Sunday racing blog recap featuring Group One contests in Ireland, France and Germany

All times BST.

1628: With all the Group races over for the day, we'll leave it at that. It was a day that belonged to Aidan O'Brien, again, as he won his 16th Phoenix Stakes with Sioux Nation, a horse that was cut to 8/1 from 20s with Sky Bet to win next year's Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Thanks for joining us this weekend, we'll be blogging again next Saturday when the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury and the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon take centre stage. Until then...

1612: Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore team up again to win the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh with Washington DC. Not a bad form boost for Battaash...

1609: Dschingis Secret wears down Hawkbill to land the Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin at Hoopegarten. Group Three Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh up next...

1603: The final Group One of the day coming up, the Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin where Hawkbill is your 11/8 favourite for Godolphin.

1600: Big win for Luca Cumani as Jamie Spencer, on fire this weekend, steers God Given to an all-the-way success in the Group Three Prix Minerve at Deauville.

1549: Aidan O'Brien says: "He travels very well and he quickens very well, he's got a lot of speed. We were delighted with him at Ascot and we've been delighted with him since. He's got a great mind, he's got a lot of pace. He's obviously by Scat Daddy as well (like Caravaggio) and he's fast as well. He could go for the National Stakes or the Middle Park, he's a horse to look forward to."

1540 - Sioux Nation just holds off the late challenge of Beckford to land a sweet 16th Phoenix Stakes for the remarkable Aidan O'Brien.

Ryan Moore made his challenge on the far side and had just too much toe for Beckford, who finished with a real rattle to take a close second.

The winner is obviously very good, but so is the second and it's the runner-up you'd take out of this going forward with a step up in trip in mind.

Sioux Nation looks an out-and-out sprinter. With that in mind, Sky Bet go 12/1 from 20s about Aidan O'Brien's charge for next year's Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

1531 - We quickly move on from one Group One to another as the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes is coming up at the Curragh.

Beckford's weakness in the market continues on course and he's out to 2/1, a price you wouldn't believe you'd have got last night. Sioux Nation is joint-favourite with him at 2s now after sustained support. Can he win Aidan O'Brien his 16th Phoenix?

1524 - Thunder Snow looked to be travelling well up front under Christophe Soumillon but the distress signals appeared from the jockey inside the final furlong and he couldn't hold off the finishing effort from Al Wukair.

1519 - In a close finish it appears Al Wukair has just won the Prix Jacques Le Marois just, from Inns Of Court and Thunder Snow. It looked as though Inns Of Court had got there but Al Wukair stuck his head in front on the line as he just reeled in the front-running Thunder Snow.

1513 - Prix Jacques Le Marois coming up at Deauville. Thunder Snow is your 9/4 favourite. They're down at the start.

1506 - A turn up in the Loder Irish EBF Fillies Race at the Curragh as newcomer Muirin gets the better of hot favourite Sizzling late on for Edward Lynam. The Born To Sea filly was relatively unfancied at 16/1 but she's shown a good level of ability on debut to beat Aidan O'Brien's thrice-raced (beforehand anyway) daughter of Galileo.

1459 - I'm a big fan of Eddie Greatrex and his awesome August just keeps on getting better and better. The 3lb claimer has just won aboard Archie Watson's Yabass at Windsor to take his monthly tally to eight wins from 20 rides, a win strike-rate of 40 per cent and a £1 level-stakes profit of over £40 now. The boy is good.

1451 - Bread and butter win for Gordon Elliott at Downpatrick as Westland Row wins under Davy Russell. Would he be the first to have a Downpatrick hurdle/Curragh Group One double in the same day? Without googling it, I'm going to guess at yes.

1442 - Not long now until the York Ebor Festival and they've been beavering away at an Ebor Meeting Top Jockey market in the Sky Bet offices this morning.

Here it is. These prices were correct at 1442 on 13/08/2017, please be aware they may have changed if you are watching Live Blog +1 etc.

