Brilliant unbeaten three-year-old Siskin, who, like the Sandown Stud based champion Pathfork, is descended in female line from the the great mare Best In Show, made it five wins from as many starts when running out an impressive winner of Friday’s G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Successful trainer Ger Lyons was claiming a first Classic success with the Khalid Abdullah-owned son of First Defence, who won all four starts as a two-year-old before being withdrawn at the start in the Middle Park Stakes, while for winning jockey Colin Keane it was a second top-class victory following last season’s Phoenix Stakes on the same horse. Siskin was pinned down on the inside rail for much of the mile and had to wait for a split as Lope Y Fernandez unleashed a strong-looking challenge down the wide outside.
But the response was tremendous when the market leader got into full flight and after a bright burst of speed the race was effectively over. Siskin powered home and at the line had a length and a quarter in hand over the fast-finishing runner-up, who was immediately cut to 12/1 from 20/1 by Betfair for the Investec Derby.

Winner of the G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at two, the four time stakes winning Siskin will now be aimed at the G1 Sussex Stakes.

His G1 winning relative Pathfork has been in fine fettle this week, with his most recent winners including the record breaking Mr Flood and Friday’s WSB East Cape Poly Challenge Fairview 1400 heroine Madame Speaker.