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English Raiders Look to Stop Ballydoyle's Record Breaking Phoenix Stakes Bid 04/08/11

The Group One Phoenix Stakes for two year old colts and fillies is one of the most important juvenile races of the season in Ireland and is run on Sunday 7th August at the Curragh.

The race used to be run as the Phoenix Plate and on the Phoenix Park course, but was transferred originally to Leopardstown and then to the Curragh in 2002 after Phoenix closed at the end of the 1990 season. gained Group One status in 1979 and carries a first prize of over around £110,000.

Throughout the 1950s, twice in the 60s and twice in the early 70s, the race was totally dominated by the legendary trainer, Paddy Prendergast who saddled 11 winners. Amazingly, that record was equalled last year by Aidan O’Brien, when his talented Zoffany took the race. It was O’Brien’s 11th winner in just 13 years and this year he has six entries as he clearly intends on setting a new record.

Many of those past winners have gone on to bigger and better things as older horses. Mastercraftsman, who won the race in 2008 went on to win the Irish 2000 Guineas the following season, while 2005 winner, George Washington took the English 2000 Guineas in 2006.

Power (Ryan Moore) gets up in the dying
strides to beat Roman Soldier (George Baker) in the Coventry Stakes 2011
© racing-images.co.uk

Power
The Ballydoyle contingent this year will be headed by the Royal Ascot Coventry Stakes winner, Power. Unbeaten after three starts, this son of Oasis Dream looked very impressive when defeating the Jeremy Noseda trained Roman Soldier by a neck at Ascot. Roman Soldier has since been seen once more this time losing by a length to the David Brown trained, Frederick Engels, in the Group Two July Stakes at Newmarket, last month. It is interesting therefore to see Frederick Engels sent over to Ireland to contest this race but on a line of form with Roman Soldier, he may just have the edge over Power. Frederick Engels is also a winner from Royal Ascot having taken the Group Two Windsor Park Stakes and both feature at the top of the 2,000 Guineas antepost market for 2012 and are both entered to run in the feature two year old race of the season, The Dewhurst Stakes in October.

As it stands currently, Power has been installed as the 7/4 favourite in the Phoenix Stakes odds, while Frederick Engels looks much better value at 4/1. Second favourite in the betting is the Richard Hannon trained, Lilbourne Lad, who travelled over to the Curragh at the end of June where he won the Group Two Railway Stakes, which was his third win in four starts as a juvenile and looks like a hot prospect from a stable whose two year olds are always tough to beat.

The third British challenger from England comes in the shape of the Mick Channon trained, Gatepost who will need to have improved considerably if he is to reverse form with Power who defeated him comfortably in the Coventry Stakes. Gatepost could only manage fifth place that day and was nearly three lengths adrift, before that however he won both of his two starts and would not necessarily be out of the mix completely. The last British win in the race came back in 1997 when the Mark Johnston trained, Princely Heir took the race.

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