Lynam looking to strike while the iron is hot

SOLE POWER could attempt to follow up his shock 100 to 1 Nunthorpe Stakes victory in the Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp next month.

Eddie Lynam’s three-year-old has emerged in good shape from his Group One success on the Knavesmire and will try to secure his trainer a second top-flight prize on Arc day if ground conditions are suitable.

The Co Meath-based trainer has already stated that soft going would see Sole Power left off for the year before returning to action in 2011 but he is still keen to strike while the Group One iron is hot.

“He has come out of York very well and he is in great nick. We are looking forward to running in the Abbaye if we get the ground,” Lynam said yesterday.

Irish-trained horses enjoyed a successful stretch in France’s most prestigious sprint in the mid 1980s with Committed winning back-to-back Abbayes in 1984-85 and Polonia also scoring in 1987.

However, the only Irish winner since then has been Namid who struck for John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh 10 years ago.

Lynam also reported yesterday that his Group Two winner Duff will appear next in either the Concorde Stakes at Tipperary or the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.

Irish sprint talent will also be on show in Scotland this Saturday where David Marnane’s Partner will attempt to become the first winner of the prestigious Ayr Gold Cup trained in this country.

A winner at Naas and Tipperary this season, Partner will try to emulate his stable companion Dandy Boy who picked up another lucrative sprint handicap prize in Britain earlier this season by landing the Victoria Cup in a photo finish at Ascot.