'Stable stalwart' Power Under Me strikes again at Listed level for Ger Lyons in Concorde Stakes

Not only have Ger Lyons' juvenile fillies been carrying a large flag for the Glenburnie trainer this season, but the old stalwarts have been doing their thing too, and the six-year-old mudlark Power Under Me recorded his seventh success when landing the Listed Coolmore Sioux Nation Concorde Stakes.

The son of Mehmas handsomely rewarded the trainer's decision to bypass the Navigation Stakes at Cork on Tuesday to come here instead with the ground looking likely to be that bit softer.

Colin Keane made his challenge on the centre to stands' side in a contest run at a good gallop and he wore his rivals down, getting to the front inside the final furlong and having enough in hand to hold off Fleur De Chine by a length and a quarter.

"We're chuffed with him and he's telling us he should never run on ground other than this," said the trainer's brother and assistant Shane.

"He's ground dependent and soft ground is what he wants. If that means he can only chance two races a year then so be it. He owes us nothing. He's been a great servant for Vincent and Geraldine Gaul and we're delighted for them.

"We had him in at Cork the other day. The ground was on the slow side of good but probably still too quick for him, and when we had this a few days later we were not going to chance it. The plan came together.

"He's one of the stalwarts of the yard, him and Mutasarref. The two of them have paddocks looking over at each other every morning. To be rocking up with this fellow and having a couple of Listed or Group 3 wins every year is not bad. The Knockaire Stakes at Leopardstown is probably the next race for him."

Extensio extends unbeaten record

After winning the Stayers Handicap at York in August, a handicap hurdle at Tipperary was not the most obvious next target for Extensio, but his trainer Pat O'Donnell has a nice knack of making a headscratcher look obvious once it pays off.

O'Donnell's stable star was making it 2-2 over hurdles after winning a Roscommon maiden hurdle last year, and in the hands of Brian Hayes his class shone through despite some quite ropey jumping at times, especially when in front over the last two hurdles.

The trainer said: "I was terrified! He had so little experience and top weight, but I had a super horseman on him. Brian rang me on Saturday looking to come down and school him. I said there was no need and we made a bit of a plan. He was the smallest horse in the field with the biggest weight, and by God he gave him a proper ride. Patient, patient, patient.

"He's going on his holidays in the morning. It will be nice to mix it with him next year. Maybe the Galway Hurdle might come into it. We can dream of those things anyway. It was a big call to run him here under top weight but unfortunately that's what the programme dictated. We couldn't run in those bigger hurdle races without having three runs, so we had to do this and it came off."

Mullins doubles up

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend dominated the Grade 3 races on the card. The novice hurdle cut up with a field of just four, and the opportunity was seized by Gaucher, while the conditions hurdle went to Daddy Long Legs, coming back to the sort of form he showed at Punchestown in April.

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