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Mark Nunan

Mark Nunan

Chiricahua appreciates drop in class

Fri 24th Jul 2020, 17:35

Chiricahua and Colin Keane win the Metcollect Maiden Chiricahua and Colin Keane win the Metcollect Maiden
© Photo Healy Racing

There was a nice S.P. of 4/1 about morning favourite Chiricahua in the concluding Metcollect Maiden over the extended mile and a half.

The Camelot colt, last to finish in the Irish Derby, tracked the leaders and came through to head the front-running Silver Fox 15/8 fav after morning support) and beat that one by two and a quarter lengths.

The winner had been runner-up on both starts last term, behind subsequent Group 3 scorers Degraves and Nobel Prize.

Assistant to winning trainer Ger Lyons, his brother Shane Lyons said: "He's still immature, he's a baby and we asked him a massive ask to run him in the Derby, and it was unfair of us to do that on him with the year it was and without a run. In fairness to Colin (Keane) he looked after him (in the Derby).

"This is more like it - we'll take baby steps after today and climb up the ranks. He's a horse going forward that we will geld.

"Being by Camelot we will look forward to him as he's a big, gorgeous, handsome horse that can have a nice campaign next year.

"He can go on any ground to be fair. He travelled there and he has a touch of class hence why we ran him in the Derby. There are big races to be won with this lad over trips next year."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham

1st
4/1
Tote €4.30 €1.20
2nd
2.25L
15/8Fav
€1.10
3rd
0.75L
5/1
€1.60
4th
hd
50/1
About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.