By Tom Frary
Ryan Moore will hardly have enjoyed a more straightforward Classic ride than on Frankel's Lake Victoria in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas, with the 2024 champion once again back at the forefront. Heavily-supported into 10-11 favouritism to build on her comeback sixth in the 1,000 Guineas three weeks ago, last year's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine was placed in the box seat early behind the 50-1 shot California Dreamer.
With that outsider firmly in his sights, it is fair to say that the only brief anxious moment for Moore came when needing to squeeze his mount out of the pocket to get after that leader two out. It only took a second or two for Hollie Doyle and Duty First to be brushed aside and the rider's Group-race four-timer was on a furlong from home.
Powering to the line as the long-time leader finally flagged, Lake Victoria provided Aidan O'Brien with his 11th renewal by 2 1/4 lengths as David Egan earned a gallant second for Mehmas's California Dreamer with his enterprising tactics. There was a further 1 3/4 lengths back to Australia's useful yardstick Cercene in third in a race where the closers failed to make an impact.
After steering Albert Einstein, Porta Fortuna and Los Angeles to success earlier on the card, Ryan Moore was almost guilty of ebullience after finishing off the notable accumulator. “She wasn't quite there at Newmarket, but she's a lot better than them and I'm glad to get her back on track,” he said. She quickened up very well and does everything beautifully. She'll be very hard for the fillies to handle–I don't think we've got to the bottom of her yet.”
LAKE VICTORIA wins the Irish 1000 Guineas! 🏆
What a day for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore! @curraghrace @Tattersalls_ie | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/OFv4quBXPC
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 25, 2025
With The Curragh providing freakishly perfect fast ground, Lake Victoria's time of 1:36.38 was expectedly fast if not quite in the realm of the stable's sub-1:36 past winners Hermosa and Misty for Me. That is due to the sectionals which Amo's California Dreamer was allowed up front, but the finishing figures only serve to confirm what we knew about the winner from as far back as her debut win over Red Letter here in June.
Aidan O'Brien had been at pains to state all spring that the 1,000 Guineas was Lake Victoria's launchpad and it seems that she was far from her prime there. “She went to Newmarket as if she was only getting ready for a racecourse gallop and Ryan looked after her, so she ran an incredible race in the circumstance,” he explained. “She was beaten only a length or two, Ryan looked after her and was over the moon with her. Everything went really well after and her work was out of this world really.”
“She has all the speed in the world, she travels and does everything,” he added. “We knew she was going to make a massive leap forward and she's a very exciting filly. She's one of those special ones,” he added. “She won a Group 1 over six, seven and then a mile as a two-year-old. She travelled the world, she travelled to America so she's very unique really.”
Lake Victoria is on target for Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation Stakes and a clash with the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Zarigana and co. “I think that the plan was that she would come here and go for the Coronation–Ryan says that's the right thing to do,” O'Brien confirmed. “Then whether she stays at a mile the lads will decide–she might never have to step up to a mile and a quarter.”
Pedigree Notes
Lake Victoria, who indirectly continued Juddmonte's stellar weekend by completing an afternoon Group 1 double for their resident monarch Frankel following the exploits of Candelari at ParisLongchamp, is the fourth foal out of the six-times Group-winning Showcasing mare Quiet Reflection. Successful at the highest level in the Commonwealth Cup and Haydock Sprint Cup, she was purchased for 2.1million gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Sale with her first three foals for Coolmore being by Galileo.
The first of those was the G2 Dante Stakes third Bluegrass, with Lake Victoria the first by Frankel out of the distant relative of Alysheba. Quiet Reflection's 2-year-old is named Druids Glen, while her third Frankel is a yearling colt.
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
TATTERSALLS IRISH 1000 GUINEAS-G1, €500,000, Curragh, 5-25, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:36.38, gd.
1–LAKE VICTORIA (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Quiet Reflection (GB) (MG1SW-Eng, GSW-Fr & Ire, $926,853), by Showcasing (GB)
2nd Dam: My Delirium (GB), by Haafhd (GB)
3rd Dam: Clare Hills (Ire), by Orpen
TDN Rising Star. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €290,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng & GISW-US, 7-6-0-0, $1,382,909. *1/2 to Bluegrass (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–California Dreamer (GB), 128, f, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Penelopa (GB), by Giant's Causeway. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (130,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Ickworth Stud; T-Adrian Murray. €100,000.
3–Cercene (Ire), 128, f, 3, Australia (GB)–Tschierschen (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (€50,000 Ylg '23 TATIRY). O-Shane R Stafford; B-China Horse Club International Ltd; T-Joseph Murphy. €50,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 0.91, 50.00, 20.00.
Also Ran: Duty First (GB), City Of Memphis (Ire), Flight (GB), Atsila (Ire), January (Ire), Swelter (GB), Jaliyah (Ire), Simmering (GB), Tamam Desert (Ire).
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