Pearl team consider options
Ger Lyons is in no rush to formulate future plans for Lightening Pearl following her defeat in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday.
Last Updated: 07/05/12 11:37am
Ger Lyons is in no rush to formulate future plans for Lightening Pearl following her defeat in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday.
Last year's Cheveley Park heroine was making her seasonal reappearance but having got worked up before the race, was ultimately well beaten into 13th place.
There was drama before the off as Gray Pearl got trapped under her stall and had to be put down, causing a lengthy delay before the start of the race and Lyons feels a number of factors contributed to his filly's below-par effort.
"She's fine this morning and the plan is for her to travel home this afternoon," said Lyons on Monday.
"It was just one of those days, unfortunately. It was a bit of a funny race as the first and last furlongs were slow and they were sprinting in the middle part of the race.
"The Godolphin fillies were last and second last, we had to stand behind the stalls for 25 minutes and it was just one of those races you have to put behind you and move on I think.
"She travelled away well behind the winner but then when she quickened, our filly quickened slightly but not enough.
Trip Dilemma
"I don't think we learnt a whole pile about the trip. The ground wasn't so bad that we would take her out, but it probably wasn't ideal and it was more than likely a combination of the ground and the trip.
"I also wasn't happy with her in the pre-parade ring as she was getting agitated, which isn't like her as last year she was so professional.
"She's in the Irish Guineas and the July Cup. There is a good sprint at York in the summer as well, so we have options.
"We'll just see how the filly is over the next couple of weeks. Sunday was disappointing, but that's racing.
"We still have our filly this morning and the connections of Gray Pearl unfortunately don't, so you have to put things in perspective."