Duelling Queens: Assessing the 1,000 Guineas Fillies

[Wandering Eyes]

Following on from our look at the Classic colts in yesterday's edition, the focus has turned to the fillies. This year's Betfred 1,000 Guineas has the potential to be an absolute barnstormer of a race, and anyone not currently spending their waking hours wondering who's better between Desert Flower and Lake Victoria is hereby banned from reading TDN. 

It's not all about that pair, obviously, and Lake Victoria may not even be ready to return in a fortnight's time, but just the thought of seeing those two go head to head is enough for now. 

Tuesday's Nell Gwyn winner Zanzoun (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) further embellished Juddmonte's 2025 Classic portfolio but doesn't hold an entry for Newmarket, with the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches the preferred option, according to trainer John Gosden. The Archie Watson-trained Fred Darling winner, Duty First (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) would also need to be supplemented for the 1,000 Guineas.

Night Of Thunder may have the favourite, but this could be all about Frankel, who even pops up as broodmare sire of one contender. This is by no means a full list of potential candidates for the race, but it includes those most prominent in the betting and a few to have caught the eye in recent weeks. Here's hoping that this year's race can match the 2024 running, in which the winner Elmalka (GB) was chased home by subsequent Group 1 winners Porta Fortuna (Ire), Ramatuelle, Tamfana (Get) and Fallen Angel (GB).

Desert Flower (Ire)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) – Promising Run (Hard Spun)

If you ever lean towards depression, go to watch horses on the gallops of a morning. Fresh air and thoroughbreds in full flight can provide a huge lift, and it was certainly a thrill to see the unbeaten Desert Flower striding out imperiously along the Rowley Mile on Wednesday morning. We don't know what instructions were given to her rider William Buick, but she was certainly the most visually impressive of Charlie Appleby's four smart gallopers, which included Shadow Of Light (Ire), Ruling Court and last year's 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (GB). A rangey, long-limbed filly, you could be forgiven for thinking that she might be all at sea on an undulating track, but she had already demonstrated an affinity for Newmarket when winning the G1 Fillies' Mile by five and a half lengths. She also won twice last year over the dyke on the July Course. This is her track and she deserves to be favourite.
Current odds with sponsor Betfred: 5/4 favourite

Lake Victoria (Ire)
Frankel (GB) – Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB})

But then there's Lake Victoria. She too can lay claims to Newmarket through her G1 Cheveley Park Stakes win. She also won over a mile, albeit an easier one, at Del Mar in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She was rated 2lbs higher than Desert Flower in the European two-year-old classifications, and perhaps the only reason she is not favourite is that her trainer Aidan O'Brien indicated several weeks ago that she may not be ready in time for the first weekend of May. On Monday, however, while watching the elegant filly saunter around the training grounds at Ballydoyle, he said, “Lake Victoria is on the way back. We stepped her up a couple of weeks ago and she's really coming. She could be there in time.” Please let that be so.
Current odds: 5/1

Red Letter (GB)
Frankel (GB) – Red Impression (GB) (Dark Angel {GB})

Zanzoun may be unlikely for Newmarket but Juddmonte could be represented by this homebred whose form ties in to a degree with Lake Victoria. A head separated them at the line when they were first and second on debut at the Curragh. Red Letter won there next time out and was then only a length and a half away when fourth of five in a tightly-fought G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, with that quintet all holding Guineas entries.
Current odds: 7/1

Bedtime Story (Ire)
Frankel (GB) – Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})

That five mentioned above included this filly, bred on the same cross as Red Letter but out of a more accomplished race mare in the Group 1-winning sprinter Mecca's Angel. She disappointed in the Moyglare but had twice previously beaten Exactly when winning the G2 Debutante and G3 Silver Flash Stakes. She was also hugely impressive when running away with the Chesham Stakes.
Current odds: 16/1

 

Lake Victoria and Dean Gallagher at Ballydoyle on Monday | Racingfotos

 

Vertical Blue (Ire)
Mehmas (Ire) – Krunch (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire})

A Group 1 winner over a mile in the Prix Marcel Boussac when nosing out stable-mate and recent Prix de la Grotte winner Zarigana (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Vertical Blue was subsequently bought by John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock for 3,200,000gns at Tattersalls in December. Returned to Francis Graffard's stable in Chantilly, which is in rude health at the moment, she has Classic entries at home and in England, and her trainer may well wish to keep her apart from Zarigana this spring at least.
Current odds: 20/1

Exactly (Ire)
Frankel (GB) – Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy {GB})

If Lake Victoria fails to show her readiness in time for Newmarket, Exactly appears to be Aidan O'Brien's main 1,000 Guineas hope, and she deserves proper consideration. Only half a length behind Vertical Blue when third in the Marcel Boussac, she had been in the shadow of her stable-mates Lake Victoria and Bedtime Story earlier in the season but closed out her juvenile campaign with a seventh start and easy win in the G3 Killavullan Stakes. Second on her first start this season to Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}), yet another Juddmonte Classic prospect who heads to the Irish 1,000 Guineas, she should come on for that run.
Current odds: 20/1

Cathedral (GB)
Too Darn Hot (GB) – War And Peace (GB) (Frankel {GB})

An €800,000 Arqana Breeze-up purchase by Amo Racing, she won easily on debut at Lingfield in September before being narrowly beaten into second in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes. Not sighted yet this year but she certainly has a pedigree deserving of a place in the Guineas line-up as her dam is a half-sister to Cathedral's former stable-mate, the Arc winner Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}).
Current odds: 25/1

Kon Tiki (GB)
Night Of Thunder (Ire) – Maid Up (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire})

She's in a similar bracket to the 2,000 Guineas contender Cosmic Year (GB) in that we've only seen her twice, but she has won twice, most recently over a mile on the same night at Kempton that Cosmic Year made his return. Trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam wanted to give her more time between races than if she had run in the Nell Gwyn and has indicated that the Guineas is very much in her plans. The trainer had Saffron Beach finish second in the Classic four years ago and she's never afraid to take a chance.
Current odds: 25/1

Remaat (GB)
Kodiac (GB) – Savannah (GB) (Olden Times {GB})

Third in the Nell Gwyn was not only a good comeback run after almost 300 days off the track but was also a step up on her Newmarket maiden win of last June. She's a big price, and that is rightly so in comparison to some of her higher-achieving rivals here, but it will be hard not to cheer for a filly whose sire, dam and maternal grandsire were all bred by her owner-breeder Prince AA Faisal.
Current odds: 50/1

 

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