It looked the obvious outcome on paper beforehand, but Juddmonte's Livenka (Bated Breath) still had to go through the motions and deliver in Monday's valuable Ballyhane Stakes and she did so in style.Heavily favoured by the weights for the Naas feature due to her sire's median, the half-sister to the Phoenix Stakes heroine Babouche (Kodiac) and her multiple Group-winning sister sibling Zarinsk was able to cruise to halfway with Colin Keane always confident. Set alight when already in command two out, the 4-6 favourite powered clear for a resounding 3 1/2-length success from the Sheila Lavery-trained newcomer Maeda Matsu (Dubawi Legend), with another 1 3/4 lengths back to Ballydoyle's Chesham fourth South Dakota (St Mark's Basilica) in third.Third to Victorious and Alpha on her first two starts over six and seven furlongs here and at The Curragh, she had beaten the subsequent impressive winner Star Of State at Fairyhouse last month and Keane was taking the blame for the second of her reversals. “It was my fault at The Curragh, as I pushed Ger to go to seven furlongs and it turns out she's a quick filly and more Babouche than Zarinsk–I thought it was the other way round,” he said.“She was well in at the weights and I couldn't believe how easy I got it to halfway. She quickened to the line and it's a great pot and we've been lucky in this race.”Ger Lyons, who won this with another of the operation's daughters of Sacred Bridge, Bated Breath, in 2021 and last year with Howd'yadoit, is thinking of a quick turnaround at York later this month. “I always thought something of her and she can only do what she did today,” he said. “We stuck her in the Lowther this morning and it's all about black-type going forward. She's never turned a hair and has been very straightforward. Babouche was to die for, Zarinsk was a smaller model and this one does what it says on the tin.”Livenka impressively lands the @IrishEBF_ Ballyhane Stakes pic.twitter.com/FRMnzy3LbD— Naas Racecourse (@NaasRacecourse) August 3, 2026The post Babouche’s Half-Sister Livenka Dominates The Ballyhane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.