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Lake Victoria aims to extend trainer Aidan O’Brien’s domination in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas (1600m) on Sunday (25 May) but last year’s brilliant juvenile will have to be at her best against red hot rivals headed by Swelter.
And O'Brien's Los Angeles faces a mouth watering rematch with White Birch in the other Group 1 on the card, the Tattersalls Gold Cup (2100m).
In a top class renewal of the fillies Classic at the Curragh Lake Victoria is the likely firm favourite to improve on her sixth in the G1 English 1000 Guineas (1600m) three weeks ago.
She had a well deserved longer than normal winter break after reeling off three Group 1 victories at two culminating in her starring show in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (1600m) at Del Mar in November.
"We were happy with her run in the English 1000, she barely made it there," O'Brien told RacingTV this week.
"Everything has gone very well since, we always thought there'd be a lot of improvement from Newmarket," added the trainer seeking a record-extending 11th win in the Curragh Classic.
She is joined by stablemate January, on her seasonal debut.
O'Brien's son Donnacha thinks highly enough of Atsila to supplement her on the strength of her delayed flying start to her racing career with two wins from two this year.
But it is another home-trained hope who may give Lake Victoria most trouble.
Like Atsila, Swelter puts her unbeaten record on the line. Stylish winner of her maiden at two, she booked her ticket with an impressive win in her G3 Classic trial (1427m) at Leopardstown.
Trainer Dermot Weld has won two of the last three runnings of the Irish 1000 Guineas and six in total, and holds the daughter of Kingman in high regard.
Weld is hoping for rain at the Curragh this weekend to give his contender, ridden by Chris Hayes, her ideal soft ground.
"She's in good order. She's very effective on soft ground and everything back from that she'll be less effective on.
"That's the concern but there is a chance of some rain and we'll be hopeful."
The English raiding party is led by Ollie Sangster's English 1000 Guineas second and third Flight and Simmering.
The Tattersalls Gold Cup pits last year's winner White Birch against Los Angeles again.
Los Angeles , the 2024 G1 Irish Derby (2400m) hero, edged White Birch by a neck in their warm-up at the track three weeks ago.
Another with a big chance is Andrew Balding's highly rated Kalpana, last seen stretching her unbeaten run to three in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (2321m) at Ascot 218 days ago.
The Curragh meanwhile is thrilled Saturday's nine-race card and Sunday's two G1s are part of the World Pool.
"Last year, the two Group 1s on the Sunday were part of the World Pool and it's now extended to include the whole card on Saturday as well.
"It's a great initiative and we're delighted to be a growing part of it," said chief executive Brian Kavanagh.
