From champion racehorses to world-class sires: the Phoenix Stakes roll of honour examined

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In years gone by the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes has been won by a number of high-class racehorses, plenty of whom have gone on to significant success at stud.

We’ve been lacking a genuine superstar in recent seasons, although there is no getting away from the fact the first two-year-old Group 1 of the European calendar continues to play a big part in deciding champion two-year-old honours, future track talents and budding stallions.

Coolmore have targeted the race with a number of leading lights over the years, chief among them the 2001 winner Johannesburg. That son of Hennessy went through a brilliant and unbeaten juvenile campaign, landing the Phoenix by five lengths before adding further top-level laurels in the Prix Morny, Middle Park Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Johannesburg failed to win in three more starts the following year and ended up standing in Japan but left an immense legacy through his outstanding sire son Scat Daddy. The Florida Derby and Champagne Stakes winner died of heart failure aged 11 in 2015 ahead of standing at Coolmore's Ashford Stud for a career-high $100,000 after producing stellar results from lower fees.

Despite his premature death, he has still managed to become a huge influence via his leading sons Justify and No Nay Never, in addition to the now Japan-based Caravaggio, a winner of the Phoenix Stakes in 2016. Justify and No Nay Never have got a number of sons at stud in the formative stages of their own careers, among them unbeaten champion juvenile and world champion three-year-old City Of Troy, as well as Group 1-winning juveniles Blackbeard, Little Big Bear and Whistlejacket.

Notably, Johannesburg features prominently in three runners' pedigrees this year in the form of warm favourite Sun Goddess, as well as fellow stakes winners Velozee and Carry The Flag.

Sioux Nation: 2017 Phoenix Stakes winner and son of Scat Daddy has representation in the 2026 raceCredit: Caroline Norris

Sun Goddess was a winner over course and distance in June's Airlie Stud Stakes and is by Scat Daddy's Phoenix Stakes-winning son Sioux Nation. Velozee is also by the Castlehyde Stud resident and she struck in a Curragh Listed contest over five furlongs in May. Babouche was the last filly to land the race in 2024, while La Collina, Saoirse Abu and Damson struck in 2011, 2007 and 2004 and continue to have an impact in some way or other as broodmares.

Carry The Flag is by No Nay Never, another son of Scat Daddy who provided the 2022 scorer in Little Big Bear.

That colt, now stationed at Coolmore alongside his sire, was crowned champion juvenile that term after romping to a seven-length victory in the race, defeating the likes of July Stakes scorer Persian Force and subsequent champion sprinter Bradsell in the process. His first yearlings are due to sell shortly.

Other Coolmore-owned winners who have also become leading stallions include Danehill Dancer, champion sire in 2009 when defeating Galileo in his epoch-defining era, as well as his son Mastercraftsman, a subsequent winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes.

Holy Roman Emperor and Zoffany are the other names who stand tall among the race's winners this century, both of them becoming top-level-winning sires for Coolmore.

Showcasing's son Advertise landed the Phoenix Stakes for Martyn Meade en route to landing victories in the Commonwealth Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest at three. The Whitsbury Manor Stud stalwart has another son in Sussex Stakes scorer Mohaather who will be represented on Sunday.

Aside from a down-the-field run in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, Mohaather’s son Celeron is two from two in his fledgling career, his latest victory coming over course and distance in last month's Railway Stakes.

Oasis Dream is the broodmare sire of two Phoenix Stakes winners, including SiskinCredit: Patrick McCann

There would be an added poignancy if this likeable colt landed Group 1 honours as his owners included John Fleming, a close friend of trainer Michael O’Callaghan and well-known industry figure who died in a tragic accident at Dublin Airport in April.

Although Oasis Dream has not yet sired the winner of the Phoenix Stakes – his subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Power finished second in the 2011 running – he still features as the broodmare sire of previous winners Sioux Nation and Siskin. He could yet add a third winner in that category via Folsom Blues, a Blue Point colt who was second in the Tyros Stakes last time out.

Of the colts this year with a prospective stallion's pedigree, fellow Blue Point colt Tribeca has much to recommend. A debut winner at Navan who bounced back from Royal Ascot defeat with a second-place finish in the Railway, he hails from a top-class Moyglare family.

Bred by Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner's operation, he was bought for 575,000gns by Amo Racing from Tally-Ho Stud at Tattersalls Book 1. Tally-Ho had previously bought him from Moyglare's draft for €250,000 at the Goffs February Sale and turned him around for a quick profit. He is out of the winning Dansili mare Tina Angelina, a half-sister to the dam of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs.

King Of Cloughan, by one of the sires of the moment in St Mark's Basilica, needs to bounce back from odds-on defeat in France last time, but the Windsor Castle winner is another who could be an attractive sire prospect were he to strike in a Group 1 for Joseph O'Brien. The Goffs Orby graduate is out of the US stakes-winning Maclean's Music mare Mystic Eyes and from a family which includes Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Boston Harbor.

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