Phoenix Stakes day at the Curragh — the traditional midsummer showpiece for Irish flat racing’s two-year-olds — is upon us, and the eight-race card kicks off at 13:15 with the last at 17:10. The ground is officially Good to Firm, Good in places, with the watering team busy through the week, so expect quick conditions and low times on the straight course.
The centrepiece is the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at 16:00, where Aidan O’Brien’s Airlie Stud Stakes winner Sun Goddess bids to give Ballydoyle yet another win in a race the master of Ballydoyle has farmed for decades. Half an hour earlier, the Group 3 FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes at 15:25 sees last season’s Haydock Sprint Cup hero Big Mojo raid from Britain.
Every race is live on Racing TV and TG4 — there’s no ITV coverage today, so set the planner accordingly.
- Sun Goddess – 16:00 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (11/10)
- Big Mojo – 15:25 Phoenix Sprint Stakes (5/4)
- Ibelieveicanfly – 13:45 Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile (2/1)
- Ipanema Queen – 14:50 Sheehy Motors Handicap (4/1)
Meeting Context
Good to Firm, Good in places, and a dry, warm August Sunday forecast in Kildare — this will ride fast. On the Curragh’s straight sprint course, big fields have a habit of splitting into groups, and on quick ground the rail-side runs have often been the place to be; pace angles arguably matter more than raw stall numbers, but keep an eye on where the early leaders congregate in the two big sprint handicaps.
The public tipping pages are heavily concentrated on the two Phoenix contests today — Sun Goddess and Big Mojo are near-universal selections, with Betfred among those putting both up. Our tracked tipster ledger — Templegate, Racing Post’s Paul Kealy, Oddschecker and Sporting Life’s Andrew Asquith — settles in tonight’s review against today’s cards, so we’ll know by this evening who read the Curragh right.
13:15 – Guidenstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden (6f, 2yo)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Bond Street | W J Lee | P Twomey | 79 | 3/1 |
| Snowing | Ryan Moore | A P O’Brien | 60 | 100/30 |
| Jewel In A Crowd | Luke McAteer | Ciaran Murphy | 66 | 9/2 |
| Marco Polo | Ronan Whelan | A P O’Brien | — | 11/2 |
| Tradewinds | Paddy Harnett | Donnacha Aidan O’Brien | 63 | 10/1 |
| New World Order | Oisin Murphy | J P Murtagh | — | 12/1 |
| Santerno | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | 13 | 12/1 |
The Favourites: A 19-runner cavalry charge to open. Paddy Twomey’s New Bond Street heads the market at 3/1 with Billy Lee up, closely pressed by the Ballydoyle pair Snowing (100/30, Ryan Moore) and newcomer Marco Polo.
The Value: Tradewinds at 10/1 for Donnacha O’Brien has experience on his side in a race full of unraced sorts, and 12/1 about the Oisin Murphy-ridden debutant New World Order looks fair for a yard that readies them.
The Verdict: Twomey’s strike rate with these demands respect — New Bond Street gets the vote, with Snowing the obvious danger.
13:45 – Grand Hotel Malahide Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile (7f, 2yo fillies)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ibelieveicanfly | Ryan Moore | A P O’Brien | 97 | 2/1 |
| Admired Beauty | Declan McDonogh | J S Bolger | 60 | 7/2 |
| Suomenlinna | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | — | 5/1 |
| Miss Hong Kong | Gavin Ryan | Donnacha Aidan O’Brien | — | 8/1 |
| Exceptionally | Ronan Whelan | A P O’Brien | 68 | 8/1 |
| Chattering Classes | Shane Foley | Mrs John Harrington | — | 10/1 |
The Favourites: Ibelieveicanfly is a warm order at 2/1 for O’Brien and Moore, with Jim Bolger’s Admired Beauty (7/2) the chief market rival in a 16-strong field of juvenile fillies over seven furlongs.
The Value: Suomenlinna, a Joseph O’Brien newcomer at 5/1, is interesting on breeding, while Chattering Classes at 10/1 represents a Harrington yard that does well with first-time-out fillies here.
