Funk To Roar For Lyons At Navan

Apart from Pat Smullen no jockey has started this season better than Colin Keane but after two trebles in as many days, nobody will be riding at Navan with more confidence than Ger Lyons’ stable jockey this afternoon and he could well have the ammunition to keep that run going.

Get Funky With Lyons
Psychedelic Funk was a debut winner for Ger Lyons last season when impressing in a Naas maiden at the end of April. That was after he was a non runner due to the change in ground at the Curragh earlier that month. That Curragh outing was a five-furlong race and this Coolmore Stud Power Stakes is the first time since he has been declared over that trip.

However, Lyons has proven for many seasons now that he is one of our finest trainers in Ireland and the fact that he has decided to start the son of Choisir off over the minimum trip is no concern for this corner.

The horse kept some very good company last season and although beaten at Royal Ascot and back at the Curragh a couple of times, he was certainly never disgraced and this could be a nice start to his campaign.

The uncertainty over the trip is probably one of the reasons that Psychedelic Funk is a 5/1 shot, but there can be no doubts that he does have ability…

he will like the ground and the trainer/jockey combination are in super form so he ticks a lot of boxes.

Chocolat For A King
Johnny Murtagh was among the winners at Limerick yesterday, helping Colin Keane instigate his treble, and having won Saturday’s opener on Sunday he could be celebrating after the finale.

Chocolat Noir will have her second run of the campaign in the concluding 1m5f handicap and that step up in trip for the four-year-old after a decent effort at Leopardstown three weeks ago, should help her open her account at the first time of asking.

The filly had run well in three maidens without troubling the judge and now has the experience of a handicap under her belt after that Leopardstown effort when she ran well to stay on late without ever looking like winning.

The hat-trick seeking Tommy Welsh is the obvious threat to the selection and it’ll be interesting to see how some of the horses reverting from jumps action fare out, but…

Chocolat Noir might prove to have a couple of pounds in hand of the handicapper and can hopefully produce evidence of that here.

Recommended Bets:
Psychedelic Funk (5/1) – 3.20 Navan
Chocolat Noir (8/1) – 5.25 Navan

*Prices correct at time of publication.