Lake Victoria produced a stunning performance to defeat her higher-rated stablemate, Bedtime Story, in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at Curragh.
Bedtime Story, who had made a big impression with a nine-and-a-half-length victory in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, was the 4-5 favourite to maintain her unbeaten record. Despite her subsequent wins being more hard-fought, she was expected to continue her winning streak.
Ryan Moore, riding the daughter of Frankel and dual Nunthorpe winner Mecca’s Angel, attempted to lead from the front. However, she was running on empty as she entered the final furlong, with her rivals ready to challenge.
Lake Victoria, another Frankel filly out of Group One winner Quiet Reflection, had also shown promise. She had previously won at the Curragh and followed up with a victory in the Group Three Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket last month. This time, she finished strongly down the outside of the five-strong field, securing a comfortable win by a length and a quarter under Wayne Lordan.
British raider Simmering, trained by Ollie Sangster, took second place, just ahead of O’Brien’s third-string Exactly in third and Red Letter in fourth. Bedtime Story finished last of the five runners.
O’Brien commented, "Lake Victoria is a very good filly. She won here on her debut but was quite green and got to the front too early, although her pace carried her through. She also won impressively at Newmarket."
"We didn’t expect her to beat the other filly today. Ryan’s filly struggled after hitting the gates and couldn’t recover. Once that happens, it’s usually game over."
"We’ll take it easy with Lake Victoria, as she’s a bit like her sister in needing a gentle approach. We’re planning to help her settle better in future races."
O’Brien also praised Wayne Lordan, saying, "I’m delighted for Wayne. He’s a fantastic rider and has been putting in a lot of hard work, especially after his tough time following the Irish Derby. He truly deserves this success."
"There’s a chance Lake Victoria could run in the Cheveley Park Stakes. We entered her here with that possibility in mind. We took our time with her, letting her relax, and didn’t push her too hard."
"Wayne gave her an excellent ride. She’s fast and, although she’s by Frankel, she has the build of a sprinter."