Phoenix Moon

Trained by Denis Coakley at West Ilsley in Berkshire — a yard that has already sent out 10 winners this season — Phoenix Moon has built a career record of 4 wins and 11 places from 24 races, a win rate of around 17%, or roughly 1 in every 6 outings. That is a modest return on paper, but the recent form tells a more interesting story. In the last six races, the horse has finished 2nd, 1st, 4th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd — a sequence that suggests a horse operating right at the top of its current ability and rarely running a bad race. It raced just yesterday, so this is very much a horse in the thick of an active campaign.

On normal ground conditions, Phoenix Moon is a different animal altogether. From 13 races on a standard surface it has won 4 times — a win rate of 31%, or almost 1 in every 3 races. Compare that to its overall record and the message is clear: get it on the right ground and the chances of winning more than double. Soft or heavy conditions, by contrast, have not been kind.

The partnership with jockey Tyler Heard is also worth noting. In seven races together, the pair have won twice — a win rate of 29%, or roughly 1 in every 3.5 rides. That is comfortably above the horse's career average, and the most recent Lingfield win in March 2026 was just two months ago. Phoenix Moon tends to operate at the lower end of the class system, but within those races it is a genuine contender — consistent, course-savvy, and clearly still in form. At Lingfield, on a normal surface, with Heard in the saddle, it is the kind of horse a knowledgeable friend would quietly point out before a race.