Trainer James Lyons is confident Drenalin can add the Listed Eye Liner Stakes to his trophy cabinet at Ipswich on Saturday.
Drenalin, a Brad Stewart mount in the 1350m feature, claimed his first black-type race in last year’s Listed Prime Minister’s Cup at the Gold Coast and will be out to improve on his fifth to Adnocon in the 2010 Eye Liner.
Lyons, who bred Drenalin and originally sent him to Gerald Ryan in Sydney, is a real estate salesman and has only a two-horse team in work at Deagon on Brisbane’s northern outskirts.
A nephew of former champion jockey Peter Cook, Lyons has a strong background with racehorses.
Before joining a real estate franchise five years ago, Lyons worked for a number of top interstate stables and a stud.
He started training when he was 21 and had a stable of 20 horses in work before taking a break.
Lyons also worked for 18 months as a pre-trainer for Vinery Stud in Victoria and was an assistant trainer to John Sadler when the pair was with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
However, when Sadler had a fallout with the sheikh, they were offered jobs with Lloyd Williams for two years before Lyons eventually returned home to Queensland.
Despite his success in business, Lyons’ dream has always been to become a top trainer.
Lyons was far from disappointed with Drenalin’s comeback when the five-year-old finished seventh, less than a length behind the winner Gundy Son in the Listed Chief De Beers (1110m) at Doomben on May 28.
“It was the best seventh I’ve ever seen,” Lyons said.
“He was very unlucky not to win. He was in a good spot early and started to charge up from the 600 metres.
“But he had to change course about three times in the last 300 metres which cost him the race.
“He’s a big horse and weighs 508 kilos and he needs to get rolling in his races.
“He has a huge stride and likes to lope along but when he decided to get running last start he had nowhere to go.”
Lyons blames himself for Drenalin’s defeat in the Eye Liner last year.
“It was his seventh run that campaign and he should have been in the paddock two runs earlier after he ran third to Beaded in the (Group Three) BRC Sprint,” he said.
Lyons plans to target the Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at Caloundra on July 2 with Drenalin before stepping him up in distance for the first time over 1600 metres.
“When I took him to Melbourne last spring Glen Boss rode him and he told me then he was crying out for a mile (1600m),” he said.
Lyons hopes to be back in Melbourne this spring with Drenalin.
AAP TURF
