Babouche aims to defend her unbeaten record in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes. Trainer Ger Lyons is confident, but faces tough competition from Lake Victoria and a strong French contingent.
BollywoodFever: Connections of the unbeaten filly Babouche are confident she will put up a strong defense of her perfect record in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday. The Kodiac filly, trained by Ger Lyons, has had a standout season, winning three races this summer, including a Group One victory against colts in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
Babouche’s dominant performance last month saw her easily beat Whistlejacket, who later won the Prix Morny and is now favored for the Middle Park Stakes. Despite tough competition, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon expressed confidence in Babouche’s chances: “She’s been rock solid… I wouldn’t swap her for anything else.”
Babouche will face stiff competition, notably from Lake Victoria, trained by Aidan O’Brien. Lake Victoria is coming off her own hat-trick of wins, including the Moyglare Stud Stakes. Though she has exclusively raced over seven furlongs, jockey Ryan Moore is confident the drop to six furlongs won’t be an issue. He acknowledged Babouche as the main rival, but expects Lake Victoria to handle the ground well.
The race also features strong French contenders like Daylight, who finished third in the Prix Morny, and Rayevka, an impressive winner at Chantilly. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has high hopes for Rayevka, though he expressed concerns about the soft ground at Newmarket.
With rain affecting the track conditions, Babouche’s team remains cautiously optimistic, unsure how she will perform on the softer surface. Mahon noted, “She will definitely run… we’ll all find out together whether she likes it or not.”
Other challengers include Celandine, trained by Ed Walker, who earned her spot with a victory in the Lowther Stakes at York, and Leovanni, a promising runner from Karl Burke’s stable.
The Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes is shaping up to be one of the hottest renewals in recent memory, with top-class fillies vying for Group One glory.
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