Lucky Vega has joined Richmond Stakes winner Supremacy at the head of Timeform’s juvenile rankings after posting one of the best performances seen in the Phoenix Stakes this century.
Lucky Vega matched Supremacy’s rating of 116p when winning by three and a half lengths at the Curragh on Sunday, landing the first Group 1 of the season for juveniles with the sort of authority you rarely see at the highest level.
Only Johannesburg, George Washington, Mastercraftsman and Air Force Blue have run to a higher level in the Phoenix this century than Lucky Vega, who really impressed with how powerfully he travelled through the six-furlong contest before quickly settling matters once hitting the front.
Lucky Vega was sent off a 4/1 shot in what looked an open race – Sunday's renewal attracted the first double-figure field for the Phoenix since 2001 – though the most notable factor in the market was the strength behind St Mark's Basilica, the number one contender for Aidan O'Brien, who has won the race a remarkable 16 times.
St Mark's Basilica – who was an eye-catching second in a course-and-distance maiden on his only previous start – had to settle for fifth but acquitted himself well at such an early stage in his development and remains a colt to be positive about. He advanced his rating from 85P to 100p, while Laws of Indices – who had beaten Lucky Vega in the Railway Stakes – also retains the 'p' to signify that further improvement is expected, having done some good late work to finish fourth after making a slow start.
Connections of Lucky Vega have identified the Middle Park Stakes as a potential target, setting up the tantalising prospect of a clash with Supremacy in what could be a season-defining tussle in the two-year-old ranks.