The Verdict: Ibelieveicanfly sets the clear standard and Moore riding her rather than a stablemate is its own message.
14:15 – Guidenstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden (7f, 2yo)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakespeare | Ryan Moore | A P O’Brien | 62 | 5/2 |
| Anchor Road | Colin Keane | G M Lyons | 56 | 11/2 |
| Supreme Lord | David Egan | Robson De Aguiar | 74 | 15/2 |
| The Captains Day | Oisin Murphy | M D O’Callaghan | — | 8/1 |
| Loughrea N Roll | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | — | 9/1 |
| Raging Bull | Jack Cleary | A P O’Brien | — | 10/1 |
The Favourites: Thirteen go to post and Shakespeare, another Ballydoyle/Moore combination, is a solid 5/2 favourite ahead of Ger Lyons’ Anchor Road at 11/2 under Colin Keane.
The Value: Supreme Lord at 15/2 for the in-form Robson De Aguiar stable brings the best experience figure in the field, and 8/1 about The Captains Day with Oisin Murphy aboard is worth a second look.
The Verdict: Hard to get away from Shakespeare on a card where Ballydoyle’s juveniles look razor-sharp; Supreme Lord for the each-way slip.
14:50 – Sheehy Motors Volkswagen Handicap (5f, 3yo+)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipanema Queen | David Egan | Robson De Aguiar | 274681 | 4/1 |
| Erosandpsyche | Gary Carroll | Daniel James Murphy | 003382 | 13/2 |
| Rosie Frith | Colin Keane | Patrick Magee | -80144 | 13/2 |
| Gazelle d’Or | Sam Coen | M C Grassick | 0-7022 | 10/1 |
| Sarahmae | Jared Huggan | Denis Gerard Hogan | 011265 | 10/1 |
| Headmaster | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Edward Lynam | 1-7120 | 10/1 |
| Finika | Gavin Ryan | John James Feane | 031 | 11/1 |
The Favourites: A typically fierce five-furlong handicap with 14 runners. Last-time-out winner Ipanema Queen tops the market at 4/1, with the consistent Erosandpsyche and Rosie Frith both 13/2.
The Value: Finika at 11/1 is lightly raced with a win already banked (form 031) and has more progression in her than most of these exposed sprinters. Gazelle d’Or (10/1) has hit the frame twice recently too.
The Verdict: Ipanema Queen arrives in career-best form on ground that suits — she can defy a rise, with Finika the value alternative.
15:25 – FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes (Group 3, 6f, 3yo+)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Mojo | Tom Marquand | Michael Appleby (GB) | 10-780 | 5/4 |
| James’s Delight | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Clive Cox (GB) | 100-63 | 9/4 |
| Big Gossey | W J Lee | Charles O’Brien | 019212 | 7/2 |
| Bucanero Fuerte | David Egan | Robson De Aguiar | 7-7546 | 9/2 |
| Bodhi Bear | Colin Keane | J A Stack | 185130 | 14/1 |
The Favourites: Just five go to post but it’s classy. Big Mojo, the Molecomb winner who landed the Group 1 Sprint Cup at Haydock last season, drops markedly in grade for Mick Appleby and is 5/4 to get his season back on track. Clive Cox’s fellow raider James’s Delight is 9/4.
The Value: Curragh specialist Big Gossey at 7/2 has run a stack of solid races over this course and distance (form 019212) and is the obvious each-way play if the raiders underperform.
The Verdict: Things haven’t gone to plan for Big Mojo this term, but a Haydock Sprint Cup winner in a Group 3 on fast ground is exactly the drop-in-class play the tipping pages think it is. Taken to win.