1441: Aidan O'Brien says of Mendelssohn's greenness in the closing stages: "It might take a run or two before he's all there mentally. He does notice everything and hopefully he'll grow out of that and progress as he goes along. He'll probably take another run or two before he puts it together, he's a lovely big colt but is a bit of a baby."

1432 - The well-backed Mendelssohn wins the Anglesy Lodge Equine Hospital Irish European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes at the Curragh, as predicted in our Irish Eyes column which still has a couple of selections to run. The son of Scat Daddy was always to the fore under Ryan Moore and he won well in the end, despite drifting in the closing stages. He certainly came on plenty for his debut eighth behind The Penatagon at this track on July 15.

1406 - So, a good start to the afternoon for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin who go for the only Group One we haven't really mentioned in the blog yet, the Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin at Hoppegarten later on (4.05).

The horse they unleash on the German prize is Hawkbill, a ready winner of the Group Two Princess Of Wales's Arqana Racing Club Stakes at Newmarket's July Festival last time. That was over 1m4f on good ground, just like this test today, and you would think a replication of that form would be enough to see him his second G1, after the 2016 Coral-Eclipse, this afternoon.

He has been beaten in Germany before, however, after he finished third in the Pastorious Grosser Preis Von Bayern at Munich on November 1 last year. That was probably a deeper race than this though. He really should be winning today.

1359 - The first big prize of the afternoon is won as Mythical Magic lands the Listed Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby. It's a spare ride for one of GB and Ireland's Shergar Cup heroes, Jamie Spencer, who replaced James Doyle aboard the juvenile colt. It was a good ride too, from the front, the son of Iffraaj just having enough in the locker to hold off the odds-on Cascadian (Andre Fabre), also owned by Godolphin, who missed the break a little.

1339 - Over at the Curragh it's another big day in the career of Gordon Elliott. Not content with his quest to knock Willie Mullins off his perch in the jumping game, Elliott has a crack at Aidan O'Brien today.

While Elliott is going for his first Group One on the Flat, O'Brien is going for his 16th (sixteenth) win in this very race. Just incredible. Look at that list below, it's like a who's who of Ballydoyle greats. Apart from Pedro The Great, I seem to have wiped him from my memory.

Aidan O'Brien's Phoenix Stakes Winners

Caravaggio (2016)
Air Force Blue (2015)
Dick Whittington (2014)
Pedro The Great (2012)
Zoffany (2010)
Alfred Nobel (2009)
Mastercraftsman (2008)
Holy Roman Emperor (2006)
George Washington (2005)
One Cool Cat (2003)
Spartacus (2002)
Johannesburg (2001)
Minardi (2000)
Fasliyev (1999)
Lavery (1998)

While O'Brien goes for a sweet 16 with Declarationofpeace, Sioux Nation, U S Navy Flag and Actress, Elliott goes for his first Flat Group One with the talented and unbeaten Beckford.

Beckford looks the best horse, so far, from Bated Breath's first two crops. The way he won the Railway Stakes from Verbal Dexterity and Murillo, an O'Brien-trained horse that was also third in the Coventry, was very taking indeed.

It's no surprises that he's favourite today. I am slightly surprised to see him drifting to 7/4, though. The support for Sioux Nation (tipped in our Irish Eyes column, 100/30 into 5/2) is the main reason for that.

It's an intriguing renewal of an always-informative race. It's at 3.35 - don't miss it!

1312 - Did you know... Prix Jacques Le Marois runner Thunder Snow is from the family of Balanchine, who was Godolphin's first G1 and Classic winner? (Asks the Godolphin twitter account).

I didn't know that, but I did know Saeed bin Suroor is going for his fifth win in the race following wins for Dubai Millennium (1999), Muhtathir (2000), Dubawi (2005) and Librettist (2006).

Thunder Snow is going for his third Group One this afternoon and it will be his third in France, too, following on from his victory at Chantilly on July 9 in the Prix Jean Prat.

