On one of the less vaunted summer Saturdays in the British and Irish racing calendar, punters can look forward to Group action from Haydock Park, Newmarket and the Curragh on 9 August. Four Pattern races take place across these three venues on this day.
Starting on Merseyside with the Listed mile Dick Hern Stakes for fillies and mares, the main event in the Northwest of England is the Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes. Down in East Anglia, meanwhile, the headquarters of the UK Flat has the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes for juvenile fillies over seven furlongs.
If it’s sprint action you want, then look to the Emerald Isle for it. The Curragh races include two six-furlong contests in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint and Group 1 Phoenix Stakes for two-year-old colts and fillies. Newmarket also has a decent seven-furlong handicap featuring some of the same horses who ran in that very race last term.
Check out our experts’ thoughts on the best of the action from all three courses below. After some studying of the form book and how online horse racing bookmakers feel about these events, they consider which runners have value prices. Get more detailed analysis on these half-a-dozen races below.
Haydock, Newmarket & Curragh Races Preview for Saturday, 9 August
2:25 Haydock – Listed 1m Dick Hern Stakes (Fillies & Mares)
Protest earned a 4lb rise from the assessor for that length success and, on official figures, rates the best of her age bracket. With owners Cheveley Park Stud also running Sunfall, but Silvestre De Sousa keeping the ride, connections are clearly looking for a bit of black type as their minimum hope. Shuwari was a smart juvenile, but hasn’t raced on turf since October 2023 and may need her reappearance.
Ollie Sangster’s charge possesses smart back form, but didn’t take to the All-Weather on her sole start this season and concedes a recent run all-round. Juddmonte have Arolla seeking to bounce back from a poor display at Royal Ascot, while Never Let Go popped up during the big meeting and landed the Sandringham.
The concern with Kieran Shoemark’s mount is she couldn’t win a handicap over course and distance off 76 and shaped when placed at Goodwood as though she wants further than a mile. Of those with course experience, Suite Francaise could go well for Charlie Johnston. She scored nicely here in May and wasn’t disgraced when third in this grade on Eclipse day around Sandown.
3:00 Haydock – 1m 2f 100y Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes
HAATEM – Wolferton Stakes (2025) pic.twitter.com/x9MoWNy7Tu
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 10, 2025
Richard Hannon and Wathnan Racing combine with this four-year-old who placed in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas last spring. After landing the Jersey Stakes in this grade during Royal Ascot last summer and missing the rest of the campaign, Haatem couldn’t go the pace for a mile on his first couple of starts, but landed the hardest Listed race in the calendar back in Berkshire.
Based on his Wolferton display, going back up in trip makes sense. In receipt of 8lb weight for age all-round, the market suggests Detain is a big danger for the John & Thady Gosden stable. He hasn’t won on turf yet, but ran a fine third in the French Derby. Wathnan also have Haunted Dream in the line-up and Godolphin run two, but there are reasons to take them on.
Military Order looks like another All-Weather specialist, as each of his last three wins have come on artificial surfaces, and Kempton’s September Stakes next month would appear an ideal target. First Conquest, meanwhile, once beat Lockinge hero Lead Artist by a nose and won in this grade when wintering in Meydan over the trip. He concedes weight and a recent run to the entire field, however.
3:07 Newmarket – 7f Class 2 Handicap (0-100)
The William Knight trained Royal Velvet avoids the loose horse to win the Bet £10 Get £40 With BetMGM Handicap under Cieren Fallon! 🏆@CierenFallonJr3 | @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/XDazh1qXRW
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) May 17, 2025
Last year’s 1-2-3 take each other on again with Jumby significantly better off at the weights with re-opposing winner Fifty Nifty and runner-up Waiting All Night. It’s tempting to suggest Eve Johnson Houghton’s relative veteran, who continues to drop in the handicap, especially after an unlucky in-running third around Haydock last time.
In even better form, however, is William Knight filly ROYAL VELVET. She has two wins and a third at Headquarters this term with the placed effort working out well as the first two fought out the finish of a Glorious Goodwood handicap last week. Royal Velvet has 4lb on her back than when landing her latest outing during the July Festival and Oisin Murphy now takes the ride.
Besides Waiting All Night, who is 5lb out of the handicap, Richard Spencer also runs Righthere Rightnow. Three-year-olds receive 6lb weight for age, an angle the same connections exploited in this race 12 months ago. As a previous course and distance winner himself, Righthere Rightnow cannot be entirely ruled out for Saffie Osborne and the Stewards’ Cup winning owner and trainer.
3:25 Curragh – 6f Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes
Babouche continues to impress and flies home to beat off her rivals in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes, taking the top prize for Ger Lyons!@ctkjockey | @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/PEYo1gHizT
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) August 10, 2024
The last two winners of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes over course and distance meet in this sprint contest. Of those, the eye is drawn most to BABOUCHE back on home turf. Ger Lyons runners don’t always reproduce their best form across the Irish Sea in England, so it could pay to put a line through the three-year-old filly’s Royal Ascot run on ground that was rattling fast.
Babouche’s defeats of Whistlejacket and Camille Pissarro from last season here read well in relation to this easier assignment than the Commonwealth Cup. There are plenty of dangers to the Juddmonte filly, however, and one of them comes from within her own stable. Of those who fought out the finish of the Listed Dash here on Derby day, My Mate Alfie caught the eye most.
Although Willie McCreery filly Vespertillo just lasted home then, Lyons’ four-year-old only missed out by a diminishing short-head and now meets the winner on 7lb better terms. My Mate Alfie also tackles re-opposing third and fourth King Cuan and Big Gossey with a 5lb and 2lb pull at the weights, so should confirm Curragh form with them.
Elsewhere in the field, Art Power and Black Forza will need their reappearance runs. Kind Of Blue and Ides Of March are on the comeback trail from disappointing displays, so others appeal more. After three placed efforts, David O’Meara filly Nighteyes might be best of the British challenge. Bucanero Fuerte is another course and distance winner
3:42 Newmarket – 7f Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes (Fillies)
She now switches to the July Course, but made such a promising debut that Godolphin’s daughter of Dubawi can take this step up into Pattern company in her stride. Charlie Appleby keeps Billy Loughnane in the saddle, which is interesting, as William Buick rides in America. Dance To The Music has Listed course runner-up Midnight Tango to contend with, however.
Ed Walker’s charge will appreciate the extra furlong now as she couldn’t go the pace in the Group 3 Princess Margaret at Ascot last time. He also runs Princess Petrol, but of greater concern is Middleham raider Venetian Lace down in grade and back against her own sex. Both Sapphire Steps and True Test won their last starts, so chance their arm at this level.
4:00 Curragh – 6f Group 1 Phoenix Stakes (Colts & Fillies)
Babouche proved that fillies can win this top level race in Ireland 12 months ago, so a couple take on the boys. Half the field hails from Ballydoyle and, on ratings at least, this boils down to a match on paper between Aidan O’Brien duo GSTAAD and True Love. The pair are no strangers to each other, having fought out the finish in a Navan maiden in the spring.
Both won in Group 2 company at Royal Ascot and True Love has gone in again since over course and distance, but Gstaad is 2lb better of with his stable companion from their previous encounter. He should thus confirm that form and arrives here fresher with connections giving him a short break since his UK debut.
Of the others, race terms favour Green Sense next best. Joseph O’Brien has seen the back form of his Prix Robert Papin heroine franked by Lady Iman coming out and scoring during Glorious Goodwood last week. Amo Racing run two with Power Blue the pick of them, but he’s held on previous runs behind the top two in the market. Do Bronxs and Puerto Rico look set for pacemaker duties.
