Moore and Sun Goddess hand O’Brien 18th Keeneland Phoenix Stakes success

Sun Goddess ridden by Ryan Moore on his way to winning The Keeneland Phoenix Stakes. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Aidan O’Brien landed an 18th Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, and his first with a filly, when Sun Goddess came from last to first under Ryan Moore to land the Curragh feature, the first European Group 1 of the season for two-year-olds.

The Sioux Nation filly, already a Group 2 winner, quickened impressively off a strong pace to beat Folsom Blues by a length and a quarter, with Velozee third and pacemaker Carry The Flag fourth.

‘She’s a beautiful filly, very special,” said O’Brien whose first win in the ‘Phoenix’ came with Lavery back in 1998. “She has progressed well. She was under par in Ascot, but everything has gone really well since she won her Group 2 here. 

“The plan today was to get her relaxed and see if she’s a six-furlong filly, or if she’ll stay further. Ryan was very patient and calm on her and said that, when he asked her, she got there very easily.

“She’ll have no problem stepping-up to seven furlongs, so the ‘Moyglare’ is an option, or we could wait for the ‘Cheveley Park’. And she could go to America (Breeders Cup) at the end of the season.” 

A Group 1 winner last season, Big Mojo (Tom Marquand) gave trainer Mick Appleby his first success in Ireland when justifying 5/4 favouritism the Group 3 FBD Hotels & Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes, at the expense of Bucanero Fuerte.

“He’s as good as ever, but more laid-back, like me,” said a delighted Appleby. 

“All these good sprints are hard to win and we came here hoping to give him a bit of confidence. 

“He won well and I’d say there was a lot more in the tank. He’ll probably go back to Haydock next and Paul (Teasdale) might want to go to the Breeders Cup after that.” 

Aidan O’Brien completed a two-year-old treble on the day, with Ibelieveicanfly and Shakespeare, bouncing back from odds-on defeats to triumph.

Keen in her previous starts and wearing a first-time hood, Ibelieveicanfly (13/8 favourite) spear-headed a 1-2-3 for Ballydoyle in the Grand Hotel Malahide 2-Y-0 Fillies Juvenile Race, stretching clear to slam Speckles by five lengths, with front-runner Exceptionally third.

“They haven’t gone quick enough in her previous races,” explained O’Brien. “She has a lot of class and the fast pace suited her. The better the race the better she’ll be. All the good races are open to her.” 

Shakespeare (8/15 favourite) made all to make it third-time-lucky in the Guidenstown 2-Y-0 Maiden, beating a pair of Joseph O’Brien-trained newcomers Benown and Loughrea N Roll.

“He’s still a bit of a baby and that should do him good,” said the trainer. “He fits into the ‘could be anything’ category. I liked the way he got down and stretched when Ryan asked him. I think he’s a very good horse – he’s going to be exciting.” 

In the other two-year-old action, Michael O’Callaghan’s debutant Push The Boat Out (16/1) delivered in the six-furlong maiden, collaring New Bond Street before holding Ballydoyle colt Marco Polo by a length and a quarter.

“That was a lovely debut,” stated O’Callaghan. “He jumped and travelled and Colin said he had to slow him down for half the race. He hit the line very strong, so another furlong should be no problem.

“We’ve always felt that he’s well above average. He’ll step into stakes company now.” 

Colin Keane, who rode Push The Boat Out, completed a double when Paddy Magee’s speedster Rosie Frith saw off Genesis in the five-furlong Sheehy Motors Volkswagen Handicap.

And Chris Hayes doubled up in the late handicap action, taking the six-furlong Tote Handicap on Pat Murphy’s Mint Man before recording an-all-the-way win on the Dermot Weld-trained Kalir in the finale.

In Downpatrick, there were doubles for Paddy O’Hanlon and local trainer Colin McBratney.

O’Hanlon doubled up on Dermot McLoughlin’s course winner Malbay Madness in the Randox Rated Hurdle and the Ian Donoghue-trained Parkgarve in the Lily O’Hare Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

And McBratney, who trains in Crossgar, struck with course specialist Gangster Granny, (Sean Flanagan) who recorded her third win on the track in the Franco Hughes Mares Handicap Hurdle and the J J Slevin-ridden Magical Sal in the J Murdoch Contracts Maiden Hurdle.