It’s Phoenix Day at The Curragh racecourse on Saturday, and one of the biggest meetings of the year in Ireland with the G1 2023 Phoenix Stakes a big trial for the 2024 2000 Guineas at Newmarket next May.
The race is over 6 furlongs, so a stamina test for the two-year-olds who have pretensions of becoming a classic champion and aiming to hit the winner’s circle at Newmarket next May.
This will be one of the best fields assembled for this race in many years. Of course, we have trainer Aidan O’Brien represented by Unquestionable but he will come up against a couple of very strong foes in Porta Fortuna who won the 2023 Grade 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and Bucanero Forte who was third in the 2023 Coventry Stakes, also at Royal Ascot.
Phoenix Stakes
Grade 1 – Purse $330,000 – 6 furlongs – Turf – 2-Year-Olds
Can Porta Fortuna vanquish the Colts?
Only seven runners go to post but it’s a very strong field assembled with some of the top two-year-olds seen this season going head-to-head for the first time.
We have to kick off with the unbeaten chalk Porta Fortuna, who was a very impressive winner when breaking the maiden first time here at The Curragh on heavy turf, and that will play to her strengths as the track this weekend will be on the soft side.
She won that race by a neck but was only ridden out hands and heels, and that showed, as she stepped up next time to win the Grade 3 Coolmore Stud Fillies Sprint stakes at Naas, and of course that was followed by her biggest career success to date when making it a hat trick in the 2023 Grade 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot where she travelled close to the speed and then widened late on to beat sixteen other rivals, and she will be tough to beat for handler Donnacha O’Brien.
He’ll be coming up against his father Aiden who fields two runners here, His Majesty and the strongly fancied Unquestionable who was so highly thought of, that he made his debut in the 2023 Listed First Flier Stakes where he ran a race full of promise to finish third.
He then had a simple task next time when breaking the maiden, going gate to wire here over this course and distance to win by just over four lengths.
He stepped back up the class ladder last time when second in the 2023 Grade 2 Railway Stakes, finishing just a short head behind another of today’s foes Bucanero Fuerte who had previously finished third in the 2023 Grade 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
2023 Phoenix Stakes Betting Odds
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds by Jazzsports |
| Bucanero Fuerte | Kevin Stott | +250 |
| Unquestionable | Ryan Moore | +250 |
| Porta Fortuna | Oisin Murphy | +300 |
| Givemethebeatboys | Shane Foley | +600 |
| His Majesty | Seamie Heffernan | +1800 |
| Gaenari | Gavin Ryan | +2800 |
| Launch | Gary Halpin | +8000 |
The top three on the boards here are all high-quality juveniles and both Bucanero Fuerte and Unquestionable are very closely matched and should hit the board.
However, the win of PORTA FORTUNA at Ascot gained many plaudits from handicappers, and as a filly, she gets an allowance which sways the decision in her favour in what looks like the two-year-old race of the season in Ireland so far.
Phoenix Sprint Stakes
Grade 3 – Purse $60,000 – 6 furlongs – Turf – 3-Year-Olds and Up
Can veteran Commanche Falls hold off these young improving sprinters
Usually a race with plenty of British raiders but this year the sole representative is Commanche Falls from the Michael Dods barn and he comes into this in top form having won his last two.
He’s been a solid performer at the Grade 1 level for some time but has taken class relief on his last two runs to win the 2023 Listed Dash Stakes here at The Curragh back at the beginning of July and then followed up last time in this spot when taking the 2023 Grade 3 Hackwood Stakes.
His run style is that of a stalker but he has a powerful late close and both of those races have seen him finish strongly late, so we can expect the same, and he should get a strong pace to close into with Ano Syra likely to try and go gate to wire.
His biggest rival comes in the shape of Go Athletico who is rated 4 lbs inferior but gets a 3lb allowance, so it should be very tight between the two.
He was a fine second last time in the 2023 Grade 2 Sapphire Stakes, so gets some nice class relief here, and he won his previous two races, The Listed 2023 Cor De Chasse Stakes at Deauville and on his Irish debut in the Listed Midsummer Sprint Stakes.
He is versatile in terms of race tactics and is likely to adopt stalking tactics today.
Apart from the top two on the board, Shartash has to be considered. The debate is out on whether he needs to stretch out to seven furlongs but was beaten just half a length behind Commanche Falls in the 2023 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.
He is 2 lbs better off at the weights and is a three-year-old with plenty of ability, and has more scope for improvement than his older rival.
Looking at longshots, one for exotics players to be interested in is Ano Syra who has finished behind a couple of these on previous runs but has some solid board finishes to her name.
She is likely to be one of those on the speed, and race position could be important here with quite a few closers, she could get first run going into the final quarter.
2023 Phoenix Sprint Stakes Betting Odds
| Horse | Jockey | Horse Racing Odds by Jazzsports |
| Commanche Falls | Connor Beasley | +275 |
| Big Gossey | Danny Sheehy | +1400 |
| Go Athletico | Rona Whelan | +300 |
| Hurricane Ivor | Shane Foley | +2200 |
| Moss Tucker | W J Lee | +650 |
| Tango Flare | Luke McAteer | +1200 |
| Ano Syra | Dylan Browne McMonagle | +1800 |
| Shartash | Ben Coen | +450 |
| Thunderbear | Colin Keane | +900 |
| Wodao | Gavin Ryan | +1400 |
| Coralillo | Chris Hayes | +3300 |
A tight race with little to choose between the top three on the boards and Commanche Falls looks sure to go well and can hit the board.
However, he is up against some improving younger horses and GO ATHLETICO gets the vote to come out on top in an intriguing race.
Both Shartash and Ano Syra have solid chances to grab a slice.
Check out the 2023 Phoenix Sprint Stakes & Phoenix Stakes Recap
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