County Meath-based trainer Ger Lyons is enjoying a fine run this season from his Glenburnie Stables in Kiltale, and the improving Tennessee Wildcat is a prime example. He returned to Lyons after a spell in Britain, and the gelding once considered to be a sprinter enjoyed a productive winter campaign on the all weather at Dundalk.

“He’s a real character of a horse and basically I was running him over the wrong trip,” admits a wry Lyons. “We decided to step him up to a mile and he hasn’t looked back since.” The five-year-old bay by Kheleyf had made a winning debut at Dundalk back in 2012, but his first and second wins since that time came at the track he seems to enjoy on 9th January and 6th February, and this year he has recorded three wins from four starts to date, culminating in the Listed Glencairn Stakes at Leopardstown.

“The secret to him is fast ground and a mile, and hopefully he keeps on progressing,” says Lyons. “He’s in a real good place right now and he’s a fun horse and we’re enjoying him.”

Tennessee Wildcat isn’t the only one currently ‘in a good place’ and Ger Lyons is in the top three in the trainers’ table while stable jockey Colin Keane is lying second in the jockeys’ table. Between them they have plenty of ammunition to finish there or closer come year-end.

Three-year-old Convergence has been keeping the best of company and has added a Listed and Group 3 to his CV this season, and Argentero is currently showing the way for the juveniles with a Listed victory among his two wins. Cape Wolfe has won his last two starts, and the filly Ainippe picked up the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes at the beginning of June. The tough and consistent three-year-old Sacrificial has only once finished out of the first three in nine starts and caught the eye in defeat at Royal Ascot “The blinkers did their thing and the Ascot draw bias beat him, he won his race in his group, and there’s still a premier handicap in him,” says Lyons of the Britannia Handicap third.

Article via Trainer Magazine