New star sprinter on the scene as My Mate Alfie completes hat-trick in Steels Stakes

The emergence of My Mate Alfie as a top-class sprinter continued apace as the three-year-old landed his third consecutive success in the Listed Steels Stakes.

The Ger Lyons-trained sprinter was arriving into the contest after notching two notable victories in the Bold Lad and Group 3 Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh last month and he showed no signs of slowing down when justifying 5-2 favouritism under Colin Keane.

The success was made even more impressive by the fact My Mate Alfie had to defy 5lb penalty, and he always looked as if he would comfortably hold off the late challenge of Thunderbear, who only came to within three-quarters of a length of the winner. Big Gossey was a further neck behind in third.

The gelding is now the winner of five of his 16 starts and more exotic targets could be on the horizon, with Lyons saying connections "could go touring" with the sprinter next season after his previous win.

My Mate Alfie's form was boosted in the following 6f handicap as it was won by the Bold Lad tenth Heavenly Power. 

The six-year-old is building an attractive CV of his own as this was his second decent handicap strike in his last three starts. This time he easily accounted for Moltophino and Apache Outlaw.

Ryan treble

With Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan in action at Newmarket, Gavin Ryan deputised to excellent effect aboard Coolmore's Galveston and Uncanny before completing a treble aboard Annemarie O'Brien's Whispersinthewind in the finale. 

Ryan's first success aboard Galveston in the mile maiden came for Aidan O'Brien, with Uncanny's edition of the mile maiden and Whisperinthewind's 7f fillies' maiden strike coming for his son Donnacha. 

Galveston, a son of Frankel, was a particularly apt winner after a fiery week of trade at Tattersalls for Book 1, as he fetched 2,000,000gns at the sale this time last year.

Speaking to Racing TV, Ryan said: “He’s a big strong colt and he was very good from the gates today. He’s travelled around plenty idle and green and raw, so he will come on from it.

“He’s had to do the donkey work the whole way and he was never headed. It’s a long way up the straight here and the ground has gone a bit testing for two-year-olds too. He was probably always looking for a little bit of company. My lad is tough and when something came to him he's gone on again.”

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