This Saturday top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien will be looking for a remarkable eighteenth win in the Group One Phoenix Stakes – but, by his high-standards, is on a two-year dry spell in the race.
Therefore, the Ballydoyle maestro will be hoping to get back in the winners’ enclosure after two years on the sideline in this weekend’s big Curragh was for 2 year-olds – so what are the likely Aidan O’Brien Phoenix Stakes runners?
Phoenix Stakes 2025: Aidan O’Brien Looking To Win The Phoenix Stakes For The Eighteenth Time
When it comes to winning Group One races in the UK and Ireland, in the modern era Aidan O’Brien is way out in front.
O’Brien has fired in 17 Irish Derby winners after taking the pot again this season with his Epsom hero Lambourn – and there’s another big Curragh Group One race that has seen 17 winners for Aidan O’Brien.
This Saturday’s top juvenile race at the track – the Phoenix Stakes – has also had an incredible 17 wins for Mr Ballydoyle and despite the last of these coming in 2022 – it will be a brave person that says he’s won’t extend his winning run at the weekend.
In 2023 he saw his favourite Unquestionable only manage 4th, while 12 months ago O’Brien’s Whistlejacket was beaten into second by old rival Babouche.
He’s got 50% of the six runners and two big chances with his Royal Ascot winners True Love and Gstaad.
Both will have their backers – so it will be short odds with the horse racing betting sites O’Brien ends his two-year barren spell in this race and grab win number 18.
Aidan O’Brien’s First Phoenix Stakes Winner Came In 1998 – With The ‘Choirboy’ Riding
You have to go back to 1998 to find the first Aidan O’Brien Phoenix Stakes winner – Lavery, who was ridden by the ‘Choirboy’ Walter Swinburn.
He wasted no time in adding to that first winner – with successes in the next five years, with former stable jockey Mick Kinane riding four of these.
Other big names that graced the winners’ enclosure for Aidan O’Brien over the years have been George Washington, Mastercraftsman and Holy Roman Emperor.
With his most recent winner coming in 2022 with Little Big Bear (watch below).
EVERY Aidan O’Brien Phoenix Stakes Winner
- Lavery (1998)
- Fasliyev (1999)
- Minardi (2000)
- Johannesburg (2001)
- Spartacus (2002)
- One Cool Cat (2003)
- George Washington (2005)
- 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)
- Little Big Bear (2022)
Who Are The Main Aidan O’Brien Phoenix Stakes Runners 2025?
The final Phoenix Stakes runners are now out – with Aidan O’Brien having three of the six runners.
These are all listed below, but two standout names were both Royal Ascot winners in June – TRUE LOVE and GSTAAD.
True Love was a well-backed winner of the Queen Mary at Ascot and has since bolstered that form by romping away with the Railway Stakes here at the Curragh.
Her win the Queen Mary was remarkably also the first success in the race for O’Brien.
She beat stablemate Puerto Rico (who goes here too) by five lengths that day and will also get the 3lb fillies’ allowance here.
However, before winning at Ascot she was beaten by another possible Aidan O’Brien Phoenix Stakes runner – Gstaad.
This Starspangledbanner colt got the better of True Love by 3/4 of a length that day (watch below) and has since also gone onto win at Royal Ascot.
He landed the Coventry Stakes in great fashion – romping away by three lengths and with only two career runs is sure to have a lot more to come.
Oh, and the last Coventry Stakes winner to win this race was Caravaggio. Who was trained by a certain Aidan O’Brien too.
True Love Will Get 3lbs Fillies’ Allowance
Gstaad is rated 114 and True Love 115 – so there is nothing really between them.
But True Love will get the fillies’ allowance if running, so is well-in on the adjusted figures.
However, she’s had four runs to get to that mark – whereas Gstaad has only had two and, therefore, open to more improvement.
Plus, has already beaten True Love in his career and is the pick of Ryan Moore – who would have had the option to ride either.
Aidan O’Brien Phoenix Stakes Runners 2025
- Gstaad (Ryan Moore)
- Puerto Rico (Ronan Whelan)
- True Love (Wayne Lordan)
Curragh Phoenix Stakes Race Details 2025
See below the 2025 Phoenix Stakes race details for Saturday’s race, but at this stage the ITV Racing schedule have no plans to show the race live.
📅Date: Saturday 9th August 2025
⌚Time: 4:00pm
🏃Trip: 6f
🏆Grade: Group One
🏇Racecourse: Curragh
💷Winner: €206,500
📺 TV: RTV
Phoenix Stakes Betting Odds 2025
- Gstaad 8/11
- True Love 11/4
- Green Sense 10/1
- Power Blue 18/1
- Puerto Rico 20/1
- Do Bronxs 50/1
Note: Odds are subject to change
Phoenix Stakes Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2024 – Babouche (5/2)
- 2023 – Bucanero Fuerte (9/4)
- 2022 – Little Big Bear (13/8)
- 2021 – Ebro River (12/1)
- 2020 – Lucky Vega (4/1)
- 2019 – Siskin (10/11 fav)
- 2018 – Advertise (11/10 fav)
- 2017 – Sioux Nation (2/1)
- 2016 – Caravaggio (1/8 fav)
- 2015 – Air Force Blue (9/4)
