'Horses like this are hard to find' - Ger Lyons can't hide excitement as brilliant Babouche extends unbeaten record

Babouche extended her unbeaten record to three with a convincing success in the Phoenix Stakes, becoming the first filly to win the race since La Collina in 2011.

It looks like a vintage crop of juvenile fillies this season and Ger Lyons' daughter of Kodiac backed up that view with a length-and-a-half defeat of the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Whistlejacket.

In winning under Colin Keane, Babouche gave Lyons his second win in the race after the 2019 success of fellow Juddmonte-owned juvenile Siskin, who went on to land the Irish 2,000 Guineas the following year.

For Babouche to follow a similar Classic path, the filly would need her stamina to be stretched out, and almost inevitably one of the first questions put to Lyons after the race was whether she would step up in distance.

“She'll stay over this trip until she tells me," he said. "For now the plan is the Cheveley Park and that will be her done for the year. There's no rush to step up in trip.”

Regardless of trip, Lyons is in no doubt that he has a proper horse on his hands.

The trainer added: “She's a good horse and we knew that from the start. Horses like this are hard to find. When lads like us find them we can do it. It's all about sourcing the horse. There is only one outfit on the planet that can source the horse consistently and that's Aidan's. 

"But when the rest of us get the chance we can do it, and it's nice to get the chance, even though it's rare. We have some nice two-year-olds this year, the fillies are way ahead of the colts, and it's nice when we say we have one that they deliver, because nine times out of ten they don't."

Ger Lyons: "She's a good horse and we knew that from the start"Credit: Patrick McCann

July Stakes winner Whistlejacket was always going to be a tough nut to crack, going out in front and getting a soft enough lead under Ryan Moore, before Babouche produced a good turn of foot to go past. She then seemed to think she had done enough but her class got her home.

Keane said: "We learned a good bit about her last time and I was keen to get her on the heels of something today. The two in front brought us along nicely but she still maybe travelled a fraction too strong. But from halfway she relaxed into it. 

"She had a little bit of a look when she got there but she is clearly a very smart filly. She has a lot of natural speed and she makes things easy. I would say in time she will have no problem going seven furlongs and maybe a mile, but six is a good fit for her at the moment."

Like Lyons, Whistlejacket's trainer Aidan O'Brien wasn't in a rush to step his horse up in trip after the race.

“He ran a good race, so we will see how he comes out of it," he said. "He's a fast horse and I wouldn't see any need to step him up in trip. The winner is a good filly.”

The consistent Arizona Blaze, representing last year's winning owner-trainer combination of Amo Racing and Adrian Murray, finished third.

Jockey David Egan said: “He's a grand, solid horse and has been consistent all year. He had a little break. He ran back quick here last time and he ran a bit flat even though he was third. He felt good today and ran to the line. He was just beaten by two better horses.”

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