La Tache Gets Off the Mark for Keane The Ger Lyons-trained La Tache (10/1) was the winner of the 1xBet Maiden for jockey Colin Keane. The two-year-old son of Mehmas travelled well throughout the contest and showed a good attitude to edge in front of the Andrew Slattery-trained Star Above Me to record victory by a neck. Speaking after the race, trainer Ger Lyons said: "He's slow out of the gates. Colin says he's never going to be any other way. That's who he is. We even bounced him, which I'd never do at home, since his last run. He's just so laid back. He's not a five-furlong horse. He's going to be a grand horse for Philip and Norma Richards. Another horse Keri has bought for them, so another sprinter to look forward to. It's just taken a while for the penny to drop with him. "I'm delighted with the filly (Southern Boulevard, third), she's after running a blinder. She ran away with Gary going to the start in Naas, so we put a different bit on her and we put earplugs in her. I'm gobsmacked to see that she did what she did and stayed going. She's going to develop into a nice horse, that filly." Quotes from John O'Riordan.
