Lady Iman makes light work of Molecomb task

Ger Lyons has his sights on America – and possibly York before that – after Lady Iman made a successful Goodwood raid to regain the winning thread in the HKJC World Pool Molecomb Stakes.

The daughter of Starman had dazzled in her opening three outings but lost her unbeaten record to Aidan O’Brien’s Beautify at the Curragh in the Airlie Stud Stakes.

Reverting to five furlongs for her first taste of action on British soil, she was sent off the 11-8 favourite and Ryan Moore kept things simple, travelling smoothly in the slipstream of the early leaders before taking over in the final furlong where she was not for catching.

Tim Easterby’s consistent Argentine Tango gave chase in vain for an honourable second, with Kevin Ryan’s early pacesetter Dickensian in third.

Lyons said: “Sweet this, because I love the filly. I ran her over six and my jockey kept telling me she should be going five.

“But as Ryan just said if she gets a low draw at Del Mar she wins, but then he also said we should head for the Nunthorpe. If that’s what he says and it’s what the owners want to do then we will.

“I got such a buzz out of Del Mar last year that I’d like to be going back with something special and if I’m allowed that’s where I’ll go with her.”