Jessica Harrington could have another major star on her hands in the shape of Lucky Vega, who scooted clear on the run-in to take the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes very impressively at the Curragh last Sunday.

The son of Lope De Vega was always travelling well for Shane Foley in what is traditionally the first Europen Group 1 for two-year-olds of the season, and the pair picked up pace to come well clear of the biggest field assembled for this race since it moved over from Leopardstown in 2001.

It was a ninth Group 1 win for Harrington, a fifth for Foley, but perhaps more significantly a first for Chinese owner Zhang Yuesheng, who has been a significant investor in the Irish racing sector. Mr Zhang was sought out by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and came to Ireland in 2010 when he developed an interest in buying bloodstock. He has since set up his own breeding operations in his native province in China and in Australia, but continued to invest in Irish bloodstock. In 2017, he was responsible for the largest ever export of Irish bloodstock to China through a plane carrying 76 horses.

He has travelled back to Ireland each year since to buy horses, leaving some of his more expensive purchases to race here.

He will have high hopes Lucky Vega can make into a top stallion after he finishes racing, perhaps setting up in Australia. The colt could hardly have been more impressive on Sunday, and will likely head for the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket next.

Harrington however was out of luck in the other notable races at the weekend. Her top class sprinter Millisle was well held by Shane Foley in the Phoenix Sprint and a day before, Cayenne Pepper could not hold the challenge of Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa in the Group 3 Give Thanks Stakes at Cork. Tarnawa won the Blandford Stakes on Irish Champions’ Weekend last season and will likely be allowed to defend her title.

Owners

Off the track, the Government’s postponement of Phase 4 of the roadmap for reopening the country was another blow to racehorse owners, with regard to the limit of 200 people at outdoor gatherings. Owners were originally set to return to the racetracks from 20 July, but this latest postponement means they won’t be back until 31 August at the earliest.

In other news, Enable is set to bypass a clash with Aidan O’Brien’s Love in the Yorkshire Oaks at York next week, with the Group 3 September Stakes her target prior to the Arc at Paris Longchamp.