Following the five-day Qatar Goodwood Festival and week-long Galway bonanza, the week ahead is a little calmer on the racing front. In the absence of summertime multi-day meetings, team-based competitions play a prominent role. Now into its third week, the 2025 Racing League heads to Chepstow, while Saturday afternoon sees the annual Shergar Cup at Ascot. There’s no female team this year, but the competition is expected to be as fierce as ever.
Elsewhere, the Emerald Isle provides the bulk of the midweek quality, with a scattering of Pattern-class events leading up to the big Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. Here we take a closer look at what’s in store on the racing front in the first week of August.
Turn to Ireland for the Best of the Weekday Action
With 30 British and Irish meetings taking place between Monday and Friday, there’s plenty for punters to get stuck into, with handicap fans, in particular, well catered for. However, for those seeking racing of a slightly higher calibre, Ireland once again delivers, with the following highlights on offer:
- Mon 4 August: Ballyhane Stakes – This €200,000 Naas contest is one of the more valuable juvenile events of the Irish season. Recent winners include the Ger Lyons-trained Sacred Bridge and Aidan O’Brien’s Heavens Gate – both of whom progressed to claim Group 3 honours. Lyons has last-time-out winners By The Lake and Howd’yadoit entered this year, while O’Brien relies solely on Precise, who made a favourable impression on debut at Fairyhouse.
- Thurs 7 August: Desmond Stakes – The impressive 2,000 Guineas winner Refuse To Bend is the standout runner on the roll of honour in this one-mile affair. One of the more notable entries in 2025 is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Expanded, who bids to leave disappointing efforts in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas behind him.
- Thurs 7 August: Ballyroan Stakes – The second Group 3 on a cracking card from Leopardstown was claimed by the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban in 2023. Dual-purpose star Absurde may lead the Mullins charge in 2025, with Irish Oaks third Island Hopping and defending champ Crystal Black adding depth to a fascinating event.
- Friday 8 August: Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes – Coolmore number one Aidan O’Brien leads the way in this seven-furlong contest for the youngsters. The clear standout among O’Brien’s seven winners is Capri (2016), who went on to claim the Irish Derby and the St Leger in his Classic campaign.
Racing League Heads to Wales for Night Three
Following fixtures at Yarmouth and Wolverhampton, night three takes the Racing League to the Monmouthshire track of Chepstow. Matt Chapman’s London & The South stormed into an early lead on night one, only to be overhauled by Charlie Fellowes and The East at Wolverhampton. How will things look as the six-fixture competition reaches the halfway stage? No doubt Jamie Osborne’s Wales and the West outfit will aim to move closer to the leaders on home soil.
All Eyes on Ascot for Shergar Cup
From one relatively new team competition to another that has been around since the year 2000. Having raised the Shergar Cup aloft for a fifth time in 2024, The Girls don’t get the chance to defend their title following a refresh of the competition.
Out go the Girls and in comes Team Asia. As ever, the four teams of riders compete in six eight-runner contests, ranging from the five furlongs of the Shergar Cup Dash to the two miles of the Shergar Cup Stayers.
In addition to a healthy £500,000 prize pool across the six races, the riders earn points for their finishing positions. The team with the most points at the end of the card will raise the Shergar Cup aloft. With the teams now confirmed, fans can look forward to seeing the following international stars in action at a fixture which dominates the ITV Racing menu on Saturday afternoon.
- Great Britain & Ireland – Hollie Doyle, Robbie Dolan, Joanna Mason
- Europe – Per-Anders Gråberg, Dario Di Tocco, Delphine Santiago
- Asia – Suraj Narredu, Ryusei Sakai, Mirai Iwata
- Rest of the World – Karis Teetan, Hugh Bowman, Katie Davis
Away from the Ascot entertainment, the best of the domestic action is found at Haydock and Newmarket. The Merseyside venue serves up the Listed Dick Hern Stakes and Group 3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes, while HQ enhances the TV offering with the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes.
Classy Card from the Curragh
Saturday’s racing in Britain offers variety, but the sole Group 1 event takes place at the Curragh. Offering €350,000 in prize money, the Phoenix Stakes is Ireland’s most coveted juvenile sprint contest. Named in honour of its original Phoenix Park home, the race has been won by sprinting talents such as Johannesburg, Caravaggio, Sioux Nation, and Little Big Bear since the turn of the century. Aidan O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad and Queen Mary heroine True Love stand out as strong challengers in 2025.
Just over an hour before the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, the older sprinters take to the six-furlong course in the similarly named Phoenix Sprint Stakes. Ger Lyons has yet to saddle the winner of this Group 3 contest but will hope to put that right with three-time course and distance winner My Mate Alfie or star filly Babouche. Karl Burke’s Spycatcher and David O’Meara’s Nighteyes look like the pick of the British raiders.
