Lush Lips, a step up in class with a British touch at Keeneland
- Turf Diario
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
The Ten Sovereigns filly outgamed Laurelin to notch her best win yet in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1)
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- The English filly Lush Lips capped her progression with a brilliant win in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1)at Keeneland, notching the first graded victory—and the most significant of her career—by asserting authority over the previously unbeaten Laurelin (Zarak) and Opulent Restraint (Dubawi), following a perfect trip and an impeccable ride from Tyler Gaffalione.
Racing tactically, Lush Lips sat in second for much of the journey while Opulent Restraint set fractions of 23.23, 47.70, and 1:12.80, with the Irish filly Laurelin advancing from the rear. In the stretch, the Ten Sovereigns filly angled decisively, overtook the leader with 200 meters to go, and held off a strong late surge from Laurelin, finishing three-quarters of a length clear.
The victory, marking the first Group-level success for trainer Brendan Walsh, elevated her record to 10 starts, 4 wins, and 4 seconds, with earnings surpassing $769,000.
Gaffalione was ecstatic after the win: “First, the credit goes to Brendan and his team. They’ve done a fabulous job with this filly, helping her relax and progress so much. She settled immediately, traveled comfortably, and when I asked, she responded strongly. It was an excellent performance—everything went perfectly.”
Walsh highlighted his filly’s maturity leap and future potential: “Her second in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) gave us confidence. We thought 1 1/8 miles might be a test, but she proved it wasn’t. Now we know she has many tactical options, which opens up huge possibilities, especially looking toward next year. We always believed she’d be a very good 4-year-old, and winning a G1 now is fantastic.”
Phillip Shelton, manager of Medallion Racing, shared his excitement: “I used to come to this race at Keeneland every year as a kid. Had someone told me we’d win it one day, I wouldn’t have believed it. Lush Lips has a huge heart; we’re truly grateful.”
The English-bred, Irish-raised filly, brought to the U.S. through Medallion Racing’s development program, has not finished worse than second in her last seven starts, establishing herself as one of the most consistent turf fillies of her generation.
With this win, Lush Lips solidifies her place among the end-of-season standouts and leaves open the prospect of elite challenges in 2026, backed by a team that has guided her with patience and precision.
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