EBRO RIVER CREATED a minor surprise as he got the best of a thrilling finish to the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.

A Listed winner back in May, Ebro River had been out of luck in three subsequent Group-race outings – albeit never far away, most recently finishing a narrow fourth in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood last week.

He looked up against it with the likes of Railway Stakes first and second Go Bears Go and Castle Star, plus the highly-regarded Dr Zempf, in opposition and was sent off at 12-1 for Group One honours.

Teaming up with Shane Foley for the first time, Ebro River was prominent throughout – but it looked as though those lining up in behind to challenge would swallow him up in the final of six furlongs.

However, Ebro River dug deep to fend off Dr Zempf by three-quarters of a length, with 6-4 favourite Go Bears Go a further head back in third and Castle Star a length away in fourth.

Ebro River is trained by Hugo Palmer, who saddled the colt’s sire, Galileo Gold, to win the 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes back in 2016.

The Newmarket handler said: “I’m absolutely delighted, really thrilled.

“I just looked at the race and I felt up to now, all the two-year-old races had been kind of in a bit of a heap. I looked at the race and I saw that Go Bears Go was a worthy favourite, but he had been beaten at Royal Ascot by the horse that we beat at Goodwood (Perfect Power, fifth in the Richmond Stakes).

“I know we were getting 3lb from him, but that just pricked my interest a bit and we thought we’d beaten the horse that beat the favourite so we must have a chance – so then we did a rain dance!

“He obviously handles the ground very well, but he ran a very good race in the Coventry which was properly fast ground. He ran very well in the July Stakes which was not quite as fast but still fast, I think he’s pretty versatile.”

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