Bluebloods Fight It Out In Sale Maiden

Mark Smith - Sunday January 20

Some Sale maiden this on a lazy Sunday– a Godolphin three-quarter sister to dual Group 1 winner Impending defeats a $1million Deep Impact filly out of a sister to Horse Of The Year Lankan Rupee.

A close-up fifth when making her debut at Flemington on New Year's Day, the 2yo Lonhro filly Lyre was confidently backed to turn the tables on the Deep Impact filly Enood who was second that day.

Trained by Anthony Freedman for Godolphin, Lyre was positioned one out and one back by Jye McNeill as Enood cut out the early running.

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Enood found it difficult to drop off a determined Trip (Good Journey) when Lyre swooped late to defeat Enood by three-quarters of a length with Trip the same distance back in third.


Stable representative Brad Taylor they will give consideration to a Blue Diamond campaign for the daughter of Lonhro.

"We'll see how she comes through this run. The (Blue Diamond) Preview is in three weeks so that's always an option," Taylor said.

"She looks like she needs every bit of the 1200m and even further in time. There's a lot of improvement to come and may be a prep away yet with perhaps a set of shades.

"I think this maiden will stack-up. Tony (McEvoy) has a good opinion of his (Enood) and the fillies look particularly strong this year.

"She took a bit of time to warm up but was really good through the line. When she hit the front she still wanted to wobble around a bit and there's plenty of improvement to come.

"It's great to have Godolphin back in the team and train winners for them."

Lyre is the first winner for the Street Cry (IRE) mare Erato who third-place finish at Hawkesbury was the best finish in five starts.

But she is a daughter of the wonderful racemare Mnemosyne whose six wins included the Group 1 MRC One Thousand Guineas and the Group 1 STC Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

Besides the Group 1 BRC Stradbroke Handicap and Group 1 BRC Kingsford Smith Cup winner Impending (Lonhro), Mnemosyne has produced the Group III Cameron Handicap winner Forget (Exceed And Excel), the Listed winner Epidemic (Lonhro) and the stakes-placed Memorial (Street Cry).

Consigned by Godolphin to the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when carrying a now yearling colt by Helmet, Erato was purchased by Australian Bloodstock for $120,000.

She was covered by Newgate Farm's handsome newcomer Russian Revolution last spring.

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