WITH nine wins from the last 11 runnings, British stables have dominated the Group One Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes. Unusually, there are just two cross channel runners for tomorrow's £150,000 renewal at Leopardstown - Ocean Ridge and Muchea - but we have some very promising two year olds this season and I am confident we can contain the challenge.
Three years ago, Robert Sangster, Peter Chapple Hyam and John Reid combined to win the race with Turtle Island. This time they are represented with the Storm Bird filly Ocean Ridge who recently won the Prix Robert Papin and this followed a five length second behind the exciting filly Dazzle in the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket over tomorrow's distance.
Muchea, trained by Mike Channon and ridden by Richard Hughes, finished third behind Tipsy Creek and a luckless Raphane in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. His trainer claims he was slightly impeded by the drifting Raphane but has recently worked extremely well. Muchea has nearly two lengths to make up on Raphane, who was a three length runner up to Easycall in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood just over a week ago.
Verglas, trained by Kevin Prendergast who saddled Bradawn Breever to win this race in 1991, is likely to start favourite on the strength of his convincing win in the six furlong Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot where he beat the subsequent Curragh Group winner, Daylight In Dubai.
The grey showed considerable potential on his second start at Leopardstown in May with a runaway eight length success. Verglas is owned by the sponsor's wife, Mrs Tony O'Reilly, whose Woodborough finished a close second behind Danehill Dancer in last year's race.
Dermot Weld, who won the race in 1978 and 1979 with Kilijaro and Smokey Lady, is represented with the highly regarded Moyglar Stud filly, Star Profile, who impressed when winning on her debut over six furlongs at the Curragh in June. Michael Kinane would have renewed acquaintance with Blue Duster in tomorrow's Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville had he not been retained by Weld.
Jim Bolger, successful with the filly Eva Luna two years ago, runs Azra and Mantovani. The former has won all of his four races over the course, from five furlongs to seven furlongs and more recently short headed Check The Band, one of two runners from Aidan O'Brien's yard.
Check The Band, whose stable companion, Mellerary, is now a non runner, was fifth in a Group Three at Newmarket last month, ran Daylight In Dubai to half a length at the Curragh. On a line through the latter it appears that Verglas has the measure of Azra and Check the Band. Mantovani won over this course and distance last month.
Verglas is something special and if there is a cut in the ground tomorrow, he would not be inconvenienced. Hopefully, Verglas will stay a mile next year and if so he might well win the 2,000 Guineas for Kevin Prendergast, successful with Nebbiolo in 1977.
Woodborough now returns for the Group Three Phoenix Sprint. He has not run since finishing fourth in the Cork and Orrery Stakes at Ascot where he started favourite and that was a good effort. However, he will be hard put to turn the tables on the O'Brien trained Catch The Blues, runner up in the Ascot sprint in which he was drawn on the unfavoured far side and half a length ahead of Woodborough.
The William Jarvis trained Farhana, unbeaten this season, is on the upgrade and has the assistance of Kinane but Woodborough looks the pick of the English challenge which again can be contained, this time by Catch The Blues who put up a good weight carrying performance to win the five furlong Rockingham at the Curragh last time out.
Munif can reverse Galway placings with Taklif in the EBF Handicap and Regal Domain, narrowly beaten at Galway, is taken to win the Circle Paints Handicap for Kevin Prendergast.
