Phoenix of Spain – noted by fromthe horsesmouth.tips – when landing a shock 16-1 win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, favourite to land the Royal Ascot St James’s Palace Stakes
By Andrew Atkinson
PHOENIX of Spain – noted by fromthe horsesmouth.tips – when landing a shock 16-1 win in the Irish 2,000 Guineas is favourite to land the Royal Ascot St James’s Palace Stakes on June 18.
Charlie Hills trained Phoenix Of Spain upstaged Too Darn Hot and Magna Grecia to take the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh last month, under jockey Jamie Spencer.
Phoenix Of Spain beat Too Darn Hot by three lengths, with Decrypt, third, ahead of Skardu.
Amongst Phoenix Of Spain’s main rivals at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes are Too Darn Hot, Magna Grecia, King Of Comedy, Skardu and Decrypt.
The St James’s Palace Stakes, over 1 mile, for 3 year old colts, has a purse of £375,000.
Phoenix of Spain is hot 2-1 favourite, with Too Darn Hot 4-1, Magna Grecia 6-1, King Of Comedy 8-1, Skardu 12-1, Decrypt 14-1. 20-1 bar.
Since Group 1 winner Advertise, trained by Martin Meade, raced against Too Darn Hot, and the Investec 2019 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck in the Dewhurst Stakes, he has flopped in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, behind Magna Grecia.
Advertise, who finished second to Calyx in the 2018 Coventry Stakes at Ascot, is entered in both the St James’s Palace Stakes and in the Commonwealth Cup.
Advertise is a 33-1 chance in the betting to gain what would be deemed a big surprise – if he was to land the St James’s Palace Stakes – in a turnaround of form.
Meade trained Technician is also scheduled to race at Royal Ascot, but will decide plans after racing at Chantilly next week.
