Group 1 win for 2YO Babouche

Two-year-old homebred Babouche extended her unbeaten run to three wins from three starts with a smart victory in the Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 12th August 2024, by Tom Frary:

As a heralded and unbeaten member of the dominant two-year-old fillies' division entering Saturday's G1 Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh, TDN Rising Star Babouche was always going to be a force to be reckoned with and in the event she was too much for Whistlejacket to handle in the first major clash of the sexes in this age group. Surrendering a length and a half from the gates to the Ballydoyle representative, the Ger Lyons-trained Gr.3 Anglesey Stakes winner was visibly motoring under Colin Keane with that 8-13 favourite hassled on the front by old rival Arizona Blaze. Rolling by them both a furlong from home, the full sister to the stable's multiple Group winner Zarinsk surged away to win by a length and a half as the 5-2 second favourite, with Arizona Blaze a length and three-quarters back in third.

"The fillies are definitely well ahead of the colts this year and it's nice when they deliver," Lyons said. "We wondered if she was good enough today and she's answered that in spades."

Babouche may even lay claim to being the best that her trainer has had so far, with her dazzling debut win at Cork followed by the passing of her two Curragh pattern-race tests with honours.

"Even before Cork, she was telling us how good she was," Lyons added. "She'll stay over this trip until she tells us otherwise. We'll take her home and see how she is and at this minute I'd say it will be the [Gr.1] Cheveley Park, subject to discussions, and that will be her done for the year. Colin said there is no rush to step her up in trip at the moment, as she has plenty of speed."

"He's just been very straightforward all year and she's a pleasure to train - I think her greatest strength is her temperament. These horses are hard to find, but when we find them, or lads like us find them, we can do it," he stated.

Babouche's dam Pavlosk was highly-regarded by Sir Michael Stoute, hence why she was tried in the Gr.1 Coronation Stakes after what amounted to her sole blacktype success in the Listed Michael Seely Memorial Stakes. After producing the the stakes-placed Derevo (Dansili), she hit her first jackpot with the aforementioned Zarinsk whose four blacktype wins included the Gr.2 Minstrel Stakes, Gr.3 Brownstown Stakes and Gr.3 Cornelscourt Stakes.

Pavlosk, who is also responsible for a yearling filly by Expert Eye and a filly foal by Bated Breath, is a full sister to the fellow Listed winner Rostova and a half to the dual Group 3 scorer and Gr.1 Gran Premio di Milano-placed stakes producer Exhibit One. This is the family of Zafonic and Zamindar which includes the Gr.1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Irish Rookie.