Aidan O'Brien's Royal Ascot winner Sioux Nation lowered the colours of Beckford in the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
Success for the progressive juvenile in the feature formed part of a treble on the day for the Ballydoyle maestro - all of which were ridden by Ryan Moore.
The Scat Daddy colt showed plenty of pace to win the Norfolk Stakes over the minimum distance at the Royal meeting in June and, travelling well into contention back up to six furlongs for this assignment, the 2-1 chance took a couple of lengths out of Beckford inside the final furlong and was always doing enough close home to score by half a length.< Washington DC (11-4 favourite) has proved difficult to win with this season but was delivered right on the line by Moore to win the Group Three At The Races Phoenix Sprint Stakes.
His first Group race success, the four-year-old needed every yard of the six furlong trip and ran out a cosy half-a-length winner from stable companion Cougar Mountain < Mendelssohn (5-4 favourite) got the ball rolling for O'Brien and Moore and won the Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Irish EBF Maiden despite showing signs of greenness.
O'Brien will have expected Sizzling to get off the mark in the Loder Irish EBF Fillies Race but for the fourth time in her short career she was forced to settle for a supporting role.< Muirin (16-1) was ridden patiently on her debut for Eddie Lynam and was produced late under Wayne Lordan to score by three quarters of a length from the Ballydoyle hot-pot.< Brick By Brick got favourite backers off to the best possible start when action got underway at 2.00 in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Jessica Harrington's 5-4 market leader put his superior experience to good use to score by two and a quarter lengths under Colin Keane.< Snowstar (3-1 joint favourite) won the Mongey Communications Apprentice Handicap and Vincy (9-1) landed the spoils in the Gabriel Curran Memorial Handicap finale.
