But Alpine Heights further cemented his place atop Lyon's list of good horses with his Waikouaiti Cup win yesterday.
The Alexandra shearing contractor has now enjoyed 12 winner's cheques courtesy of the son of Spartacus, and yesterday's $15,625 winning stake took the 8yr-old's earnings past the $200,000 mark.
''I've raced a lot of horses over the years - I've won 110 or 115 races but this fellow has to be the best now,'' Lyon said shortly after the race.
''A couple of hundred thousand is hard to do down here. You get your weight quick in the South Island.''
Lyon believes an operation two years ago to clean out some loose bone chips has made all the difference with the John and Karen Parsons-trained stayer.
''He had chips removed a couple of years ago from his fetlocks,'' he said.
''He's probably sounder now than he has been. This is probably the best condition his body has been in.''
The Waikouaiti Cup was not necessarily a main target for Alpine Heights, other than it provided a good chance to get a run under the belt ahead of his defence of the group 3 Trentham Stakes in Wellington on January 17.
The gelding's preference for a firmer track also had a part to play in choosing Waikouaiti over other options.
''The Coast isn't really an option because he's not a wet-tracker. It'd be nice to go to the Nuggets and that but nine times out of 10 you strike it rough over there.
''John felt that while he's here [with his team at Waikouaiti] he'll have a nice run here. It's good to pick up this.''
The 3kg claim by apprentice jockey Gosen Jogoo brought Alpine Heights' handicap down to 58kg and Jogoo did the job in the saddle, too, beating home Red Ripper in a driving finish.
In a departure from recent years, Lyon will not have a runner at the Central Otago Racing Club meeting at Omakau tomorrow, with two young gallopers just running out of time to make it there.
However, the Parsons will campaign ''a couple of first-starters'' on the West Coast circuit for Lyon.
''We're hopeful with them. They've got ability, John says.''
One factor might be against Alpine Heights when he heads north to Trentham, after the first day of the Wellington Cup carnival last year was run on a rock-hard track - a scenario that racing officials will be keen to ensure does not happen again.
''They've still got to aim for that dead4, but we're not going to strike a good2 [or fast1] again and he beats anything on a good2.''
Jogoo's good day was soured slightly when he collected a two-day suspension for careless riding on Alpine Heights.
Jogoo, who admitted the charge, allowed Alpine Heights to shift in with 200m to go, forcing Ridley on to Karaka Jack and Recording. The suspension begins on Monday and he can ride again from January 11.
Parvesh Shaikh will also miss two days after the Judicial Control Authority released its decision from a hearing into race 7 at Kurow on Sunday.
Shaikh defended a charge of careless riding, but the JCA found that Shaikh allowed Coup Darci Be to shift out abruptly at the 500m, making contact with Ghostinthemachine.
His suspension starts on Sunday and he can ride from January 8.
