Lake Victoria poses for the camera at The Curragh. (Breandán Ó hUallacháin photo)
By Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Lake Victoria won the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh, Ireland.
The win was an 11th success in the first fillies’ classic of the season in Ireland for winning trainer Aidan O’Brien. Ridden by Ryan Moore, the filly is owned by the Coolmore partners.
Unbeaten last season as a juvenile, the daughter of Juddmonte Farms stallion, Frankel, won five races including Group or Grade 1s at three different distances.
The filly won the Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh, the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, England, and completed a successful first season racing by claiming the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf over a mile at Del Mar.
Her 2025 season began with the first defeat of her life in the Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month.
Prior to that defeat, her handler had warned that the filly was not fully fit and would improve for the race, and so it proved.
In the 2025 edition of the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, Lake Victoria sat on the rail behind the early race leaders, California Dreaming and Duty First, with Swelter and Simmering on her outside, in the 12-runner field.
As they passed the three-furlong marker, Ryan Moore and Lake Victoria looked as though they might not have room to come off the rail as Holly Doyle on Duty Free held their line.
On hitting the two-eights pole, Moore saw his opportunity as an opening appeared before him. The Frankel filly, Lake Victoria, was brave and immediately seized her opportunity, going for the break.
Once she saw daylight, only a few strides were required to draw level with the front-running California Dreaming.
It was then only hands and heels from Moore in the saddle as the three-year-old filly willingly put daylight between herself and the remainer of the field.
She crossed the winning line with two and a quarter-lengths in hand on the David Egan-ridden runner-up, California Dreaming, who outran her odds at 50/1, with Cercene claiming third place for trainer Joseph Murphy and jockey Gary Carroll.
The winning handler, Aidan O’Brien, was delighted with his filly’s performance, as he told the media post-race.
“(I am) over the moon,” O’Brien admitted. “Obviously, she went to Newmarket only getting ready for a racecourse gallop. Ryan (Moore, jockey) looked after her, and she came out of it lovely.
“We knew that if everything sent well, she would make massive progress and that’s what she did. Ryan gave her a beautiful ride – he had her in a lovely position. Whether they went fast or they went slow, he had her there in position.”
For someone who had handled some top fillies during his career, the County Wexford-born trainer is clearly extremely excited about this daughter of Frankel.
“She’s a very exciting filly – she is one of those special ones. She won a Group 1 over six (furlongs), seven and a mile as a two-year-old – so she’s very unique.
“The plan was to come here and go to the Coronation Stakes (at Royal Ascot, England, in June). I asked Ryan afterwards what he would do, and he said that was the right thing to do. I would image that would be the perfect route to go with her. Then whether she stays at a mile or steps up to a mile and a quarter – then we’ll decide. She might never have to step up to a mile and a quarter.”
Ryan Moore was equally please with Lake Victoria’s performance, telling Racing TV:
“She was very good today. She wasn’t quite there when she sent to Newmarket. She was a lot better than them – she’s a very smart filly, very exciting. She does everything beautifully. Her record last year was very good, and I am very glad that she was able to get back on track.”
