IT is 20 years ago that the colt dubbed ‘The Iron Horse’ lit up the racing scene with a Group 1 five-timer that culminated in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Giant’s Causeway, a rare top-level horse in Europe for the multiple US champion sire Storm Cat (by Storm Bird), had been an undefeated Group 1 star at two and retired to Coolmore Stud with a record of nine wins and four seconds from 13 starts. The chesnut spent just one season in Tipperary before moving to Coolmore’s US division, Ashford Stud in Kentucky, and one of the most important members of his powerful first crop was also born across the Atlantic.

Giant’s Causeway, who died in April 2018, became a multiple champion sire, his 33 top-level scorers among 190 stakes winners include last year’s US Horse of the Year Bricks And Mortar, while his first Group 1 star – one of five from his initial crop – was the Kildangan Stud flagbearer Shamardal.

That juvenile ace and dual classic hero had a phenomenal year in 2019, his blacktype haul featuring a classic heroine, a standout sprinter and three undefeated juvenile Group 1 stars. He was also the broodmare sire of a Group 1 winner and the grandsire of two.

The latter came via his dual classic-winning son and Ballylinch Stud-based Lope De Vega, who has nine Group 1 scorers among an overall stakes-winner tally of 65 and is extending this male line further, now with two Group 1-winning sons at stud. Belardo is a freshman sire of 2020 and Phoenix Of Spain is at the start of his first season.

Phoenix of Spain was a leading juvenile, winning the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York, chasing home Too Darn Hot in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes and then failing by only a head to beat the subsequent classic scorer Magna Grecia in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes, also at Doncaster.

He made all to take the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas on fast ground at the Curragh in May, beating Too Darn Hot and Decrypt by three lengths and half a length. That was also the day that the Irish National Stud announced that he would be joining their roster.

Phoenix Of Spain is the best of four blacktype horses out of Lucky Clio (by Key Of Luck), a half-sister to the dual Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Special Kaldoun (by Alzao), and his grandam Special Lady (by Kaldoun) is closely related to the Grade 1 Gamely Handicap heroine La Koumia (by Kaldoun).

He is inbred 4x4 to Machiavellian (by Mr Prospector) on his sire’s side, but his pedigree has plenty of variety which will make him an attractive option – and that is valuable. He should get plenty of winners in all age groups, with his best likely to come in the six-to-10-furlong range and, with the right mares, some staying a bit farther.

PHOENIX OF SPAIN (IRE), Grey 2016. Won three races, £368,804, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile, at 2 and 3 years including, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Curragh, Gr.1, Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, York, Gr.3, also placed second in Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.1, Howcroft Champagne Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.2.

Retires to Stud in 2020.

Stands at: Irish National Stud, Tully, Kildare, Co Kildare, Ireland.

Contact: Cathal Beale, Sinead Hyland, Gary Swift, Patrick Diamond or Helen Boyce

Telephone: +353 (0)45 521251

Email: reception@irishnationalstud.ie

Web: www.irishnationalstud.ie

Fee: €15,000