Babouche back on song to set up Commonwealth Cup bid

Babouche returned to her devastating best with an authoritative display in the Goffs Lacken Stakes at Naas.

Ger Lyons’ filly was a Group One winner at two in the Phoenix Stakes, where she beat Whistlejacket, but had been below that form when beaten in the Cheveley Park and when disappointing on her return to action this season at Cork.

With that run under her belt, though, she looked a different proposition in the hands of Colin Keane.

She again faced Whistlejacket, who had scored on his seasonal debut and was sent off an odds-on favourite.

However, Babouche (2-1) always looked to be travelling better and Ryan Moore was soon at work against the rail on Whistlejacket.

Once Babouche was asked to quicken, she did so immediately and ran out a two-and-three-quarter-length winner from the favourite.

She is now the 4-1 favourite for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot with Coral.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen that this year from her,” said Lyons.

“I’m delighted with the team’s performance. We sucked it up and we went to Cork, it wasn’t the obvious right thing to do but it was the right thing to do for what I was seeing at home.

“We parked the reputation and the ego and we said ‘right, go down there, you’re going to get beat because it’s a furlong too short for you. We’ve spent the whole spring trying to settle you down and doing it right’. Now she’s back.

“Now we can go to the Commonwealth and if we get beat, we get beat, but at least we know we are locked and loaded. It’s been a good day.”

He went on: “She’s a Group One winner but she hasn’t been doing that. I was delighted with what I’ve seen because it was a work in progress, but I needed to see that, otherwise we weren’t going anywhere – we’ve won our Group One, so there’s no point in carrying on.

“Now we can go off to the Commonwealth, it doesn’t mean we’ll win it but we’re going there with a huge chance.

“When I saw him (Whistlejacket) in Navan and I saw her at home, I wasn’t beating him, so then I said ‘lads, we have to do something’.

“If I rock up in the Lacken without Cork, we wouldn’t have done that. It’s brilliant, it’s worked. Sometimes we get it right!”