Babouche and Lake Victoria, the two undefeated Irish fillies who won the Group One title, are set to face a tough challenge at the upcoming Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes this Saturday. The event may serve not only as a testament to their class but also an examination of their endurance. A sudden influx of non-runners due to difficult ground conditions at Newmarket on Friday places the Irish champions in an unfamiliar situation.
A winning performance from Lake Victoria, the Moyglare Stakes victress, would mean a fifth Cheveley Park record for Aidan O’Brien. However, he is well aware of the strong competition presented by Babouche. Babouche, in fact, outpaced O’Brien’s later Prix Morny winning stallion, Whistlejacket, in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last month. Whistlejacket himself is the top choice to replicate his French victory in the Middle Park Stakes, which takes place shortly after the Cheveley Park.
High hopes are pinned on Wesley Joyce, the jockey, for a phenomenal payout at the tremendously rewarding Curragh programme. Babouche and Lake Victoria are also facing the challenge presented by the soft racing ground conditions.
Ger Lyons’ standout team of juvenile fillies this season is led by Babouche, who hasn’t made a mistake to this point. However, battling it out on soft ground will be a first for her. The French pair, which includes Rayevka – a recent maiden victor, and Daylight might have an advantage as they’ve experienced racing in cut ground. Daylight secured third place in the Morny after enduring an interrupted crucial run.
Whistlejacket sets the benchmark for the Middle Park, and the previous three Morny victors have managed to double their success at Newmarket, including O’Brien’s Blackbeard, who won in 2022.
Irish interest also lies in Michael O’Callaghan’s Richmond victor Black Forza, who had a poor start prior to his last performance at Kentucky Downs. The last Irish-based horse to win the Cambridgeshire was Tony Martin’s She’s Our Mare. Coeur D’or, a steadfast horse trained by Dermot Weld, was prevented from attempting to close the gap by the ground conditions.
Colin Keane, Babouche’s jockey, aims to claim another significant win on Emmet Mullins’s horse, This Songisforyou, who took the win at the Irish Champions Festival. Norwalk Havoc, trained by Jessica Harrington, will be ridden by Jim Crowley in the upcoming historic handicap.