Lake Victoria maintained her flawless record with a dazzling triumph in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
Aidan O’Brien’s Frankel filly, who was dropping back to six furlongs after winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven earlier this month, was the 6-4 favourite for the Group One, and was ridden masterfully by Ryan Moore to lead the pack of runners on the inner rail in the opening stages.
The two groups combined halfway through the race and with two furlongs left to travel, Lake Victoria was clearly faring best of all.
Once Moore pressed the button, she strode into a clear lead in the final furlong and went on to prevail comfortably by three lengths from Daylight, with the previously unbeaten Babouche a disappointing fourth.
Lake Victoria powers to impressive Cheveley Park victory for Aidan O’Brien
Soft ground conditions a new challenge for Irish stars Babouche and Lake Victoria
Jockey Wesley Joyce hoping for biggest pay-day of his career at hugely lucrative Curragh programme
Racing’s fingers crossed that reputational gaffes don’t impact Government’s annual budget allocation
The winner is now 9-4 favourite (from 3-1) for the Fillies’ Mile with Paddy Power, should she run again this year. She is 7-4 favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas with the same firm.
O’Brien said: “She quickened very well. For a Frankel filly, she was very impressive over six furlongs.
“We always had this race in mind and before she won the Moyglare, the plan was to come back here, she’s always worked very quick.
“We wouldn’t normally do it that way round but we had it in our head before the Moyglare we were coming here. She’s obviously very quick.
“We wouldn’t be afraid of stepping up to a mile, that is what Ryan said. To come back here for the Fillies’ Mile, that’s what Ryan said. We’ll see what the lads want to do.
“We’ve got some good fillies this year, it’s unusual really. It’s very rare to do what she has done, and look more impressive. It was uncomplicated, she wasn’t dropped in, he gave her a lovely ride.
“She was very impressive when she won the Sweet Solera and Sean [Levey] was very impressed with her that day.
“She was always very classy, even when she ran first time. We’ll let her tell us if she’s going to run again. We did back her up quick, though, and it is a risk doing that.
“We have Dreamy in the Fillies’ Mile too, and it’s possible that she will run.”
Shadow Of Light made short work of his rivals to register a superb success in the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes.
The Charlie Appleby-trained son of Lope De Vega was second favourite in the betting behind O’Brien’s Whistlejacket on the back of two wins and a staying-on second in the Gimcrack at York.
Godolphin’s 11-4 chance was ridden by William Buick for the Group One and settled at the back of the field of six early on.
While others made the running, he was always well placed and two furlongs from home eased his way into the lead to then canter to a wide-margin victory, beating odds-on market leader Whistlejacket by four lengths.
Shadow Of Light was cut to 10-1 from 33-1 with Paddy Power for the 2,000 Guineas and is also 6-1 favourite for the Commonwealth Cup with Coral.
Appleby said: “I wouldn’t have said he was unlucky in the Gimcrack by any stretch but we all know it is a big step up to that level and he learned plenty from there.
“As a physical, he has maintained it, but mentally he jumped forward so much from that run and we came here quietly confident today.
“You could say ‘why did you have him in the Mill Reef last week and pull him out’, well we pulled him out because of the heavy ground and at the time I just thought we’d be confident coming here today with the favourite to beat, but last week we’d have been an absolute certainty on sensible ground.
“When the ground started drying out, we felt it suited us more than the favourite to be honest.”
He went on: “Aidan [O’Brien] has dominated this year but they’ve got strength in depth, as you would expect for an operation like that, but we’ve punched our weight.
“People might say we’ve been abroad a lot but that is only because I felt that is where I felt those horses would be competitive. I’ll go where I think I can win, I don’t want to go anywhere just to make up the numbers and please everyone else.
“I read the focus might be coming off the UK but of course it’s not, if I’ve got the horses to win here, I’d rather win here.
“It’s less travelling for me and the horses but if we have to go further afield to do a job, that is what we’ll do, but I’m pleased with the way we are finishing the season off.
“We’ve got some nice two-year-olds, which is what you want going into next year, and hopefully a few of the three-year-olds, like Ancient Wisdom and Arabian Crown, will be nice horses to campaign next year in England.”
O’Brien said of the beaten favourite: “He’s a very fast horse and Ryan just felt that he could have done with going a bit faster in the first half of the race, that’s what he felt.
“He’s very consistent and there’s a possibility we might look to take him to America now.”
