Transformed Lake Victoria routs her classic opposition in Irish 1,000 Guineas
If a week is a long time in politics then three weeks in the life of a thoroughbred can be transformational as Lake Victoria proved with her Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas success at the Curragh on Sunday.
Rarely can an outstanding champion juvenile have finished only sixth in a classic and left connections so pleased as Lake Victoria did after her effort behind Desert Flower in the Newmarket Guineas earlier this month.
Aidan O'Brien's
confidence that her first start of the season would bring on the filly massively was infectious enough to have her start a 10/11 favourite at the Curragh. Once again, the master trainer was proved correct.
Lake Victoria's only challenge through the race was securing enough daylight to get off the rail behind the pacesetting 50/1 outsider California Dreamer, and Ryan Moore managed that manoeuvre with the minimum of fuss.
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Once in daylight the race was in effect over and although California Dreamer held off the 20/1 Cercene for second, just like Saturday's 2000 Guineas success for Field Of Joy, this looked a classic case of the winner first and the rest nowhere.
It put the seal on a four-timer for Moore that comprised all four Group races on Sunday, including more top-flight success in a vintage Tattersalls Gold Cup for Los Angeles. That 9/4 favourite rallied to beat Anmaat and another pair of Group One winners.
Ryan Moore on Porta Fortuna wins The Lanwades Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
Porta Fortuna landed the Lanwades Stud Stakes while thoughts even turned to the 2026 classics after giant two-year-old Albert Einstein landed the Marble Hill.
If that colt – lauded by O'Brien as 'very special' – is all potential then Lake Victoria proved herself the real classic deal.
Unbeaten before Newmarket, and a Group One winner at three different distances in three different countries, the Frankel filly underlined the benefit of a first run of the season by scoring with total authority.
'She went to Newmarket getting ready for a racecourse gallop and was beaten only a length or two in the Guineas. She has all the speed in the world, she travels and does everything,' O'Brien said before nominating Royal Ascot's Coronation Stakes next.
It was the trainer's 11th win in the race and a fourth for Moore, who said: 'She done everything beautifully today. She's come on massively from Newmarket and she's really exciting.'
Earlier, Moore had to work harder to win on Los Angeles, but once again advertised his uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time.
Ryan Moore on Los Angeles wins The Tattersalls Gold Cup on Sunday, beating Jim Crowley on Anmaat. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
Last year's Irish Derby was one of the first 'under the pump', but swept to the front in a tactical affair and when Anmaat headed him inside the final furlong, Los Angeles reacted as if affronted.
There was just a half a length between them at the line, but the imposing O'Brien colt ultimately won with authority, although the fluctuating fortunes implicit in riding at the top level were advertised in behind.
Having won Saturday's classic on Field Of Joy with a perfectly judged spin, Colin Keane endured contrasting fortunes on White Birch, who missed out on third by a head.
Keane's decision to try to launch a challenge on the inner rather than go to the outside resulted in a frustrating passage for the grey, who ultimately never got a proper shot at repeating his 2024 success in the race.
Los Angeles, too, will be pointed to Royal Ascot and be kept to a mile-and-a-quarter in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes. A shot at the King George and then the Arc could come later.
Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien after winning The Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas with Lake Victoria at The Curragh on Sunday. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
'That was the best he has been today. He done everything beautifully and it was a proper horse race. There was no hiding place. The second is an older horse, but he is proven at the top level and he put it up to me, but my fella found plenty,' Moore said.
'He is a Camelot and they do tend to get better as they get older and you can see the size of this lad, there is still a bit more in him. I'd say the second horse probably went a neck up, but my lad was well on top again at the line.'
If Porta Fortuna is a diminutive star on course for the Queen Anne Stakes, then the 540kg Albert Einstein will dwarf his Royal Ascot opposition in the Coventry.
The colt had to get out of a pocket in the Marble Hill, but managed it and might even ultimately live up to his billing by O'Brien, who said his counterintuitive priority with the colt is to slow him down.
'The special ones are like that,' he said. 'All you're trying to do is get them to relax all the time.'
