Ger Lyons warns Siskin needs to improve to justify favouritism in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday week.
The brilliant son of First Defence stretched his unbeaten record to five with a clear-cut success in the Irish 2000 Guineas on his return but faces a stellar line-up in Sussex.
“Listening to forums, and I shouldn’t do really, the Irish Guineas form has been ripped apart by the experts and on form figures we have to improve, it’s as simple as that. I think he has but we won’t know until he runs on the day but he has to improve again to even get close to some of these horses," Lyons reasoned.
“The only one missing is Pinatubo and it’s going to be a tough contest, but Siskin has done everything I’ve asked of him to this moment but he’s going to know about it next Wednesday.
“Physically he’s improving, you can see he’s getting stronger, but he was straight for the Guineas. I had him ready – he was as ready as he was going to be and he needed a bit of a break afterwards, he knew he’d had a race.
“He’s working well at home but does need to improve to beat these guys, only when we run him will we find out if he’s made enough improvement to do so.
"Touch wood he’s good at the moment and in great form. He’ll work on Wednesday morning and have a light piece on Saturday then it’s all systems go."
Of the rivals he'll face at Goodwood it was the last to throw his hat into the ring, Betfred Summer Mile winner Mohaather, who concerns Lyons most.
“The opposition is scary to say the least. The one that stands out to me is Mohaather. I was very impressed with him at Ascot the last day.
“You’ve obviously got be afraid of Aidan’s Circus Maximus. He ran there last year as a three-year-old and was second to Too Darn Hot. You’ve then got Kameko coming back from the Derby and he won the English Guineas well.
“It’s brilliant – these are the races you need to be in – all of these top grade races. The little thing that’s niggly is that Colin (Keane) has to self isolate when we come home. It would be lovely if a little common sense could be used and we do a test when we arrive back and stand down for a day or two before the results come back and then get on with your livelihood.
“Unfortunately that’s not the way it is but the world is in a crazy place at the moment and it’s fantastic that we can actually go there and run in the race and that our industry in general, whether that be in England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, is carrying on racing. None of use can afford for it to stop any more and I know in our jurisdiction we are pulling out all the stops to keep the show on the road – it’s so important."
Frankie Dettori was on stand-by to partner Siskin had Keane decided to stay in Ireland. Sitting out 14-days means the reigning champion jockey is going to miss out on winners - so how hard a decision was it to reach?
“You’ll take the championships when they come along but the big races are most important. We did have to think about it but that was me more than Colin. I have a lot more horses to run and I was looking at what he’d be missing next week and the week after while he was standing down.
“I’m losing his services for other horses but I have Gary Carroll here and he’s a super jockey and a big part of our team. Going forward it might be the best thing we’ve done.
“It will take Colin’s mind off the championship and let him concentrate on riding winners and getting on with life. We’ll worry about the championship if it appears again but ultimately it’s about being blessed to have a Siskin, blessed to have an Even So, horses like Frenetic too.
“Wherever they take us we have to go. It has taken us so long to get these sort of horses and we can’t take them for granted.”
So what of the tactics in the Sussex Stakes?
“Colin will do what he does. He’ll ride him as he bounces and keep it simple. He’ll ride him wherever he’s happy and the horse has a turn of foot, it’s just how the race plays out. Siskin is straightforward and gets the mile. We’ll keep it simple, hopefully follow the right horses and hope we're good enough to be in front on the line," Lyons added.
The trainer himself will be paying a first visit to Goodwood next week, a track where he's only had a scattering of runners before.
"It’s a beautiful racecourse on television but I've never been before. We ran well in a Stewards’ Cup with That’s Hot and ran Brendan Brackan back quick in the Befred Mile after he'd won at Galway before but I never went.
“I’ll go next week. It’s a great horse race and I think it was David Redvers who said 'we need to see who the best is'. He's right. Isn’t that what horse racing is about?
Frenetic jockey search for Nunthorpe bid
Ger Lyons is eager to test juvenile filly Frenetic against older horses in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, as long as he can find a jockey who can make a feather weight at York.
Under the conditions of the race, two-year-old fillies are scheduled to carry 7st 12lb, although that rises by 2lb to 8st should such a runner be declared as that is the minimum riding weight in Britain.
That leaves Lyons seeking a rider capable of making that mark for his charge, who blazed a trail on her first two starts over five furlongs before falling just a head short when upped to six furlongs in a Curragh Group Two on Sunday.
"It wouldn't be my style running a two-year-old against their elders, but she's all speed - even though I think she gets six well," said Lyons.
"If you watch the race, it's the first time she's ever seen another horse. She saw off the Ballydoyle horse and Chris (Hayes on Aloha Star) attacked her late and by the time she looked she was coming back at the line.
"I think she's very fast, but the problem we could have is a jockey as she'll have a very low weight. I asked Chris, who jumped at the chance, but I think it's even too light for him."
Lyric Fantasy famously took advantage of the hefty weight allowances against older horses to triumph in 1992, while Kingsgate Native was the last juvenile to lift the Group One prize in 2007.
As well as Frenetic, other top two-year-olds in line for the York showpiece include The Lir Jet and Golden Pal, who finished first and second respectively in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
