Phoenix Rises With 1-2 Finish in Commonwealth

Owner Phoenix Thoroughbreds enjoyed a landmark result in the Ascot sunshine as the free-spending owners landed a remarkable 1-2 in the June 21 Commonwealth Cup (G1).

While last year's Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (G1) winner Advertise took his top-flight tally to two in Phoenix's now familiar white and orange silks, runner-up Forever In Dreams carried the predominantly orange colors of the Phoenix Ladies, an all-female ownership group run under the same umbrella.

Victory, achieved under man-of-the-moment Frankie Dettori, came almost a year to the day that Phoenix chief executive Amer Abdulaziz revealed the full scale of his grand plans for the investment fund to rub shoulders with the bloodstock giants who dominate the sport following Signora Cabello's Queen Mary Stakes (G1) success.

Fast forward 12 months, and the Dubai-based businessman was back in the identical spot with an identical smile on his face after scaling the heights of a Royal Ascot group 1 less than three years after Phoenix Thoroughbreds launched.

"That's just the way we like it," Abdulaziz said. "What a beautiful day; it could not have gone better. We knew the horse was doing great and working well, and to have him here today and win like that is amazing.

"The ladies gave me a fright, but whoever finished first and second doesn't matter. I'm just happy for the brand. There's about 15 of the investors here, and they were all shouting and jumping, and it gives us a huge boost."

Widespread bloodstock acquisitions across the globe have followed a big-spending start at the sales in 2017, and Phoenix's plans remain as grand as ever, according to Abdulaziz, who reveled in another significant milestone.

"We wanted to come back this year and repeat what we did last year," he said. "It's very important, and this is another step forward. We're now a global company—South America, Australia, Europe, and America—and it's going from big to bigger all the time.

"When you win at Royal Ascot, there's nothing like it—much better than any Derby in the world. Advertise is a group 1 winner in the past, he's a beautiful horse, and no doubt he's a future stallion for Phoenix. That's the plan. We've got some stallions in America, but he will be the second one here in Europe."

For winning trainer Martyn Meade, there was as much relief as elation following a testing period during which the horses at his base in Manton failed to show their true colors through the first part of the season.

He even shut down the yard in the spring to aid their recovery, but Advertise—one of the star juveniles of last season—emphatically proved the stable to be back on track.

"There's obviously huge elation but certainly relief as well, as the horses have been well under par," Meade said.

"He's only had one bad run in the (group 1 QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas May 4) and I've always believed in him. He was not right at Newmarket; we wanted to see if he got the mile but never found out that day, and we decided to go back to what we know over six, where we knew he was so good last year.

"We might go to France for the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) over 6 1/2 furlongs next. Maybe he would get a mile, but we'll take baby steps and keep him around six furlongs for the time being."

Following Thursday's heroics with four winners, Dettori was back in familiar territory in the center of a bustling huddle after the race, and he was suitably impressed with his seventh win of the meeting.

"He put up a tremendous performance," Dettori said. "I was always in control and always traveled like the winner. When I kicked, he just went and was back to his best." 

Runner-up Forever In Dreams provided her owners with a slice of their investment after selling for £430,000 (US$546,000) at the Goffs London Sale this week.

"It was a brilliant run, absolutely unbelievable," said her trainer, Aidan Fogarty. "She was bought on Monday evening by Phoenix Ladies, so it was a good result for those two with Phoenix winning."

Commonwealth Cup Hero Another Fine Advert for His Sire Showcasing

Showcasing demonstrated why he is considered one of Europe's most exciting young stallions as the sire of Advertise.

Advertise took high rank among the 2-year-olds last year, winning the Arqana July Stakes (G2) and Phoenix Stakes and finishing second in the Coventry (G2) and Darley Dewhurst (G1) but had disappointed on his sole previous start at 3 in the Guineas at Newmarket when his stable was under a cloud.

He bounced back under Dettori, and with first-time blinkers applied, he recorded a 1 1/2-length victory over the Dream Ahead filly Forever In Dreams, with the Kodiac colt Hello Youmzain in third.

Advertise is one of 18 group/graded winners sired by Showcasing from coverings at Whitsbury Manor Stud in Hampshire and at Haunui Farm in New Zealand, and the stallion is compiling a particularly good record at Royal Ascot as Advertise is his second Commonwealth Cup winner after Quiet Reflection.

Moreover, Soldier's Call won the Windsor Castle Stakes last year and was third in Tuesday's King's Stand Stakes (G1), while Tasleet finished second in the 2017 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Cappella Sansevero was runner-up in the 2014 Coventry Stakes, and Out of The Flames and Savannah's Dream have also reached placings in juvenile contests at the meeting.

Starting out at fees of £4,500 and £5,000 in his first four seasons at Whitsbury Manor Stud, Showcasing's price has increased by stages to £55,000 ($69,825) this year, and some of his foals born in recent months reflect the improved mares he has covered—including a half sister to Thursday's Hampton Court Stakes winner Sangarius, a colt out of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes (G2) runner-up Russelliana, and a filly out of listed winner Radio Gaga.

Advertise was bred by Cheveley Park Stud out of the winning Pivotal mare Furbelow, making him a half brother to Roger Varian's progressive sprint handicapper Flavius Titus. The dam is a placed half sister to U.S. stakes winner Red Diadem and to the dam of Audi Richmond Stakes (G2) scorer Saayerr and recent Investec Dash victor Ornate.

Furbelow is out of Red Tiara, a placed daughter of Mr. Prospector and Heart of Joy, a daughter of Lypheor who found only the exceptional fillies Salsabil and In the Groove too good when she finished second in both the Newmarket and Curragh One Thousand Guineas (G1).

Furbelow has a 2-year-old filly by Dream Ahead named Publicise, a yearling colt by Lethal Force and a filly foal by Ulysses.

Advertise contributes to Pivotal's outstanding reputation as a broodmare sire, with his daughters producing numerous celebrities, including Cracksman, Defoe, Hermosa, Magical, and Mabs Cross. He is the second winner who has the Cheveley Park Stud stalwart as maternal grandsire at Royal Ascot this week after Raffle Prize, who struck in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2).

Dermot Farrington can claim bragging rights for finding Advertise at auction, giving £60,000 ($77,598) for him from Jamie Railton's draft at the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale.