Phoenix date next on the radar for Guineas favourite River Tiber

Ashley Iveson
July 6, 2023 1:38 pm

Unbeaten colt could step to seven furlongs after Group One assignment.

Aidan O’Brien has mapped out a three-race plan for his unbeaten juvenile River Tiber.

The Wootton Bassett colt looked something out the ordinary when scoring by 10 lengths on his racecourse debut at Navan in April and doubled up at Naas the following month.

Having completed his hat-trick in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, River Tiber heads ante-post lists for next year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas and looks set to step up in trip before the season is out.

For now, though, O’Brien is happy to stick to six furlongs, with the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on August 12 next on his star two-year-old’s agenda.

Unbeaten River Tiber holds on to win the Coventry Stakes
It’s a 10th successive win in the race for Aidan O’Brien!#ITVRacing | #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/f1zHEukZJP

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 20, 2023

“Everything is good and the plan at the moment is to go to the Heinz (Phoenix) at the Curragh,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“He’s just having a little bit of an easy time, but that’s what we’re thinking at the moment, staying at six furlongs, and if everything went well then he could step up to seven in the National Stakes.

“If that went well, he could go on to the Dewhurst, so they are the three races that are on his programme at the moment. Obviously it can all change very quickly.”

O’Brien also provided an update on Luxembourg after connections decided against allowing him to join stablemate Paddington in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday.

Luxembourg after winning last year's Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown — Luxembourg after winning last year’s Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown (Donall Farmer/PA)

He added: “He was only going to be a possible for the Eclipse if Paddington didn’t run, he is in the King George and he’ll be trained for that, I think.

“We’re looking at that for Auguste Rodin as well obviously and I would imagine if Auguste is going there Luxembourg might have to stand back again.

“We’ll wait and see, but at the moment he (Luxembourg) is on the King George programme.”