Watch that form via the YouTube video below and watch closely as the second and third, Trais Fluors and Gold Luck, reoppose this afternoon.

1255 - ONE TO WATCH: Dark Power, 3.45 Leicester. Clive Cox's Dark Angel colt finally came good on his fourth start last time. Making just his second start in a handicap, in a first-time tongue-tie, he blitzed a small field at Nottingham by over three lengths off a mark of 76. The handicapper, well, did he not like that. Despite the small field the assessor saw enough to slap him up 9lb in the weights so he takes part off a mark of 85 this afternoon in the Visit Sri Lanka Handicap. Will it be enough to stop him following up? A shrug emoji is needed I'm afraid. Like I said, he's one to watch.

1241 - AUDIO - Our man at the Curragh Mike Vince sets the scene ahead of the Group One Phoenix Stakes. Click here for audio preview.

1225 - Today's Sky Bet Market Movers:

There's plenty of money kicking around this morning and Mr Scarlet is the best-backed horse at the Curragh. Sheila Lavery's three-year-old takes on his elders for the first time in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes following on from a highly-credible fifth place behind Caravaggio and Harry Angel in the Commonwealth Cup. Can he prove that was no fluke today? He's 8s from 16s with Pat Smullen taking the reins once again.

In England one that's very solid is Keepup Kevin, 3/1 from 15/2 in the 4.50 Leicester, aka the Amazing Sri Lanka Handicap.Pam Sly's charge has been consistent this season and he won't mind the cut in the ground either.

Curragh

4:10 - Mr Scarlet 16/1 into 8/1

Leicester

3:10 - Queen Beatrice 9/1 into 13/2
4:50 - Keepup Kevin 15/2 into 3/1
5:20 - Classic Pursuit 12/1 into 13/2

Downpatrick

2:45 - Westland Row 7/1 into 4/1

Windsor

2:25 - Storm Jazz 12/1 into 11/1
5:05 - Strictly Art 12/1 into 15/2

Today's Price Boosts:

2:10 Leicester- Peachy Carnehan
2:55 Windsor- Regimented
3:35 Curragh- Beckford
5:25 Downpatrick- Special Ted
3:15 Deauville- Al Wukair
4:05 Hoppergarten- Hawkbill

Today's Trader Tip:

3:35 Curragh- US Navy Flag @ 9/1

Aidan O’Brien has won five of the last seven renewals of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes including last year’s success with the very smart Caravaggio. He may not have one of that quality in his team of four this year, but his dominance would suggest there’s value to be had taking on Gordon Elliott’s potentially smart Beckford at the prices. U S Navy Flag may be a little more exposed than some of the others in today’s line-up, but he seems to be putting his experience to good use and is a typical Aidan O’Brien improver. He has already beaten stablemate Sioux Nation over course and distance and showed good progression from his maiden win at the track when finishing second in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket last month. He seems overpriced at double figure odds if he can continue progression back at the Curragh.

1202 - Going Updates: We've had a wet few days in the UK but a largely dry Saturday has seen the ground get better around the country. They are still Good to Soft, Soft in places at Leicester, though, while Windsor is now Good. In Ireland they're Good to Firm at the Curragh and Good (Good to yielding in places) at Downpatrick.

It is a different story in France, however. Another 3.2mm of overnight rain means the ground is Soft at Deauville and in Germany they are racing on Good ground at Hoppegarten.

1155 - Good morning, just, and welcome to our live Sunday racing blog. Now, I know what you're thinking. We don't normally have a live Sunday racing blog. That is correct, but we don't normally have three Group One races in three different countries so we thought we'd give it a whirl.

In France we have the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard - Jacques Le Marois, easy for me to type, at Deauville, in Ireland we have the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and in Germany we have the 127th Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin at Hoppegarten.

There's also racing at Downpatrick, Leicester and Windsor, so there's something for everyone if you like your horses, which, if you're reading this, you probably do. Bear with me, the updates will get more informative throughout the afternoon.