Lady Iman lives up to reputation by completing hat-trick

Lady Iman maintained her unbeaten record and was made clear favourite for the Queen Mary and the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot following her ultimately cosy victory in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Blackbeard Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas.

The Ger Lyons-trained juvenile looked to face a stiff task on paper up against Aidan O’Brien’s Simply Astounding, a Wootton Bassett filly out of Minding who had been very impressive on her debut.

However, the odds-on favourite was one of the first beaten, with Colin Keane on Lady Iman setting sail after Green Sense inside the final furlong, another unbeaten filly.

While it did take a while for Lady Iman to get on top, she always looked like getting there and crossed the line with three-quarters of a length to spare.

She is now 4-1 favourite with Paddy Power for the Albany and the same price for the Queen Mary.

“She came to me with a reputation and she’s done everything easy,” said Lyons.

“Colin said she gets to the front and she idles, which is lovely. I asked the question where to now and Colin said ‘wherever you want’.

“We’ll sit down with Tony and Roger (O’Callaghan), it’s all about the sire and doing the right thing by the filly going forward.

“You don’t rule anything in or out. There are plenty of nice races here.

“People have to put guns to my head to get over there (Ascot). I’ll do whatever I’m asked to do by the owners but at this moment in time, we’ll sit back.

“She had Queen Mary written all over her but it’s not the be all and end all.”

When asked if she was still improving, he added: “You don’t know until they don’t. We’re right and wrong about horses week in and week out.

“She’s doing everything easy, so we’ll keep taking it and keep taking what I can at two.

“Who knows, she could be the next filly to win a Phoenix.”