Lonhro's Lyre in Prelude Upset

Mark Smith - Saturday February 9

The two-year-old Lonhro filly Lyre came off a maiden win at Sale to give trainer Anthony Freedman both divisions of Blue Diamond Preludes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Following I Am Immortal's win in the colts and gelding division, the Godolphin-owned Lyre came from midfield to defeat the gallant pacesetter Vinicunca who came within a long-neck of giving I Am Invincible both divisions.

Advertisement

Godolphin's better fancied Athiri, also a daughter of Lonhro, was a neck back in third. (image Grant Courtney)


"This filly worked huge on Tuesday and she's improved out of sight since her win at Sale," Freedman's son and assistant trainer, Sam Freedman, told AAP.

"We were expecting her to run really well. She was well over the odds.

"She's hopefully going to line up in the Blue Diamond now and if they think the fillies are better (than the colts), she should be right there.

"Lyre has got great scope and once she gets to three she will be a nicer filly.

"She is still a bit green and learning about it all."

From one of Darley Stud's most successful families, Lyre is the second foal and first winner out of the Street Cry (IRE) mare Erato who was somewhat surprisingly culled by Godolphin at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Carry a colt by Helmet, Erato was knocked down to Australian Bloodstock for $120,000.

A sister to the multiple stakes-placed Memorial, Erato is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Impending (Lonhro) and the Group III winner Forget (Exceed And Excel) out of the Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas and Group 1 STC Queen of the Turf Stakes winner Mnemosyne (Encosta de Lago).

Erato was covered by I Am Invincible in 2017 and last year visited Russian Revolution.

Lyre becomes the 81st stakes-winner for Darley Stud's champion Lonhro.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
Five heats for juveniles at the Rosehill trials on Monday included  some eye-catching winners including Godolphin’s Lonhro colt Beyliks, who was placed in the Group III ATC Breeders Plate.
Winning Debut for Expensive Satono Aladdin
Promising colt Yamato Satona made an impressive start to his racing career at Arawa Park on Sunday, kicking off a winning treble for his trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott.
Antipodean (NZ) Excels in NZB Ready to Run Sale Championship
After a couple of unlucky runs in big races this season, Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn) turned his fortunes around at Selangor on Sunday with a deserved victory in the RM300,000 NZB Ready to Run Sale Championship (1400m). 
85th Stakes Winner for Lonhro
A bit of shrewd placing by the Godolphin team resulted in the 5-year-old Lonhro mare Soothing earning a valuable black-type win in Saturday’s Listed W H Wylie Hcp (1100m) at Morphettville.
Globe Half-Brother in 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale
NZB had more than one reason to celebrate the front-running triumph by Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) in the A$1m Group One Might And Power Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Promising Winner for Hello Youmzain – Full Sister NZB Ready to Run
Young Cambridge Stud based Hello Youmzain (Fr) added a new stakes -winner to his tally in France over the weekend with two year-old colt Dostoievsky winning the Listed Prix Saraca at Chantilly and on Monday produced a promising maiden winner at Kembla.
One to Watch – Scone
With the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas to be run  this Saturday at Caulfield it only seems fitting that we find a ‘One to Watch’ on Monday, whose dam and grand-dam both won the iconic race for fillies.
Twain wins G3 Sweynesse Stakes
It seemed as though it would be only a matter of time before Twain added a stakes victory to his name and the rising star did just that at Rotorua on Sunday, powering late to take out the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m).
Nicks That Click - Two Darley Champions Combine
A powerful nick between champion Darley sires Lonhro and Exceed and Excel produced it's tenth stakes-winner on Saturday.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
Interesting set of trials at Rosehill this morning with Golden Rose winner Beiwacht let loose to stretch his legs with a thoroughly impressive well held win, while there were two heats for the 2YO’s featuring a couple of expensive colts by Wootton Bassett (GB) and I Am Invincible.