener at Dundalk this evening.

The 11/4 favourite just got the verdict by a short-head after fighting out the finish with Cape Of Eagles in the seven-furlong maiden.

The winner hadn’t been beaten far in any of his previous four outings and was making his first start since finishing fourth in a Galway nursery in late July.

“We were in the nursery tomorrow but I made the call to come here for the median auction race,” said Lyons.

“He wants every yard of a mile and that’s definitely a furlong too shy for him. We put the blinkers on to sharpen him up because of the trip and it’s after working out. Nine times out of ten it doesn’t work for us.

“We’ll put him away for the year. He wants a trip next year and is a mile-and-a-quarter horse.

“He’s not ground dependent and is a lovely honest horse. The Fast Company’s are like that - good honest horses.

“He had a good long break. He’s been there ready to run for ages but I gave other horses priority. I thought he’d get his turn and took a gamble on this.”