Kodiac's Babouche back to winning ways with impressive Group 3 success

Babouche, last year's Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner, bounced back to winning ways in style at Naas on Sunday when successful in the Group 3 Lacken Stakes.

Continuing an excellent day for trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane, also the partnership behind the Group 3 Blackbeard Stakes winner Lady Iman, Babouche swooped past last year's Prix Morny winner Whistlejacket to win by nearly three lengths.

"I'm relieved," said Ger Lyons. "This is why we come here, to have questions answered and they've been answered with bells on.

"I'm delighted with Babouche. We did what we considered the wrong thing by going back to 5f at Cork [when fourth in the Polonia Stakes] because 6f is her minimum trip but we did it for a reason but it's paid off - hopefully now the summer will be a good one.

"I love the filly and now she's back. I would say we'll go to the Commonwealth Cup - Barry [Mahon] will talk to the family [at Juddmonte], but that is what we're training her for."

Now the winner of three Group races, Juddmonte homebred Babouche is out of the Arch mare Pavlosk, a Listed-winning relation to Zafonic and Zamindar. Pavlosk previously clicked with Kodiac to produce the high-class Zarinsk, whose five wins for the same connections included the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes and Group 3 Brownstown and Cornelscourt Stakes.

She is one of 103 stakes winners for her venerable sire Kodiac and one of eight at the top level.