THERE is a serious Irish challenge in Newmarket’s Group 1 action this afternoon, spearheaded by some established top-level winners trained by Ger Lyons and Aidan O’Brien respectively.

Prix Morny scorer Whistlejacket was trading at odds-on yesterday evening ahead of his Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (3.00) bid for Ballydoyle, set to be joined from these shores by Round Tower Stakes-winning stablemate Ides Of March and Michael O’Callaghan’s Richmond Stakes winner from Glorious Goodwood, Black Forza.

The race sponsors have a big chance of earning back the lion’s share of the near £300,000 prize pot in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (2.25). Their brilliant Phoenix Stakes heroine Babouche heads into the weekend at no bigger than 2/1 at the top of the market for the fillies-only contest at Newmarket.

Ger Lyons broke his Group 1 duck on the flat in this race back in 2011 when Lightening Pearl struck under Johnny Murtagh, and his unbeaten daughter of Kodiac looks well equipped for the 2024 renewal - though ground described as soft at Newmarket yesterday afternoon will be an unknown for her and main market rival Lake Victoria (Aidan O’Brien).

Barry Mahon, Juddmonte’s general manager for Ireland and European racing, told The Irish Field: “Babouche has been some filly, a star for us all season long. We’re facing into another test this weekend at Newmarket and the weather has thrown us a bit of a curveball in the meantime.

“We don’t know whether she’ll go on the ground or not. The ground was described as good to yielding when she won a maiden on her debut at Cork in June, and that was fine. Good to yielding and heavy are two very different ball games, though.

“She goes there in very good form. Ger is very happy with how she’s been training, as is Colin. We’ll just have to roll the dice and learn at the same time as everyone else whether she handles heavy ground or not.

Quality renewal

“This is a proper race with real depth to it. Lake Victoria was very good in winning the Moyglare Stakes and I’d say it was a strong renewal of that race. This year’s Cheveley Park is definitely a hot race.”

Juddmonte and Lyons will have a good handle on the strength of that Moyglare form given they supplied the close-up fourth Red Letter, who lost little in defeat and remains an excellent prospect for next season.

“Red Letter is wrapped up for the season,” said Mahon.

“It was always the plan to give her just one run in the Moyglare and put her away until next year, regardless of the result. She ran a great race in defeat, it just probably didn’t pan out 100% for us on the day but there was very little between them all at the line.”

There are also Juddmonte hopes for a win in the Group 2 Montane Developments Beresford Stakes (2.35) at the Curragh today.

Andrew Balding has only had eight runners in Ireland since 2007, so it’s noteworthy to see this wide-margin York winner join stablemate Captain Harry (big outsider in the Goffs Million) on this Curragh card this afternoon.

“Windlord is a nice horse, very well bred,” said Mahon. “I thought he won impressively the last day at York. The bit of rain shouldn’t be any harm to him. He’s in good form so we’re hopeful of a good run.”