Lake Victoria claims victory in Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh as Los Angeles takes Gold Cup

RTÉ News​

25-05-2025

Lake Victoria showed her true colours to glide to an impressive triumph in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
The 10-11 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien's filly was unbeaten at two when taking a trio of Group One events over distances ranging from six furlongs to a mile, including at the Breeders' Cup.
She returned at a mile in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, but connections were not far wrong when they said her preparation had been hurried and she was eventually sixth of 10 runners on the Rowley Mile.
That run clearly brought her along perfectly for the Irish equivalent, and after racing happily on the rail she accelerated away neatly when asked at the two-furlong pole and was a comfortable two-and-a-quarter-length winner from 50-1 shot California Dreamer.
Ryan Moore reacts after Lake Victoria's win in the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas
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Los Angeles showed class and courage to come out on top in a red-hot renewal of the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Aidan O'Brien's 9-4 favourite was ridden by Ryan Moore on his second start of the term, with his opening gambit a smart Mooresbridge Stakes success from White Birch.
The latter horse also lined up in a classy field for the Group One contest, but as Los Angeles threw down his challenge it was Owen Burrows' Anmaat who loomed up beside him having travelled sweetly into contention.
It looked like the Champion Stakes hero would prevail on his first run since Ascot in October, but former Irish Derby winner Los Angeles clearly had more to offer still and duly put his head down again to prevail by half a length.
Kalpana was third, with White Birch fourth after what was not the smoothest of passages for the talented grey.
Albert Einstein again showed a touch of genius when rising to the task in the GAIN Marble Hill Stakes.
O'Brien's Wootton Bassett colt struck on debut at Naas earlier in the month and was the 4-11 favourite to continue to boost the sizeable regard in which he is already held.
He was ridden patiently with plenty of cover in the early stages of the Group Three event, a position that left him needing to manoeuvre his way past the leaders to get a clear look at the winning post.
When he did so the victory was never in doubt, prevailing by three-quarters of a length from Power Blue to gain the status of 6-4 favourite for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot with Coral.
"He's very quick. We always thought he was really good, but since his first run he's got so quick," said O'Brien.
"Ryan said they felt like they were only hacking, I don't think you could go fast enough in front of him.
"Ryan taught him a lot. He waited and got him to relax the best he could and when he came out he said he took a minute to engage. He's a very fast horse.
"The lads said he was rated an eight as a yearling and that's as high as the rating goes.
"He's been very special in everything he's done. He's 540kg, that's a very big horse and he's only a two-year-old."
Porta Fortuna returned to action with her usual reliability to win the Lanwades Stud Stakes.
Donnacha O'Brien's filly has a superb CV and is a four-time Group winner who has been out of the top three only once in her career when unplaced in the Breeders' Cup Mile last November.
Under Ryan Moore the 5-4 favourite took to the track for the first time this season and showed all of her class was still intact with a resolute Group Two success from Paddy Twomey's One Look.
Balantina made her presence felt with a front-running success in the Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.
Also trained by O'Brien and ridden by Oisin Murphy, the juvenile daughter of Ten Sovereigns lined up as a 6-1 shot having finished fourth in a green run on her racecourse debut.
That experience clearly served her well this time, and having made all of the running she was a smart winner when crossing the line a length ahead of stablemate and 7-4 favourite Cape Sounion to introduce herself as a 12-1 chance with Coral for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.
"They are two nice fillies. At home Cape Sounion would probably work a little bit better, but I think Balantina keeps a bit for herself," said O'Brien.
"When they finish one-two you probably think you should have split them up, but it's nice that they ran well anyway."
Balantina had been a well-supported favourite first time out and O'Brien added: "It certainly wasn't my money anyway. She worked very nicely up the Curragh here one day and obviously someone saw her, which is why she probably went off favourite.
"I thought she'd run well without fancying her, but obviously she's learned plenty from that and she's taken a nice step forward today."
Of the chances of both fillies heading to Ascot, the trainer added: "I'd think with Cape Sounion we probably won't. The plan was to come here and then go to the Balanchine so we'll see, do we go back to a maiden now or do we stick to that plan?
"I'd say there is probably a good chance that Balantina could take her chance in the Albany."