It's All A Joke got the message

 "I don't want a yard full of 0-65 (handicap ratings) horses" trainer Ger Lyons told the Meath Chronicle this week  in an extensive interview ahead of the new flat season which officially has the white flag tomorrow at Naas.

Last night at Dundalk, a horse that was on the verge of slipping into that cetegory - It's All A Joke (66) - must have heard the remarks on social media and duly made sure that he would keep his place at Glenburnie by winning the Windsor Bar & Restaurant Handicap to get the trainer off the mark with his first runner of 2018.

Champion jockey Colin Keane was on board the Lyons-trained winner and had a head to spare at the line after making a late run.

Keane went on to complete a double when partnering Nulife to victory for Denis Hogan, but there were a number of other Meath winners at the Louth venue.

Trainer Tony Martin was on the mark with High Street Lady which was partnered by Ronan Whelan while the Pat Martin-trainded Lady Rosebud with Killian Leonard on board was also on the mark. Martin had trained the dam (Our Nana Rose) of Lady Rosebud to four wins in the past. 

A former Lyons horse, Silk Cravat, also won on a debut run last night for Kildare handler John Geoghegan edging out the Colin Keane-partnered Lily's Prince by half-a-length.

Tomorrow at Naas the serious action of the 2018 flat season gets underway and the big race is the Lincolnshire - Ger Lyons won it last year with Brendan Brackan and this year will have Tony The Gent flying the Glenburnie flag.