'It opens a big door for her' - British-bred filly Lush Lips strikes for sire Ten Sovereigns at Keeneland

British-bred filly Lush Lips confirmed herself a top-class US turf performer with a clear-cut victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.

She was becoming the second top-level winner for her sire Ten Sovereigns, the Middle Park and July Cup scorer who began his career at Coolmore Stud but relocated to Celikoglu Stud in Turkey this year.

Lush Lips was bred by the Pocock family's Stringston Farm in Somerset, the operation behind Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling, and was bought by a combination of Avenue Bloodstock, Medallion Racing and Donnacha O'Brien for £82,000 at the 2023 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale. She is out of the winning Arcano mare Lamyaa, a half-sister to Golden Peitsche winner Electric Beat.

She had three starts before moving to Brendan Walsh's yard and now races for a combination of Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Hoffman Thoroughbreds and the Shanahan and Magnier families. The filly has not been out of the first two in seven starts for her new trainer, including a close second to Velocity in the Del Mar Oaks.

Walsh was asked whether the team had gained confidence from her staying-on second in the Del Mar Oaks, over the same nine furlong trip.

"Surprisingly, we did because that was always in the back of our minds, that maybe it was as far as she wanted to go," he said. "But I think she went against the grain, and it seems she has no problem going the mile and an eighth. It was fantastic. It opens a big door for her, especially for next year, because we always thought this filly was going to be a good four-year-old. It’s fantastic to win a Grade 1 with her."

It was a finish dominated by European imports with Tyler Gaffalione and Lush Lips angling past Dubawi filly Opulent Restraint in the home straight and holding off Laurelin, a daughter of Zarak, by a length and a quarter.

For Phillip Shelton, racing manager of co-owner Medallion Racing, it was a dream come true.

"As a kid growing up, I didn’t know a lot about the Breeders’ Cup. I think my parents didn’t bring me opening weekend because it was going to be too crowded. But this [Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup] was the one race we had to come to every year. If you’d have said, ‘Pick any race the partnership could win, it would be this one here at Keeneland.’ 

"She started in Ireland and then we brought her here, which is part of our programme’s plan. She just has taken a step forward, step forward, every single time. In her last seven starts, she’s been first or second, every single one. Today was the icing on the cake. Again, we’re just very lucky."

Ten Sovereigns has already had one other Grade 1 winner in America with Zulu Kingdom, who took the American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs in May.

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