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
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Templegate's ‘overpriced' Oaks tip, 1-2-3 prediction and complete runner-by-runner guide to £570,000 Epsom Classic
TEMPLEGATE delivers his complete guide, tip and 1-2-3 prediction for the awesome Epsom Oaks below. Nine of the finest three-year-old fillies in the land go to post for the prestigious Group 1 run over 1m4f. 1 Desert Flower has been the long-time favourite for the Oaks on the back of her dominant 1,000 Guineas victory Credit: PA He goes through each of the runners, rates them out of five stars and delivers his big-race tip at the bottom. Aidan O'Brien has dominated the Classic trials - but one legendary jockey reckons this Back any horse you fancy by clicking their odds below and check out the The action will be live on ITV1 at 4pm Friday. Epsom Derby 2025 free bets: Best new sign up offers - HERE Templegate's Oaks runner-by-runner guide and ratings DESERT FLOWER 4 FLOWER in bloom. Charlie Appleby's filly has yet to taste defeat in five starts and kept that run going with a smooth success in the 1,000 Guineas on comeback. Most read in Horse Racing She was a brilliant juvenile and took the Group 1 Fillies' Mile by five lengths after the May Hill at Donny. There's little doubt she's the best filly in the race with stamina the only question mark. She wasn't stopping at Newmarket and isn't a keen sort so isn't likely to pull her chance away. At first glance, her breeding does seem to scream a mile and the softish ground may play to more of a stayer. Despite that her class will take her close under William Buick who is a big-race jockey. ELWATEEN 5 TEEN dream. We have only seen this daughter of Dubawi twice but she has created a big impression. She won at Kempton on debut in August before Saeed Bin Suroor put her away. Her next outing was a really promising fourth in the 1,000 Guineas where she was definitely doing her best work in the closing stages. She was a little green when the pace hotted up and she will have learned plenty before being supplemented for this test. Her dam stayed 1m2f strongly in soft ground so there's every chance she'll relish this trip. Saeed is something of a forgotten trainer these days but he's got two Oaks wins from his halcyon days so knows what it takes to win. GISELLE 3 ELLE of a filly. She only had two rivals to beat in the Lingfield Oaks Trial on comeback last month but did it by nine easy lengths. She handled the track so should be fine at Epsom too. She is one of the few in the field who has no stamina doubts and there's a lot more to come. She scored on dead ground as a juvenile and has a lively each-way chance for Aidan O'Brien. GO GO BOOTS 2 KICK off Boots. Considering Oisin Murphy is on board for the Gosdens, she is big price for all she has a bit to find on form. Her third in the Musidora at York last time was far from a disgrace. She looked very much a work in progress on the Knavesmire and ran around a bit in the closing stages. That's not what you want to see before tackling tricky Epsom and she looks more suited to the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot next month. MINNIE HAUK 3 HAUK has to fly. Ryan Moore's choice of the Aidan O'Brien trio crossed the line with plenty left when winning the Cheshire Oaks on comeback. She will definitely come on for that run and is guaranteed to see out the extra furlong here. Handling Chester often means Epsom will be fine too. On the negative side, she didn't beat a lot on the Roodee so will need to fine more form-wise although O'Brien runners often take a big step up for a run. QILIN QUEEN 2 QUEEN won't be crowned. She is progressing nicely for Ed Walker and battled all the way to win a Newbury Listed race last time. That was on the nod from Revoir who also lines up today. That was over 1m2f when she went from the front and just held on so stamina may be an issue. Either way, it's a fair leap to be winning a Classic on current form. REVOIR 3 REVVED up. The line came a stride too soon when she finished second to Qilin Queen at Newbury last time but Ralph Beckett's filly looks a hotter prospect. She came home strongly so should be suited by this step up in distance and has improvement to come after just two starts. In-form Beckett's fillies often come on significantly for a run and she's right in the each-way picture. WEMIGHTAKEDLONGWAY 2 WAY out. Add an extra star if the ground is riding genuinely soft as she relished testing conditions when winning a Navan Group 3 over 1m2f last time. That was a big improvement on her effort in the Ballysax on comeback where she looked a mile off Oaks standard. She has a fair bit to find on form so needs that downpour. WHIRL 4 GIVE it a Whirl. She may yet prove to be the best of the Aidan O'Brien runners after her easy Musidora win at York last time. That has been a useful pointer to the Oaks and she had lots of running left at the end of 1m2f so stamina shouldn't be an issue. She seems to handle any ground and looks capable of improvement under Wayne Lordan. Templegate's Oaks tip and 1-2-3 prediction SAEED Bin Suroor has got an El of a chance in the £570,000 Betfred Oaks. ELWATEEN (4.00 Epsom, nap) caught the eye with a staying-on fourth in the 1,000 Guineas and can blossom over this longer trip. She won't mind a bit of cut in the ground and can go close at decent odds under Jim Crowley. Desert Flower showed her class when winning the Guineas at Newmarket and will be hard to beat if lasting home — which isn't guaranteed on pedigree. Ryan Moore has chosen Minnie Hauk of the Aidan O'Brien trio but there isn't much between her, Giselle and Whirl who all have each-way chances. 1st Elwateen 2nd Desert Flower 3rd Whirl FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 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