Horse Racing Weekend Review: Beastly Bear and brilliant Buick reign supreme

Although ITV’s domestic coverage focussed on GB and Ireland’s authoritative success in the Shergar Cup at Ascot, it was the five-minute fleeting visit to the Curragh that produced the premier performance of the weekend. 

The Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes was billed as the greatest two-year-old contest run this season with Bradsell and Persian Force, who finished first and second respectively in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, journeying across the Irish Sea to face Aidan O’Brien’s 110-rated Little Big Bear.

Plenty of talk pre-race surrounded O’Brien’s mind-boggling record in the six-furlong sprint - 16 victories between 1998 and 2021 is no mean feat in a top-level event - and he enhanced that astounding statistic thanks to Little Big Bear’s strike.

Persian Force: second-best to the brilliant Little Big Bear in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes

Yet, this time O’Brien wasn’t at the centre of the media circle just to humbly praise ‘The Lads’ rather than taking credit for his phenomenal achievement. Instead, the primary subject was to discuss his potential once-in-a-generation equine talent. 

Little Big Bear, a son of No Nay Never, is bred for middle distances but built for speed and he firmly left two elite juveniles trailing in his wake. Professional and efficient in his racing style, the strapping bay led the five-strong field throughout the early portion of the race before going through the gears like a Stig-driven Lamborghini Gallardo to assert his dominance.  

Gifted horses give off a whiff of arrogance and the way his ears pricked with just over a furlong to run oozed the required flair. If that wasn’t enough to signal star quality, Little Big Bear scooted clear to put seven lengths between himself and the rest of the field without rider Ryan Moore issuing a serious reminder. A Racing Post Rating of 122 overshadows any other performance in this race in the last ten years - and the Phoenix Stakes has been won by some proper horses. 

Now victorious on his last four outings, which includes the Windsor Castle Stakes and Group 3 Anglesey Stakes, Little Big Bear has undoubtedly placed himself at the top of the two-year-old table. The Nunthorpe, for which he is currently available at 14.5, the National Stakes and the Dewhurst were all mentioned in the aftermath of his triumph, but it could be the 2023 2,000 Guineas when we see this horse really thrive.

Buick dominates at Saratoga

Newmarket’s loss was Saratoga’s gain this weekend as Champion Jockey elect William Buick strutted his stuff in front of a packed grandstand at The Spa. 

There is no doubting the immense talent within the US weighing room, but Buick’s expertise in the saddle left a few New York-based jockeys asking themselves the question: ‘What can I do to beat this guy?’. 

Two rides for Buick resulted in two victories - the best of which came aboard Nations Pride in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby on Saturday. Charlie Appleby’s three-year-old appeared unlucky, not least because of the poor ride he received from Frankie Dettori, at Belmont Park last month but readily made amends under an inspired Buick. 

A slow start from an inside gate on the turf would generally result in a hard-luck story, but Buick’s quick-thinking and front-foot riding ensured that he found the best possible early position. That was the difference between success and failure. Nations Pride responded positively to the early hustling and rewarded his in-form pilot with a big kick to draw clear of the Irad Ortiz-ridden Annapolis and his Belmont conqueror, Classic Causeway, in the straight.  

With The Moonlight’s Saratoga Oaks success on Sunday was far simpler, though Buick’s decision to get the jump on chief market rival McKulick has to be applauded. Making things simple rather than over-complicating matters is the sign of a good jockey. 

Following a highly successful 2021 Breeders’ Cup, Appleby and Buick’s domination on US turf continued. Picking up $910,000 for two victories isn’t half bad, either.