Irish Group-winning double for Frankel

This weekend saw two-year-old filly Lake Victoria win at the highest level in the Gr.1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and three-year-old colt Diego Velazquez claim his third Group victory at Leopardstown.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 15th/16th September 2024, by Tom Frary:

'Super Saturday' at Leopardstown saw Frankel colt Diego Velazquez claim capture his third Group race success at the track, this time in the Gr.2 Solonaway Stakes. Not seen since beating the subsequent G3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes winner Tarawa by seven lengths in the nine-furlong Gr.3 Meld Stakes here due to his intended target at Saratoga being abandoned, the 10-11 favourite was quickly into his stride shadowing the leader. Sent to the front by Ryan Moore approaching the furlong pole, the half-brother to his Australia-sired heavyweight stablemates Broome and Point Lonsdale who had captured the G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes on this card 12 months ago stretched to a one and a half-length verdict over course specialist Mutasarref.

"He's a lovely, straightforward, genuine horse," Aidan O'Brien said. "He has pace enough for a mile and will probably get a mile and a quarter. He's a lovely, relaxed, uncomplicated horse."

"He's a speed horse and he can go to the Breeders' Cup Mile or a Cox Plate. Adelaide was third in a trial in France on this weekend 10 years ago and he won the Cox Plate."

Sunday's Irish action shifted to the Curragh, where Lake Victoria, an unbeaten daughter of Frankel, captured Aidan O'Brien's 10th  Gr.1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. Anchored in last early by Wayne Lordan, the daughter of the Gr.1 Haydock Sprint Cup and Gr.1 Commonwealth Cup heroine Quiet Reflection benefitted from the overly-fast pace carved out by the yard's number one. Bedtime Story (Frankel) was going to have to be every bit as good as she had looked at Royal Ascot to maintain the stern gallop she set, but by the time the 4-5 favourite had reached the furlong pole it was starting to look ominous. With all four others striving to the line as that market-leader caved in, it was the 11-2 shot Lake Victoria who came over the top 100 yards out and prevail by a length and a quarter from Al Shaqab Racing's Gr.2 Prix du Calvados winner Simmering. The other Ballydoyle trainee Exactly (Frankel) was another short head back in third as Bedtime Story wound up a tired last of the quintet in this 'Win and You're In' Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf qualifer.

Aidan O'Brien was not completely surprised by the outcome.: "When she won here the first day, she got to the front and was very green and she won very impressively at Newmarket, so she=s a very classy filly. It's a possibility she could go to the Cheveley Park. We ran her here with the thought in our head that she could be a Cheveley Park filly - that was the plan. We wanted to take our time on her, let her relax and not give her a tough race and Wayne gave her a brilliant ride. She's fast, she's by Frankel but she's made like a sprinter."