Lake Victoria (far side)© Photo Healy Racing
Lake Victoria could give Aidan O’Brien his first success in the JenningsBet Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
Not many races of note have eluded the Ballydoyle handler throughout his decorated career, but this Group Three is one missing from his CV and he could have identified the perfect candidate to initiate change.
A game winner of a Curragh maiden on debut, the form of that race now reads strongly, with the runner-up Red Letter winning in style on her next start and on course for Group-race engagements of her own in the future.
Regally-bred as a daughter of Frankel out of the dual Group One-winning mare Quiet Reflection, Lake Victoria now makes an immediate step up in grade on her second start and with Ryan Moore required at the Curragh, it is Sean Levey who has been handed steering duties on the July course.
Swaziland-born Levey spent six years as an apprentice at Ballydoyle before relocating to England.
“We were very happy with her debut and we think she’s happy for another run,” said O’Brien.
“We’re hoping she’ll run a nice race and we think the experience will do her good.
“We’ve trained a few out of Quiet Reflection, but she’d be the sharpest, being by Frankel, the others were more middle-distance types, she looks the quickest one.
“Her maiden form looks strong, the second has won well since and she’d be one of our nicer fillies, we liked her when she ran.”
Charlie Appleby is another seeking to break his Sweet Solera duck, relying on Mountain Breeze, who has shown plenty of ability so far.
Twice a winner on the Rowley Mile earlier in the campaign, the half-sister to Pinatubo was a respectable fourth behind Fairy Godmother in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot, before giving Arabian Dusk most to think about over six furlongs at this track in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.
“We feel that stepping up to seven is the right way for Mountain Breeze and it should produce a bit more improvement,” Appleby told the Godolphin website.
“She should be very competitive on the back of what she has already achieved and this will hopefully open up a few more doors for her heading into the autumn.”
Karl Burke won this with subsequent Classic heroine Fallen Angel 12 months ago and owners Clipper Logistics seek back-to-back victories with Liberalised, who was back in eighth here in the Duchess of Cambridge when last seen.
Like Mountain Breeze, the daughter of Kodiac steps up to seven furlongs, while similar applies to Hugo Palmer’s Dream Voyager, who went into one or two notebooks when opening her account at Salisbury.
Meanwhile, Andrew Balding’s Flaming Stone was sent off favourite for Sandown’s Star Stakes only 16 days ago and is now bidding to get back on track having got stuck in soft ground when third at the Esher track.
“She came out of Sandown well, I know the ground was classed as good but the jockeys reported it was closer to soft than good,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.
“William Buick just felt she wasn’t comfortable on the soft ground and a return to good to firm this weekend should suit.
“She’s a nice filly and we’ll be hoping to add some more black type to the pedigree.”
It was Ollie Sangster’s Celestial Orbit who accounted for Flaming Stone at Sandown and the Manton trainer is represented by the maiden Angelica Bay here.
Gemma Tutty’s York debut winner Elsie’s Ruan completes the field of seven heading to the start.
