You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Phoenix Stakes Preview
The Group 1 Phoenix Stakes takes place at the Curragh racecourse in August of each year. Established in 1902, it is named 'Phoenix' in the race title because it was originally run at Phoenix Park and was also known as the Phoenix Plate. It has carried this name since 1956 and moved to the Curragh in 2002.
The race is restricted to two-year-old colts and fillies and is run over a straight six furlongs. It's a race that Aidan O'Brien has won with some of his top two-year-olds in the past, with the likes of George Washington, Mastercraftsman and Caravaggio all winning this on their way to successful careers.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Phoenix Stakes will hold the title of 'Keeneland Phoenix Stakes'.
Phoenix Stakes Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Curragh, then head over to the Curragh tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Curragh Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Phoenix Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022, when the race had an over-round of 107%. The race in 2015 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 120%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Phoenix Stakes, the over-round has been 115%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £115 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Phoenix Stakes Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Phoenix Stakes Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the 2026 Phoenix Stakes Runners & Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Phoenix Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Power Blue (1:09.28) in 2025
- Babouche (1:09.33) in 2024
- Sudirman (1:09.35) in 2013
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Phoenix Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -2.81. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Phoenix Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2009 renewal when Alfred Nobel from A P O'Brien under the guidance of Johnny Murtagh, won in a time of 1:20.32, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Power Blue, trained by Adrian Murray and ridden by David Egan set the quickest time of 1:09.28 in the 2025 renewal.
Phoenix Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Phoenix Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed is the stall from which the horse came and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Phoenix Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:09.28 | Power Blue (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (4 of 5) 10/1 | David Egan Adrian Murray (IRE) |
| 2024 1:09.33 | Babouche (GB) 2yo 9-2 (3 of 5) 5/2 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2023 1:12.53 | Bucanero Fuerte (GB) 2yo 9-5 (1 of 7) 9/4 | Kevin Stott Adrian Murray (IRE) |
| 2022 1:11.27 | Little Big Bear (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (2 of 5) 13/8 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2021 1:12.16 | Ebro River (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (5 of 8) 12/1 | Shane Foley Hugo Palmer (GB) |
| 2020 1:13.35 | Lucky Vega (IRE) 2yo 9-5 (9 of 10) 4/1 | Shane Foley Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2019 1:17.14 | Siskin (USA) 2yo 9-3 (2 of 5) 10/11F | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2018 1:12.29 | Advertise (GB) 2yo 9-3 (1 of 5) 11/10F | Frankie Dettori Martyn Meade (GB) |
| 2017 1:11.72 | Sioux Nation (USA) 2yo 9-3 (3 of 8) 2/1 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2016 1:11.79 | Caravaggio (USA) 2yo 9-3 (3 of 5) 1/8F | Seamie Heffernan A P O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Phoenix Stakes have been based:
- IRE: 18 winners with an additional 19 placings from 105 runners
- GB: 2 winners with an additional 6 placings from 24 runners
2025 Phoenix Stakes Replay
Phoenix Stakes Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Phoenix Stakes over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race ten times, with those ten winners coming from Holy Roman Emperor (2006), Mastercraftsman (2008), Alfred Nobel (2009), Zoffany (2010), Pedro The Great (2012), Dick Whittington (2014), Air Force Blue (2015), Caravaggio (2016), Sioux Nation (2017) and Little Big Bear (2022).
Here are the Phoenix Stakes trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 47-10-20 | -5.11 | -1.55 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| M D O'Callaghan | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Michael Mulvany | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.70 |
Phoenix Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Phoenix Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Ryan Moore, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Sioux Nation (2017) and Little Big Bear (2022).
Here are the Phoenix Stakes jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore (Sun Goddess) | 8-2-5 | -2.37 | -1.98 |
| David Egan (Tribeca) | 2-1-1 | +9.00 | +5.25 |
| Ronan Whelan (Carry The Flag) | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Dylan Browne McMonagle (Folsom Blues) | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Oisin Murphy (Celeron) | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | -0.06 |
| W J Lee (Velozee) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 Phoenix Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (1, 2), 2, 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 1, 5, 3, 4, 4, 2, 2
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (70%) - Highest Won is not Cl2/Cl4-5
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Break of 17 - 76 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Not on HY/GS/FM/STD (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 47+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Break of 17 - 145 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 11/1 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 71+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Carried 124 - 133lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - No bigger than 14/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Highest Run is not LST/Cl2-4
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career Place)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - No bigger than 14/1 (LTO)
- 17 / 20 (77%) - Placed within last 1 start
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Phoenix Stakes. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Phoenix Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2026 Phoenix Stakes Runners & Shortlist
Curragh will host the 2026 renewal of the Phoenix Stakes, which will be run at 4:00 pm on Sunday, 9th August 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Sun Goddess (11/10)
- A P O'Brien (47-10-20 -5.11 / -1.55)
- Ryan Moore (8-2-5 -2.37 / -1.98)
Others: Carry The Flag (14/15), Folsom Blues (13/15), Velozee (13/15), Tribeca (12/15), King Of Cloughan (11/15), Celeron (11/15) and The Scallionator (8/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (4:19 pm Friday 7th August 2026); if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Phoenix Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +60.38, is when runners had 1 start in the past 30 days.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Class 2 when last winning; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-20.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 4 (5) [5 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 3 (2) [5 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 1 (6) [7 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 2 (1) [5 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 5 (8,2) [8 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Phoenix Stakes is Curragh; there have been a total of 12 winners of this race who ran at Curragh last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Ascot and Leopardstown; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 17 winners from a total of 107 runners, while female runners have produced 3 winners from a total of 22 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Phoenix Stakes:
- Danehill Dancer (2 Wins)
- Henrythenavigator (2 Wins)
- Scat Daddy (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was La Collina in 2011, winning for Kevin Prendergast at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Declan McDonogh. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Phoenix Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Phoenix Stakes
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Phoenix Stakes. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Power Blue Curragh - 3rd of 4 (4/1) | GAIN Railway Stakes |
| 2024 - Babouche Curragh - 1st of 10 (13/8) | Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes |
| 2023 - Bucanero Fuerte Curragh - 1st of 9 (10/3) | GAIN Railway Stakes |
| 2022 - Little Big Bear Curragh - 1st of 6 (2/5) | Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes |
| 2021 - Ebro River Goodwood - 4th of 7 (10/3) | Richmond Stakes |
| 2020 - Lucky Vega Curragh - 2nd of 7 (3/1) | GAIN Railway Stakes |
| 2019 - Siskin Curragh - 1st of 5 (4/6) | GAIN Railway Stakes |
| 2018 - Advertise Newmarket (July) - 1st of 8 (11/10) | July Stakes |
| 2017 - Sioux Nation Ascot - 1st of 17 (14/1) | Norfolk Stakes |
| 2016 - Caravaggio Ascot - 1st of 18 (13/8) | Coventry Stakes |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Phoenix Stakes Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for Flat racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal races at Curragh Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Curragh racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in March
Races in April
Races in May (Irish Guineas Festival)
Races in June
Races in July
Races in August
Races in September (Irish Champions Festival)
- Blandford Stakes
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap
- Flying Five Stakes
- Irish St Leger
- Moyglare Stud Stakes
- National Stakes
- Northfields Handicap
