BRITAIN holds a strong hand in today’s Group 3 FBD Hotels and Resorts Heritage Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh, with the James Tate-trained Electric Storm, James Fanshawe-trained Kind Of Blue and Archie Watson-trained Shartash currently leading the market in that order.
Fanshawe won the 2011 running by seven lengths with Deacon Blues, following a commanding success in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes. The trainer’s latest contender is coming off the back of a fine third in the same race, and was bred by the owners out of a full-sister to Deacon Blues.
On his three-year-old charge, Fanshawe says, “He won his first two starts well, and went to the Commonwealth Cup after that, and he ran really well there, where he finished fourth.
“He ran a really good race last time in the Hackwood, when he was third, and I think that was probably quite a strong Group 3. The timing of this race was good, plus it’s over six and the Curragh is a really nice track.”
The family has been known to improve with racing, with The Tin Man winning Group 1 sprints as a four, five and six-year-old. On whether Kind Of Blue shares that trait, Fanshawe said, “I hope so. You know, with his relatives before him, we’ve always had a more casual build-up. Whereas his third start was in a Group 1, which he ran really well in.
“He’s like them in that he’s strong and he’s got a really good turn of foot. I think the other thing that might suit him is that the last two races have been run on pretty fast ground and I think a bit of ease would help him.”
Prize money hits a flat note
When Deacon Blues landed the Group 3 in 2011, the owners won €40,625, but should his nephew win, connections will receive a reduced prize of €32,450 - a drop of 20%. This afternoon, Group 3 features in Haydock and Newmarket offer winning prizes of £48,203.50 and £34,026 respectively, while the Class 2 handicaps run at Ascot’s Shergar Cup fixture boast prize funds of £80,000 to £100,000.
It isn’t the only race on the card affected, with the 19-runner Sheehy Motors Cupra Handicap providing a winning prize of €11,800 - 23% lower than 2019.
Trends paint a muddled picture
Those fortunate enough to have a runner in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes race for a top prize of €206,500, up from €177,000 last year. Richard Fahey is the sole British-based trainer represented, as Wathnan Racing’s Prix Robert Papin runner-up Shadow Army lines up under James Doyle.
Ebro River was the last British winner in 2021, while Advertise triumphed three years prior to that. The latter denied Aidan O’Brien a fifth consecutive success in the race, as his representatives finished second, third and last of five. The disappointing favourite on that occasion was Sergei Prokofiev, sire of Adrian Murray’s contender Arizona Blaze.
Whistlejacket bids to provide O’Brien with a record-extending 18th win, but Ger Lyons presents a formidable threat in the shape of Babouche, who aims to become the first filly to win since 2011, when La Collina scored for Kevin Prendergast.
La Collina (33/1) and the previous filly to win, Saoirse Abu (25/1), are the biggest-priced winners of the past 20 years, with the race generally dominated by the top two in the betting.