Johannesburg Romps in Phoenix Stakes

Michael Tabor's Johannesburg remained undefeated by beating Miss Beabea by five lengths to win the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes (Ire-I) on Sunday at Leopardstown. Under Mick Kinane, the 2-year-old Hennessy colt completed the six furlongs in 1:13.2 on yielding to soft turf at the Irish track.

Johannesburg won at first asking for trainer Aidan O'Brien in May, then went on to stakes success in the Norfolk (Eng-III) and Anglesey (Ire-III) Stakes prior to Sunday's triumph in the race for colts and fillies. W. G. Lyster III and Jayeff B Stables bred Johannesburg in Kentucky.

The Catrail filly Miss Beabea finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of German-bred filly Agnetha, with Mrs. John Magnier's Hennesey colt Wiseman's Ferry fourth in the 11-horse field.

Also on Sunday's Leopardstown card, American-bred Bahamian Pirate held off fellow American-bred One Won One to win the Phoenix Sprint Stakes (Ire-III) by a short head. A 6-year-old gelding, Bahamian Pirate (Housebuster--Shining Through, by Deputy Minister) completed the six furlongs in 1:13.5. H.E. Lhendup Dorji's Bahamian Pirate was bred in Kentucky by Trackside Farm, Liberation Farm and G.A. Seelbinder and was ridden to victory by Johnny Murtagh. The victory marks the first graded stakes win for Bahamian Pirate and his second career stakes win while improving his career mark to seven wins from 29 starts.