Siskin team hoping they have a champion on their hands after Railway romp

Colin Keane has labelled Siskin the best two-year-old he has ever sat on and is eyeing Group 1 glory with a colt whose impressive Railway Stakes romp earned a Racing Post Rating 5lb higher than any other juvenile this season.

Siskin was sent off at 4-6 at the Curragh on Saturday on the back of two promising wins and he stretched his unbeaten run to three with a two-and-a-half-length success over Monarch Of Egypt, putting in a performance which had the assessors purring and raised hopes Juddmonte – who are preparing to unleash dual Arc winner Enable this weekend – have discovered another top-notch talent.

"I'd say he's the best two-year-old I have ever ridden," said Keane.

"He's very easy to ride. He's so relaxed and has such a great mind. Before the race he was walking around the parade ring with his head between his legs and he's like that every day at home. He's so laid-back and has such a great mentality."

Siskin: quickened nicely to win the Railway Stakes at the CurraghCredit: Caroline Norris

Echoing Keane's sentiments, Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to the colt's owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, also paid tribute to Siskin's bombproof demeanour on Sunday as he reflected on a monster performance.

"I think the most important thing about him is that he seems to have a great mind and takes everything very sensibly," said Grimthorpe.

"He walked around the paddock calmly with the big crowd yesterday, then went down and lobbed around the start. He pinged the stalls but then settled and was racing on a good keel and you don't always see that in young horses. He pretty much had good control of the race as it developed.

"Ger [Lyons, trainer] and Colin were both very confident in the horse beforehand and Ger told Colin he was on the best horse and to ride him like that and it was good that it worked out."

A son of First Defence, Siskin is a top-price 14-1 for next season's Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Grimthorpe believes the chances of him getting a mile next season are good.

Grimthorpe: 'He has a good bit more to do yet but he's shown the right signs and seems to be going the right way physically and mentally'Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

He added: "His mother won at seven furlongs and is by Oasis Dream so it's not an absolute gimmie, but in the rest of the pedigree there's enough stamina to say he would.

"Colin thinks we could go five, six or seven with him now and I think that shows the calibre of the horse."

Asked if he hoped Juddmonte had unearthed the next champion, Grimthorpe added: "We always hope that. He has a good bit more to do yet but he's shown the right signs and seems to be going the right way physically and mentally. He has plenty of talent."

Keane recalls the first time he sat on Siskin at Lyons's yard with fondness.

He said: "It was early in the spring and I remember saying to the head lad in Ger's that this lad goes all right. Even at that early stage he caught my eye. Everything was so easy for him that day and it's been that way ever since. Every piece of work he does is effortless."

Keane now has his eyes firmly fixed on giving his boss a first Group 1 in Ireland as Siskin has been handed the Phoenix Stakes as his next assignment.

"It would be brilliant to get that Group 1, it would mean a lot. I didn't realise how well he quickened at the time and it was only when I watched the video back that I got to see how he took off. I absolutely love him. It will be interesting to see what happens if he meets Pinatubo and Monarch Of Egypt again, but I wouldn't swap him for any other juvenile, that's for sure."

Ger Lyons: enjoying life training for Khalid AbdullahCredit: Patrick McCann

Siskin is one of "around a dozen" horses trained by Lyons for the Juddmonte team, having joined the owner's roster of trainers only two years ago.

"I think Prince Khalid was keen to have another trainer in Ireland and younger trainers across [Europe]," said Grimthorpe of the burgeoning relationship.

"Obviously Ralph Becket and Hugo Palmer came on board and Henri-Francois Devin in France, and we looked at Ger and Prince Khalid was very happy with what he'd seen and we took it another step.

"Like a lot of trainers, Ger's family are involved and from that point of view it's exciting to see. Ger was delighted for Prince Khalid. He's only been training for us for two years now and it's nice to have a good horse from that point of view. Prince Khalid is obviously delighted."

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