By Tom Frary
Most were expecting that Aidan O'Brien would be welcoming back a 10th winner of The Curragh's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes on Sunday and that it would be an unbeaten daughter of Frankel (GB), but few would have predicted that it would be Lake Victoria (Ire) and not Bedtime Story (Ire). Like her deservedly much-vaunted stablemate, Lake Victoria held TDN Rising Star status heading into this seven-furlong test having beaten the re-opposing Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on debut over this course and distance in June and gone to Newmarket to follow up in the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes.
Anchored in last early by Wayne Lordan, the daughter of the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and G1 Commonwealth Cup heroine Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) benefitted from the overly-fast pace carved out by the yard's number one. Bedtime Story was going to have to be every bit as good as she had looked at Royal Ascot to maintain the stern gallop she set, but by the time the 4-5 favourite had reached the furlong pole it was starting to look ominous.
With all four others striving to the line as that market-leader caved in, it was the 11-2 shot Lake Victoria who came over the top 100 yards out and prevail by 1 1/4 lengths from Al Shaqab Racing's G2 Prix du Calvados winner Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). The other Ballydoyle trainee Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was another short head back in third as Bedtime Story wound up a tired last of the quintet in this 'Win and You're In' GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf qualifer.
Aidan O'Brien was not completely surprised by the outcome. “When she won here the first day, she got to the front and was very green and she won very impressively at Newmarket, so she's a very classy filly,” he said. “It's a possibility she could go to the Cheveley Park. We ran her here with the thought in our head that she could be a Cheveley Park filly–that was the plan. We wanted to take our time on her, let her relax and not give her a tough race and Wayne gave her a brilliant ride. She's fast, she's by Frankel but she's made like a sprinter.”
Turning his attention to Bedtime Story, he added, “Ryan's filly hit the gates and he just couldn't get her back. That was it, but she'll be grand. It's always a worry, after what she did in Ascot, that that could happen and we took her very gentle the next twice, afraid that it could happen but it still did. We'll go round the way and work another way to get her to go to sleep again. Wayne actually rides her out all the time, so he will do that.”
Pedigree Notes
Lake Victoria's aforementioned dam Quiet Reflection, who also captured the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes and G3 Cornwallis Stakes, produced as her first foal the stable's G2 Dante Stakes-placed Bluegrass (Ire) by Frankel's sire Galileo (Ire). A granddaughter of the Listed Hilary Needler Trophy winner Clare Hills (Ire) (Orpen) from the family of Fear And Greed (Ire) (Brief Truce) who was second in this and the Kentucky Derby hero and leading sire Alysheba, her yearling and foal are full-brothers to Lake Victoria.
Perfect record INTACT 🟦🟧
Lake Victoria is now 3-3 after powering down the outside to land the @MoyglareStud Stakes.
Stablemate Bedtime Story dropped away late on and has lost her unbeaten record.@curraghrace | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/kbIBtiT19v
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 15, 2024
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE STUD STAKES-G1, €400,000, Curragh, 9-15, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:23.73, gd.
1–LAKE VICTORIA (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Quiet Reflection (GB) (MG1SW-Eng, GSW-Fr, GSW-Ire, $926,853), by Showcasing (GB)
2nd Dam: My Delirium (GB), by Haafhd (GB)
3rd Dam: Clare Hills (Ire), by Orpen
TDN Rising Star. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. €240,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 3-3-0-0, $315,993. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Simmering (GB), 128, f, 2, Too Darn Hot (GB)–Cashla Bay (GB), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (70,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Lofts Hall Stud (GB); T-Ollie Sangster. €80,000.
3–Exactly (Ire), 128, f, 2, Frankel (GB)–Heartache (GB), by Kyllachy (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €40,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, SHD, HD. Odds: 5.50, 8.50, 20.00.
Also Ran: Red Letter (GB), Bedtime Story (Ire).
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