Juddmonte eyeing more Group One glory with juvenile fillies

Ashley Iveson
August 30, 2024 9:19 am

Babouche and Red Letter have both impressed in the pink and green silks.

Trainer Ger Lyons and owners Juddmonte are preparing to split their aces in the juvenile fillies’ division, with Babouche bound for Newmarket and Red Letter set to appear on Irish Champions Weekend.

Babouche stretched her unbeaten record to three when defeating subsequent Prix Morny hero Whistlejacket in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and the daughter of Kodiac will bid to double her Group One tally in the Juddmonte-sponsored Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on September 28.

Frankel filly Red Letter, who finished a close second to Aidan O’Brien’s Lake Victoria on debut before going one better at the Curragh, could also bid for top-level honours on her next start in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 15, but she will also have a Listed option at Leopardstown the previous day.

Red Letter was an impressive winner on Irish Oaks weekend at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

“We’ve discussed it with the owners and they’re keen to go to the Cheveley Park with Babouche, so that’s good,” confirmed Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“All being well, Red Letter will run on Champions Weekend. Whether that will be in the Ingabelle on the Saturday or the Moyglare on the Sunday, we’ll see how she’s working and decide closer to the time.

“Obviously, the form of Babouche’s last run looks solid. I don’t have all the times but I believe she broke some sort of record on the day and when they do that, it has to be a good performance.”

Another filly who looks bound for bigger and better things for the Lyons-Juddmonte axis is Revoke, who created a deep impression when dominating her rivals on her introduction at Naas last weekend.

Ger Lyons has another good one! 👀
Blue Point filly Revoke impresses on debut under @ctkjockey 💚🩷🤍
Stakes races surely await!@JuddmonteFarms | @NaasRacecourse pic.twitter.com/KtrQrs4ZJ4
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 25, 2024

She too looks set for a step up in class, with Mahon adding: “Ger has a lovely team in fairness to him and Revoke looks a smart filly. She’s not over-big, but she’d been showing plenty at home and she’s quick.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to kick on and head into stakes company for her next start. Where that will be, we’ll have to wait and see, but she’s a nice filly to have.

“She was good over six furlongs the other day and could even drop back to five, as she’s very speedy. She’ll slot into a stakes race somewhere and we’ll go a bit slower with her.”