Sun Goddess turned a last‑place position into a winning performance, delivering Aidan O’Brien his 18th triumph in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh. The race, a Group One event steeped in history, has been claimed by such notable horses as Johannesburg (2001), George Washington (2005), Holy Roman Emperor (2006) and Caravaggio (2016). Entering the contest as the 5‑4 favourite, Sun Goddess was expected to add her name to that illustrious roll of honour, and she did so under the steady guidance of jockey Ryan Moore.
The filly is a daughter of Sioux Nation, the same mare that secured the Phoenix Stakes for O’Brien’s stable in 2017. Prior to this outing, Sun Goddess had already demonstrated her aptitude over the Curragh’s straight mile, winning both of her previous starts at the venue and distance.
Her record also includes a Group Two victory in her most recent run, sandwiched between a runner‑up finish in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot – where she was bested only by George Boughey’s Libertango – and a maiden win at Naas. On race day, stablemate Carry The Flag set a blistering early tempo, prompting Moore to settle Sun Goddess comfortably behind the leaders.
As the field turned into the final two furlongs, Moore asked the filly for acceleration. She responded with a smooth, powerful surge on the far side of the track, slipping through the inside and pulling ahead.
By the finish line she was a length and a quarter clear of the runner‑up, Folsom Blues, confirming her status as a top‑class juvenile. After the race, O’Brien praised the filly, saying, “She’s a beautiful filly.
She ran well at Naas on the first day, then came back here to win her maiden, and then she went to Ascot probably a little under‑par, with the benefit of hindsight. Then she came back here a week after and won even though she was at Ascot the week before.
She’s obviously very special and everything has gone really well since Ascot.” He added, “She has a lot of gears and a very high cruising pace. Ryan said they went fast and he just said when he started to ask her she motor‑ed clear. He said she’ll have no problem getting seven furlongs. She’s very exciting.” The Phoenix Stakes win was only part of a busy meeting at the Curragh, which also featured a standout performance from Big Mojo.
The four‑year‑old, trained by Mick Appleby, captured the FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes, a race that had been a target for the colt after a mixed start to the season. Big Mojo had previously shown his class at the highest level, taking the Sprint Cup at Haydock and finishing a neck behind No Half Measures in the July Cup at Newmarket.
This season, however, his form had dipped, with unplaced runs at York, Royal Ascot and a second attempt at the July Cup. The Curragh run offered a softer test, and under Tom Marquand he displayed his trademark turn of foot, beating Bucanero Fuerte by one and a quarter lengths. Appleby, who celebrated his first Irish winner, explained the strategy behind the campaign: “We brought him here just to give him a bit more confidence.
He was lacking a little confidence after the big races he’d run in. Now that he’s got his head back in front, hopefully he’ll do it again. He’s as good as ever, just a bit more laid‑back, like me!
It’s hard to win these races, but there are a lot of good sprinters out there and he’s done it well enough.” He hinted that a return to Haydock and perhaps a run at the Breeders’ Cup could be on the agenda. The meeting also highlighted emerging talent from Guidenstown Stud. Michael O’Callaghan’s Push The Boat Out, a 16‑1 outsider, delivered a comfortable win in the Irish EBF Maiden, confirming the trainer’s high opinion of the colt.
“We’ve held him in high regard from the moment we got him,” O’Callaghan said. “He’s a natural at home, jumped well and travelled with a lot of pace. Colin Keane was taken by him and said he should have no problem stepping up into stakes company.
I don’t think he’ll have any problem going another furlong – he could be a high‑class stakes horse.” The trainer plans to assess the horse after the National Stakes to gauge his future prospects. Aidan O’Brien also secured a victory with his filly Ibelieveicanfly, who finally broke her maiden in the Grand Hotel Malahide Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race.
The Frankel‑bred had placed fourth, second and fourth in her first three starts, and was fitted with a hood for the race. Ryan Moore rode her to a five‑length win, prompting O’Brien to comment, “The better the race, the better she is going to be – she has such a high cruising pace. In an ordinary maiden, she is just in a gear too high.
She has a lot of class. There was plenty of pace on and Ryan was very happy with her.” The day’s program concluded with another O’Brien‑Moore partnership, this time in the Guidenstown Stud Irish European Breeders’ Fund Maiden, where they backed 8‑15 favourite Shakespeare, a son of Dubawi. After two placed efforts in his first two starts, Shakespeare delivered a third‑time‑lucky win without much drama.
O’Brien praised the colt, noting, “He’s a lovely big horse who does everything right. He’s a little bit of a baby, which is why it took two runs for him to get to where he is. He’s still not there.
He has a lot of ability and is in the ‘could be anything’ category. Size, power, quality, speed, stamina – he has everything.
Hopefully he’ll be something to look forward to.” Overall, the Curragh meeting showcased a blend of seasoned champions and promising newcomers, underscoring the depth of talent in Irish flat racing. From Sun Goddess’s thrilling comeback win to Big Mojo’s confidence‑boosting sprint, the day offered a compelling narrative for racing fans and highlighted the strategic acumen of trainers like O’Brien and Appleby in managing their horses’ development across varied distances and conditions. The performances also set the stage for future targets, with many of the winners eyeing prestigious spring festivals and international contests later in the season.