16:00 – Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (Group 1, 6f, 2yo)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Goddess | Ryan Moore | A P O’Brien | 2121 | 11/10 |
| Celeron | Oisin Murphy | M D O’Callaghan | 101 | 5/2 |
| Folsom Blues | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | 312 | 13/2 |
| King Of Cloughan | J M Sheridan | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | 4212 | 7/1 |
| Tribeca | David Egan | Robson De Aguiar | 102 | 10/1 |
| Carry The Flag | Ronan Whelan | A P O’Brien | 212917 | 12/1 |
| Velozee | W J Lee | P Twomey | 11483 | 14/1 |
| The Scallionator | Wesley Joyce | Michael Mulvany | 42104 | 33/1 |
The Favourites: The day’s Group 1, and it’s a proper clash. Sun Goddess (11/10) has made an excellent impression in all four starts — second on debut, then a maiden win, a fine Royal Ascot run and a Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes success in June. She meets Michael O’Callaghan’s Railway Stakes winner Celeron (5/2), whose trainer insists his “high-class” colt can spring the upset.
The Value: Joseph O’Brien saddles two live outsiders in Folsom Blues (13/2) and King Of Cloughan (7/1), both placed at Group level, while Tribeca (10/1) carries the colours that took last year’s renewal.
The Verdict: Aidan O’Brien has won this a record seventeen times and Sun Goddess looks the latest — the fillies’ allowance and Ryan Moore seal it. Celeron is the danger.
16:35 – Tote Guarantee, Never Beaten By SP Handicap (6f, 3yo+)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go Athletico | Ronan Whelan | Adrian McGuinness | 300262 | 9/2 |
| Jon Riggens | James Ryan | Edward Lynam | -07671 | 11/2 |
| Hugo’s Girl | Oisin Murphy | Thomas Dowling | 303244 | 6/1 |
| Rosato | Patrick McGettigan | Charles Weld | 8-9072 | 7/1 |
| Nazario | Rory Mulligan | J P Murtagh | 726-44 | 10/1 |
| Nouvel Espoir | Dylan Browne McMonagle | James M Barcoe | 364144 | 10/1 |
The Favourites: Fifteen runners for this six-furlong dash. Go Athletico, a model of consistency for the McGuinness sprint academy, is 9/2 favourite, with last-time-out winner Jon Riggens at 11/2 and Hugo’s Girl (6/1) benefiting from an eye-catching Oisin Murphy booking.
The Value: Nouvel Espoir at 10/1 has won twice in his last six and handles fast ground, while Rosato (7/1) caught the eye last time.
The Verdict: The Murphy booking for a small yard is the angle — Hugo’s Girl to outrun her price, with Go Athletico the safe option.
17:10 – Money Back Daily Specials With Tote.ie Handicap (1m, 3yo+)
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Form | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booyea | Dylan Browne McMonagle | Thomas Gibney | 00-502 | 5/1 |
| Dark Viper | Shane Foley | Mrs John Harrington | 688521 | 5/1 |
| Summer Island | Oisin Murphy | Miss Natalia Lupini | 163121 | 6/1 |
| Kalir | Chris Hayes | D K Weld | 4-3441 | 7/1 |
| Marmeladova | W J Lee | K J Condon | -14321 | 7/1 |
| Goal Exceeded | Ronan Whelan | Adrian McGuinness | -20314 | 8/1 |
The Favourites: The getting-out stakes over a mile. Booyea and Jessica Harrington’s last-time-out winner Dark Viper share favouritism at 5/1, with the prolific Summer Island (form 163121) next at 6/1 for Natalia Lupini and — yes, again — Oisin Murphy.
The Value: Marmeladova at 7/1 has finished 1-4-3-2-1 in her last five for Ken Condon and is fairly treated, while Kalir (7/1) won for Dermot Weld last time.
The Verdict: Summer Island — two wins in her last four and Murphy staying aboard for the finale is no coincidence.
Racing elsewhere today? Don’t miss our previews of Britain’s two Sunday cards at Chepstow (14:06) and Leicester (14:24), plus the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Accumulator
The Richard Gore four-fold: Ibelieveicanfly (13:45, 2/1), Ipanema Queen (14:50, 4/1), Big Mojo (15:25, 5/4) and Sun Goddess (16:00, 11/10). That pays around 70/1 combined — a tenner returns north of £700 if the Phoenix day script plays out. Prefer it safer? The Big Mojo/Sun Goddess Phoenix double pays around 15/4.
Please gamble responsibly: 18+, never stake more than you can afford to lose, and visit GambleAware.org if the fun stops.
