Bookmakers take action after Aidan O'Brien makes statement about top horse

Bookmakers have taken action after record-breaking trainer Aidan O'Brien gave a glowing update about his next big race runner.

Lake Victoria has shortened to 10-11 with William Hill for the Tattersalls 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Sunday.

O'Brien's trainee had an excellent two-year-old campaign, taking Group Ones over six, seven and eight furlongs and signing off in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November.

Lake Victoria only just made it to the starting line at Newmarket earlier this month, where she was a well-backed alternative to favourite Desert Flower in the first fillies' Classic.

Outpaced over two furlongs from the finish, some headway was made but she had no extra to offer as her big rival ran out an impressive winner.

But O'Brien has been encouraged by the way Lake Victoria has improved on the Ballydoyle gallops, where he has trained numerous champions.

"We are very happy with her," he told Racing TV. "She''s a totally different filly than she was at Newmarket.

"She's doing everything real smooth and easy. We thought she would, she was only ready for a racecourse gallop going to Newmarket.

"We were going to take her to the Curragh and then we said we'd let her run. We didn't have anything in the Guineas, Exactly went to France, so she (Lake Victoria) ran very well considering, but she has made great improvement since then."

In a long and distinguished career, O'Brien has scooped a record 11 renewals of the race, which has 12 starters this year.

However there has been a three-year break since Empress Josephine pipped better-fancied stablemate Joan Of Arc by a short-head in 2021.

As well as targeting top prizes on home turf, O'Brien is assembling his Royal Ascot squad, with Brussels a possible for the Coventry Stakes next month.

Picked by stable jockey Ryan Moore for a maiden race on Saturday, he earned a quote of 14-1 from Paddy Power by reeling in fellow team member Kansas.

"Ryan said that he was so babyish that Ascot might come too quick," O'Brien reasoned.

"He said that he thought he would have no problem getting seven. He's very big, a massive, big, powerful horse."