Horsebetting.com give their Phoenix Sprint Stakes betting tips for the 6f Group 3 contest at The Curragh on Sunday, 12 August. Spirit Of Valor is the highest rated in the line-up for Aidan O’Brien, so appeals to land the spoils. Speak In Colours – trained by son Joseph – is an alternative to consider, while course and distance winner Urban Beat may be the best each-way bet for this end-to-end gallop. Read all about it in our 2018 Phoenix Sprint Stakes betting tips preview.Spirit Of Valor sets Phoenix Sprint standardOn official ratings, Spirit Of Valor has 3lb and upwards on the rest of the field in the 6f Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes at The Curragh, so the Aidan O’Brien trained four-year-old is taken to land the spoils on Sunday (16:10).
Ballydoyle handler O’Brien won this race 12 months ago with a similar type courtesy of Washington DC. In Spirit Of Valor, he has a highly-tried son of War Front who is now eased in grade for what is his least tricky assignment for some time.
Spirit Of Valor has a win, second and third from four career starts at this venue – the scene of his last victory 13 months ago in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes off a mark of 114. He is now rated 3lb below that, so should be up to winning again.
After improving on successive eighth place finishes in Group 1 contests at Royal Ascot and the July Festival with a two-length sixth of 12 to Sir Dancealot in the Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time out, Spirit Of Valor may be coming to the boil.
Dropping him in grade looks a shrewd move by connections; so, if treated on the pick of his form, he looks a big player in this. Spirit Of Valor shaped as though this track and trip still suited when he was a length runner-up to stablemate Merchant Navy over course and distance in a Group 2 back in May, so this looks a nice opening for a long overdue success.Speak In Colours considered biggest dangerO’Brien’s sons – trainer Joseph and jockey Donnacha – are bidding to gang up on their dad as they saddle and ride Speak In Colours, who seeks to bounce back after a below par effort at Royal Ascot last time out. This three-year-old grey colt was only beaten seven lengths in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup, but finished down the field in 14th.
Prior to that, this son of Excelebration was a 1 1/2 lengths third to Sioux Nation in a Group 3 at Naas and just held on debut for his current handler in a Listed contest at that venue. When in the care of Marco Botti, Speak In Colours won two of his three starts.
Those included a Listed victory on Racing Post Trophy day at Doncaster last season when he get on well to score by half-a-length. There is definitely more to come from Speak In Colours after just those six career starts, especially as he is two from five over the trip.
He is back down to a mark of 104 – the rating he ran off when just denied on debut for O’Brien junior. A repeat of that display or the the close-up third from his penultimate start should see Speak In Colours go close here.Urban Beat an intriguing each-way contenderThe least exposed runner in the nine-strong Phoenix Sprint field is the Johnny Murtagh trained Urban Beat, who is worth considering each-way because the three-year-old is the most open to progress after just three starts.
He has won two of those including a handicap over course and distance last time out when staying on strongly to win going away and assertively by 3 1/2 lengths. The manner of this success suggested Urban Beat was well worth a crack at this level, so it’s no surprise to see connections have laid him out since that impressive victory in May leaving him fresh.
A break is no problem for this colt as he won on reappearance after 329 off the track. As the assessor put him up 8lb for his handicap debut win last time out, that may still be underestimating the ability Urban Beat possesses.
Against some exposed rivals that line up against him, he should not be discounted. It’s for that reason that Urban Beat is tipped to run into a place and therefore each-way value among our 2018 Phoenix Sprint Stakes betting tips. Your Next Bet
