Babouche and Colin Keane head Cheveley Park Stakes market © Photo Healy Racing
Connections of the “rock solid” Babouche are confident she will put up a staunch defence of her unbeaten record in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Kodiac filly has carried the Juddmonte silks to a hat-trick of wins this summer for trainer Ger Lyons, making rapid progress from a Cork maiden win in June to a Group One victory against the colts in last month’s Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
On the latter occasion, she readily accounted for the subsequent Prix Morny winner and Saturday’s Middle Park favourite Whistlejacket and while not taking anything for granted, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon “wouldn’t swap” Babouche for any of her Rowley Mile rivals.
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“She’s in great form, she’s unbeaten so far this year. Ger is very happy with her and Colin (Keane) rode her on Thursday morning and thought she was in good form,” he said.
“She’s got a little bit heavier and a little bit stronger from her last race, which is good to see.
“I think it looks a very hot renewal with the Moyglare winner (Lake Victoria) in there, which is very unusual, and I think some of them French fillies look very good. She hasn’t let us down all year, so hopefully we can keep it up.
“Put it this way, I wouldn’t swap her for anything else. She’s been rock solid, she’s beaten the colts, the form has worked out in the Morny and she’s been a pillar of consistency all year.”
A total of 32 millimetres of rain fell at the track from Thursday into Friday, turning the ground heavy before it was later changed to soft. Connections will the dice, however.
Mahon added on Friday: “She will definitely run, whether she’ll go on it (testing ground), we won’t know until she does.
“We’ll all find out together whether she likes it or not, that’s the best way.
“We’re looking forward to seeing her again in a different challenge on a different track and it will be interesting to see how she fares out.”
The biggest threat to Babouche appears to be the Aidan O’Brien-trained Lake Victoria who is turned out just under a fortnight after completing a hat-trick of her own in the Moyglare.
The daughter of Frankel has been campaigned exclusively over seven furlongs thus far, but jockey Ryan Moore does not see the drop to six being a major issue.
He told Betfair: “I am looking forward to getting back on Lake Victoria, who I rode on debut at the Curragh over seven furlongs when beating a nice type in Red Letter, who has since franked the form.
© Photo Healy Racing
“She stepped up into Group Three company next time out in the Sweet Solera at Newmarket’s July course and handled the track well to see off Mountain Breeze, and last time out she kept her unbeaten run going when taking the Moyglare Stud Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend and that was a good race.
“She drops down to six furlongs here, which shouldn’t be a problem, and I am not fearing the slow ground will affect her either.
“Babouche is obviously our main danger, also being an unbeaten Group One winner, and it is set up to be a good match.”
There is a strong presence from France, with Patrice Cottier’s Prix Morny third Daylight joined by Francis-Henri Graffard’s impressive Chantilly scorer Rayevka who was supplemented on Monday.
“She’s in very good form, she’s very well and we are looking forward to running her,” said Graffard.
“It was the way she did it when she won last time and the way she has come out of the race, she’s come on a lot, so we are going to give it a go before she winters.
“Obviously it’s a big challenge, I just hope the ground will not be too heavy, as that is my main worry.
“She would be happy on good to soft, we don’t know how she will take to the track at Newmarket but that is the same for nearly all the fillies and we will find out.”
Ed Walker ’s Celandine earned her shot at top-level honours with a Group Two triumph in last month’s Lowther Stakes at York, while Leovanni looked the part in winning her first two starts for Karl Burke, but had to make do with minor honours in third behind Celandine on the Knavesmire.
Richard Brown, racing adviser to Leovanni’s owners Wathnan Racing, said: “She’s in great nick. It looks like one of the hottest Cheveley Parks we’ve seen for a very long time but she owes us nothing.
“She’s already won a Queen Mary (at Royal Ascot), so she’s going to line up and take her chance.
“There were a few things at York that probably didn’t go her way. James (Doyle) was keen to ride her with a view to getting her to stay but he felt afterwards that she saw the trip out well. We can probably ride her with a bit more confidence this time.
“It was hard carrying the penalty and she was beaten under two lengths with a 3lb penalty. She’s in very good nick and though it looks a phenomenally hot race, it is the obvious place for her.”
