Lake Victoria shows her flexibility with resounding Cheveley Park win - and she could make quick return to Newmarket

When does the unusual become the norm? The unexpected something to be predicted with some certainty having previously been speculative and unimaginable?

'Unusual' has slipped seamlessly into the Aidan O’Brien lexicon this season. The trainer reached for the word again in the winner’s enclosure at Newmarket on Saturday after Lake Victoria stretched her unbeaten record to four when winning her second Group 1 in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes.

We have already heard how unusual City Of Troy is; certainly those with an eye and an ear on Southwell last week heard the term uttered not only by O’Brien but by the more taciturn Ryan Moore after the horse’s public gallop. His opportunity to showcase his rare qualities will come in California when he attempts to become the first Derby winner to land the Breeders’ Cup Classic on the dirt at Del Mar.

Lake Victoria could yet join City Of Troy in travelling to the US for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, but she could also return to Britain in a fortnight for the Group 1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket. Her presence in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas at the course next year looks a certainty.

Lake Victoria: as short as 7-4 for next year's 1,000 GuineasCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Paddy Power shortened Lake Victoria to 7-4 favourite (from 5) for next year’s fillies’ Classic after her dominant performance on the Rowley Mile, taking O'Brien's tally in the Cheveley Park to five.

Lake Victoria even running in the race was an unusual move on the surface, with the filly having won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes over a furlong further on her previous outing. She had also been successful over seven furlongs in the Sweet Solera Stakes at the July course during the summer.

However, Lake Victoria was back in distance and in no way inconvenienced as she travelled powerfully through the race before surging clear out of the Dip to win by three lengths from Daylight and Arabian Dusk, who is likely to be targeted at the Fred Darling Stakes next year.

“We always thought before the Moyglare that the plan was to come back here as she’s always been very quick,” O’Brien said. “She’s a very talented filly and Ryan said that we should come back here for the Fillies’ Mile; we’ll see what the lads want to do.”

Ryan Moore: keen on a crack at the Fillies' Mile with Lake VictoriaCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

O’Brien chuckled as he relayed his jockey’s debrief, and reasserted: “That’s what he told me!” – the flexibility to move up and down in distance at will with Lake Victoria seemingly even sounding faintly ridiculous to the trainer.

With such talent at his disposal among his fillies this year it would be no surprise to see O’Brien and the Coolmore partners take a bold approach with Lake Victoria, as they can call on Bedtime Story, Fairy Godmother, Bubbling and Dreamy as well in 2025.

When and where Lake Victoria runs again will be left open, but it could be pretty much anywhere those connected with the filly wish to go – the one caveat potentially being whether they wish to contest three Group 1s in four weeks.

O’Brien said: “It’s very rare to do what she did, it’s unusual. Ryan kept it simple on her and we’ll let her tell us what to do next. We did back her up quite quickly for this and there’s always a risk doing that again.”

1,000 Guineas (Newmarket, May 4 2025)

bet365: 11-4 Lake Victoria, 8 Fairy Godmother, 10 Desert Flower, 14 Giselle, Bedtime Story, 16 Zarigana, 20 bar

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