Tony Peter’s Hollywoodbets Durban July entry The Equator’s Frankel half-sister Lake Victoria can extend her unbeaten run to six with Classic glory in the Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket today.
While Aidan O’Brien has won five of the last 10 renewals, the Ballydoyle handler has been out of luck in the last three and it looked as though this filly might even bypass the race at one point in the early spring as she was taking some time to get in the swing of things.
Lake Victoria stays unbeaten when winning the Gr1 Breeders Cup Fillies Juvenile Turf (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Clearly she has blossomed in the last few weeks, and with a rating that puts her marginally ahead of hot favourite Desert Flower, a mouthwatering showdown is in store on the Rowley Mile.
Desert Flower was impressive in her Fillies’ Mile victory, but Lake Victoria has not just one but three Group One wins to her credit.
Her Moyglare Stud Stakes win was smart, with both Simmering and Red Letter behind her, and she showed admirable fortitude to turn out again just over a week later to add the Cheveley Park Stakes to her tally.
Lake Victoria was at her most memorable when winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, as she endured a nightmare run but was still good enough to prevail by 1.5-lengths with plenty seemingly left in the locker.
It is always something of a gamble as to whether star juveniles train on, but both her parents excelled at three and beyond, offering plenty of hope Lake Victoria can also make the leap.
The Equator, an imported son of Galileo, was a surprise inclusion in the first Hollywoodbets Durban July entries on Friday 25 April.
A stakes-placed Leopardstown maiden winner, he was allocated a rating of 110 by the NHA handicappers, but would no doubt have to show his fitness and form credentials here to gain a run on 5 July. The Equator has been imported to South Africa by Willem Ackerman and Nigel Riley with the intention to go to stud.
