Group 1 Plans for Retiring Lyre

Godolphin owned Group 1-winning mare Lyre (Lonhro-Erato, by Street Cry) will be aimed at three elite races before she retires to stud for the spring, reports racing.com. Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Lyre won the 2019 Gr1 Blue Diamond Stakes but hasn't won since then. She will run in this Saturday's Gr1 Robert Sangster Stakes. "She is probably heading into this race in better form than she was heading into it last year (where she was runner-up)," Sam Freedman said. "She has taken a couple of runs to get fit. She has run second a lot in her career and she tends to find one better, but I think she has been set to peak on Saturday. She's had improvement in her the whole way through and Luke Currie is sticking with her. I think she will really run a big race." The 4YO mare has run second in her last three starts, and a record of three wins and nine placings from 21 starts with earnings over $1.7 million. "I think we'll skip The Goodwood this year and we'll probably go the Sangster and then get her up to Queensland for the Stradbroke and the Tiara. The older she is getting, she is probably looking for that 1400 metres," Freedman said. "This will be her last campaign before she heads off to the breeding barn, so hopefully her next three runs are likely to be in Group 1s and she is in peak fitness and she's in really good form, so hopefully she can pick up one or two of them."

Lyre will be retired ahead of the breeding season (pic: Mark Gatt)