G1 victory for private purchase Lush Lips

Lush Lips, a private purchase on behalf of Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Hoffman Thoroughbreds, Mrs. Paul Shanahan and Mrs. M.V. Magnier, gained a deserved Grade 1 breakthrough on Saturday when successful in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana.

The Ten Sovereigns filly powered past pace-setting Opulent Restraint to win by a length and a quarter for trainer Brendan Walsh.

“As a kid growing up, I didn’t know a lot about the Breeders’ Cup,” said Phillip Shelton, racing manager to co-owner Medallion Racing. “I just knew we could come to it (here at Keeneland). I think my parents didn’t bring me opening weekend because it was going to be too crowded. But this (Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup) was the one race we had to come to every year. If you’d have said, ‘Pick any race the partnership could win, it would be this one here at Keeneland.’ The (credit) goes to (trainer) Brendan (Walsh) and his team and the filly. She’s just got a ton of heart, and we’re very lucky.

“She started in Ireland (last year) and then we brought her here, which is part of our program’s plan. She just has taken a step forward, step forward, every single time. In her last seven starts (including today’s race), she’s been first or second, every single one. Today was the icing on the cake. Again, we’re just very lucky.”

Lush Lips began her career with Donnacha O’Brien, for whom she was second at Tipperary. She was purchased to go to the US following that run, since when she has won the Listed Tepin Stakes and run second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks among other Graded stakes placings.

“Surprisingly, we did (gain confidence from her runner-up finish in the Del Mar Oaks), because that was always in the back of our minds, that maybe it was as far as she wanted to go,” said Brendan Walsh. “But I think she went against the grain, and it seems she has no problem going the mile and an eighth. It was fantastic. (Her ability to lay off the pace gives us options) without a doubt. It opens a big door for her, especially for next year, because we always thought this filly was going to be a good 4-year-old. It’s fantastic to win a Grade 1 with her.”

Bred by the Pocock family out of Lamyaa, Lush Lips now boasts earnings of almost $800,000.