Lavery (horse)

Lavery made his debut in a maiden race over six furlongs on 12 July at the Curragh in which he was ridden by Christy Roche. Starting at odds of 5/1 he finished sixth of the eleven runners behind the John Oxx-trained filly Takariya. Thirteen days later he was withdrawn at the start of another maiden over five furlongs at the same track after panicking and attempting to break out of the starting stalls. Despite never having won a race the colt was then stepped up to Group 1 class for the Phoenix Stakes at Leopardstown Racecourse on 9 August and started at odds of 14/1. The Prix Robert Papin winner Black Amber started joint-favourite alongside Pharmacist (Rochestown Stakes), just ahead of the Marble Hill Stakes winner Access All Areas. Ridden by Walter Swinburn tracked the leaders before taking the lead just inside the final furlong and won in "impressive" style by one and a half lengths from Access All Areas.[6] After the race Swinburn said "Lavery is a fine, big colt who travelled all the way for me, I gave him one smack and he accelerated well" whilst Aidan O'Brien commented "Lavery has plenty of potential and is engaged in all the major juvenile events around Europe. He got a fright in the stalls at the Curragh, but he had always shown loads of class at home. He has a high cruising speed so I told Walter to take it handy early on. The sky is the limit for this horse".[7]

In the following month Lavery was sent to England and started 9/4 favourite for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse. Ridden by Mick Kinane he never looked likely to win and came home fifth of the nine runners behind Auction House.

On 8 May Lavery made his first appearance as a three-year-old at Goodwood Racecourse in the inaugural Shergar Cup, a series of races which pitted European-owned horses against a team representing Middle-Eastern owners. Competing for the European side in the Sprint race, the colt was ridden by Kinane and started at odds of 5/1 in a ten-runner field. After tracking the leaders he went to the front inside the final furlong and drew away to win by two and a half lengths from the Flying Childers Stakes winner Sheer Viking with Pipalong in fourth.[8] Eight days later the colt was sent to France for the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse and finished tenth after fading badly in the closing stages.

Lavery then returned to sprinting and was scheduled to compete in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot but was withdrawn at the start. He returned to action in the July Cup at Newmarket Racecourse on 8 July. Ridden by Willie Supple he started a 20/1 outsider and finished unplaced in a race won by his stablemate Stravinsky.[9]