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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

Lyons has plans for Piri Wango

Thu 16th Aug 2012, 18:55

Piri Wango, left, collars Flic Flac at LeopardstownPiri Wango, left, collars Flic Flac at Leopardstown
© Photo Healy Racing

Three-year-old Piri Wango was too strong for his elders in the Saw Doctors Handicap over seven at Leopardstown.

It looked like Flic Flac had stolen a march on the field approaching the final furlong, but Emmet McNamara drove his mount alongside and they got the upper hand in the last 100 yards to win by half a length.

Piri Wango landed a bit of a touch as he was 9/2 in the morning, opened 7/2 at the track and went off 11/4 favourite.

He had run a noteworthy race at Newmarket in July in a 16-runner six furlong handicap finishing sixth, but crucially on soft ground. Most of his form though was on the all-weather surface.

Ger Lyons trained the winner and he said: “I came very close to pulling him out. Obviously he wants better ground. Seven furlongs around a bend is his optimum trip.

“He was rated 97 today so that will put him up high enough to get into Dubai. He’ll be a lovely horse at four and I’m really looking forward to taking him to Dubai.

“He holds entries in a number of Group 3s and that’s where we’ll be heading.”

Flic Flac took the runners-up berth at 12/1 while Fairy Wing completed the placings at 7/1 for Jessica Harrington and Fran Berry.

(on course reporting by Alan Magee)

1st
11/4Fav
Tote €3.90 €1.40
2nd
0.5L
12/1
€2.70
3rd
2.25L
7/1
€2.20
4th
2.5L
10/1
About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.