Keeneland Phoenix Stakes iz2
Group 1, Curragh 15:35 €250,000 added, 2yo only, 6f
Sunday 12th August 2018

135nu

1 11/10F
2 So Perfect 7/1
3 The Irish Rover 12/1
5 ran NR: Gossamer Wings Distances: ½l, ½l, 2¾l
Time: 1m 12.29s (slow by 0.89s)

is the first British-trained winner in over 20 years

© Racehorse Photos

Martyn Meade’s was the 11-10 favourite in the hands of Frankie Dettori, with three of his four rivals trained by Aidan O’Brien, who had saddled a staggering 16 winners of the race in the last 20 years.

had finished marginally ahead of the reopposing Sergei Prokofiev when they came home second and third in the July Stakes at Newmarket.

The Irish Rover adopted a pacesetting role, with always in his slipstream.

With Sergei Prokofiev failing to fire, The Irish Rover and settled down to fight it out and were ed by So Perfect racing inside the last of six furlongs.

There was little to split the trio as they raced for the line, but stuck his neck out to score by half a length, with So Perfect beating The Irish Rover to the runner-up spot.

The Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (Group 1)
6f , Race Value: €250,000
5 ran
Going: Good

Pos	Dr	D	Horse SP	Jockey Weight	Trainer	Age
1st	(1)		11/10F	L Dettori 9-3	M Meade	2
2nd	(2)	½	So Perfect (USA) 7/1	J A Heffernan 9-0	A P O'Brien	2
3rd	(3)	½	The Irish Rover (IRE) 12/1	D O'Brien 9-3	A P O'Brien	2
4th	(5)	2¾	Indigo Balance (IRE) 14/1	C T Keane 9-3	Mrs J Harrington	2
5th	(4)	3	Sergei Prokofiev (CAN) 7/4	R L Moore 9-3	A P O'Brien	2
NR	(6)		Gossamer Wings (USA)	W M Lordan 9-0	A P O'Brien	2