Baby Zeus (near side) gets up to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Killarney under Colin Keane© Photo Healy Racing
The hot favourite Arthur’s Kingdom was run down late on in the opening two-year-old maiden at Killarney as Ger Lyons’ newcomer Baby Zeus got up on the line to score by a nose under Colin Keane. The Footstepsinthesand gelding got motoring inside the final furlong to collar the heavily supported Ballydoyle-trained market leader (backed from 1/3 into 2/9 on course).
Another of Aidan O’Brien’s runners, the debutant Emperor Of The Sun kept on into third spot a further four and three-quarter lengths away.
Assistant trainer Shane Lyons said afterwards:"It's an easy thing to say but we always liked him. He could have been entered at the Curragh at the weekend but we said we'd come down here for the nice ground and it is all to do with his head.
"He is very very immature and we never start one off wearing a hood but he is wearing a hood as it works on him. Colin and Martin, our head man at home, ride him the whole time and he is a handful but he has taken this race like a pro and this is what it's all about.
"We know he has an engine but is not cooked yet and isn't ready but in a month's time he'll be ready.
"Ours improve anyway and he'll improve for that but today was all about his head and he is bred to be a stayer.
"It's a big thrill for his owner Ray Grehan too as he owned the dam and owns (a sister) Lagostovegas. He is a Galway man who lives locally and it's great to have a horse for him and they're after getting some thrill out of this."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
