'This has been the plan' - can 1,000 Guineas and Oaks favourite Bedtime Story remain unbeaten in the Moyglare?

Bedtime Story is ante-post favourite for next year's 1,000 Guineas and Oaks, hardly surprising given her demolition job in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot where she made some well-regarded colts look very ordinary indeed.

That runaway success, by a whopping nine and a half lengths, was one of the most visually impressive performances of the entire season and earned her a Racing Post Rating of 110.

Bedtime Story has since won the Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown in decisive fashion, but she wasn't as easy on the eye when justifying 1-16 favourtism in the Debutante Stakes last time. She finished a half length clear of Exactly there, but Aidan O'Brien was adamant afterwards that she wasn't at the peak of her powers and it was merely a prep to have her spot on for this.

The daughter of Frankel and the speedy Mecca's Angel has an official rating of 112, which would be good enough to win the last nine runnings of this race. Only 2014 winner Cursory Glance had a mark as high as that.

Bedtime Story will need to be all she is cracked up to be as, not only does she have her unbeaten stablemate Lake Victoria to beat, but also the exciting Red Letter, who Ger Lyons holds in the highest regard.

There was a head between Lake Victoria and Red Letter when they met in a maiden over this course and distance, with the former edging the verdict, but the latter has since bossed a hot-looking maiden back there and looked every inch a star in doing so.

Lyons has three seriously talented juvenile fillies in his care right now in the shape of Listed winner Chantez, Phoenix Stakes winner Babouche and Red Letter. You get the impression from listening to the trainer that the last-named is well up there in his pecking order, and possibly even top.

Bedtime Story just gets the better of her stablemate Exactly at the Curragh

Bedtime Story: unbeaten heading into the MoyglareCredit: Caroline Norris

Ballet Slippers and Whirl, third and fourth behind her last time, have both won maidens since at Ascot and Doncaster, so the form looks strong. She could be very smart indeed and, whatever she does at two, she will be even better at three. She's 14-1 for next year's 1,000 Guineas and that is not the worst price in the world. This will tell us more.

Simmering is solid. She's rated 109 and very good. We saw that last time at Deauville when she won a Group 2 with plenty up her sleeve and was only collared late by Fairy Godmother in the Albany Stakes. You could argue 6-1 is a big price about her.

Bedtime Story deserves to be favourite but this is her toughest test by far and maybe Red Letter might be the one to find the flaws in her, if there are any.

What they say

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Bedtime Story, Lake Victoria and Exactly
Bedtime Story is good. She seems very well in herself and the Debutante was a stepping stone for this. We knew she would come on a bit for that run and she seems to have done so. Everyone is happy and this was the plan. Lake Victoria won nicely the first day and we were delighted with her at Newmarket. She seems to be progressing well from race to race and this will be another step up for her, but she's well and we're happy with her. Exactly is a nice filly and she will appreciate it when she steps up to a mile. She stays well.

Ollie Sangster, trainer of Simmering
Everything has been straightforward since Deauville and she's been training well. This is another step up in class in what looks like a small and competitive field, but she deserves to take her chance.

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