Ger Lyons was in jovial spirits after the unbeaten filly Babouche provided the trainer and owner/breeder Juddmonte Farms with their second success in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Juddmonte/Lyons/Colin Keane combination were successful with Siskin in 2019, and in a case of déjà vu, their nearest market rival on Saturday was another Aidan O’Brien-trained colt carrying the emerald silks of Peter Brant. An impressive debutant at Cork before beating the colts in the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes, Babouche was sent off 5/2 to make it three from three, while Ballydoyle’s July Stakes scorer Whistlejacket headed the market at 8/13.

The daughter of Kodiac settled in third as the favourite and Arizona Blaze set a brisk pace and Keane asked her for more passing the two-furlong pole. She asserted a furlong later and was pushed out to beat O’Brien’s leading hope by a length and a half, while Adrian Murray’s charge finished another length and three quarters back in third.

She became the first filly to win the race since Kevin Prendergast’s La Collina captured the 2011 edition. Subsequently third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, she trained on to win the Group 1 Matron Stakes as a four-year-old, with Lyons’ Lily’s Angel chasing her home in second.

“I was more nervous for the Anglesey than I was for that, to be honest with you,” revealed Lyons after the race. “Before Cork, she was telling us how good she was. But I was coming to the Anglesey wondering.

“Then she woke up a tad after that- she learned more here than she had at Cork. So, we knew that we were in good shape, but were we good enough?

On future plans, the trainer continued, “She'll stay over this trip until she tells us otherwise and we'll bring her home see if she comes out of it. At the minute, I'd say it would be Cheveley (Park Stakes next), and that’ll be her done for the year, but can all change, as you know.”

What's rare is wonderful

Lyons’ 2019 victor Siskin went on to win the Irish 2000 Guineas and in a standout season for the trainer, Even So captured the Irish Oaks a month later. Though there have been numerous Stakes wins in the interim, Saturday marked his first top-flight success since, and the trainer emphasized how important the raw material is.

“Lads talk about Group 1’s and that Irish racing's in a poor state because of Group 1’s (going abroad),” he commented. “These horses are hard to find, you know? The whole thing about winning the Group 1’s is sourcing the horse- there's only one outfit on the planet who can source the horse consistently, and that's Aidan's (O’Brien). But when the rest of us get the chance, we can do it. So, it's nice to get the chance, but it's rare for most of us.

“I know we have some nice two-year-olds this year. The fillies are definitely way ahead of the colts, and it's nice that when we have one that they deliver, because nine times out of 10, they don't deliver. These horses come along seldomly, but when they do, they’re worth the wait.”

Babouche continues connections’ good run with the family, with full-sister Zarinsk retired at the end of last season with three group wins to her name.

The unbeaten juvenile also provides a return to the big time for Tally-Ho Stud’s 23-year-old stalwart Kodiac, now responsible for eight Group 1 winners at 23 years of age. The evergreen sire boasts 48 Group winners overall, as well as anoth