Ratings Update: Phoenix flying high after dominant win

Saturday’s Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh was arguably the most eagerly-anticipated race of the 2019 Flat season to date, billed by many as a match between the Newmarket 2000 Guineas winner, Magna Grecia (loses ‘p’ on 125), and last year's leading juvenile, Too Darn Hot (remains on 124).

In the event, however, the first Irish classic of the year proved anything but the expected head-to-head, with the former disappointing (only fifth) and Too Darn Hot unable to lay a glove on the returning Phoenix of Spain (up 11 lb to 126), who made just about all. Charlie Hills’ charge may have enjoyed the run of the race to some extent, but there was no denying his superiority on the day (well on top at the finish), and the sky is seemingly the limit for him on this evidence; he is likely to be very hard to beat in the St James's Palace, while previous comments about trip (likely to stay 1¼m) still apply.

Too Darn Hot ran creditably on the back of a less-than-ideal preparation, this possibly coming a bit too soon on the back of a hard race in the Dante just nine days ago. The outstanding two-year-old of 2018 is still yet to prove that he is quite as good as he was then, though, and he will need to get back to at least that sort of level if he is to turn the tables on Phoenix of Spain in the St James's Palace.

Of the remainder, Decrypt (117 from 104p) and Skardu (116 from 117p) produced smart efforts to complete the frame, the former showing much improved form to emerge as the best of the home contingent, while it is still far too soon to be writing off Magna Grecia. He simply wasn't in the same form as when winning at Newmarket, beaten too far out for this to be his true running, and it would be no surprise if something came to light to explain his performance.

What a performance - Phoenix Of Spain is much the best in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas for @cbhills and @JPSpencer1980! @curraghrace

Results ➡ https://t.co/glajGV55GR pic.twitter.com/1aMRbMamNG

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 25, 2019

The field for the following day’s Irish 1000 Guineas was a representative one, featuring the Newmarket winner and four of those who chased her home, as well as a filly placed in the French Guineas and the top European-trained juvenile filly of 2018 on Timeform ratings.

The latter, Pretty Pollyanna (remains on 115), looked a potential threat when looming up over a furlong out, but the outcome was ultimately much the same as on the Rowley Mile, with Hermosa (up 6 lb to 120p) making most of the running to become the fourth filly to complete the English/Irish 1000 Guineas double, her time – around a second and a half quicker than the previous day's 2000 Guineas – backing up the view that she's right up there with the very best recent winners of the race. Once again, the manner in which she saw out the mile suggests that she could be even better when stepping up in trip, with the Prix de Diane seemingly firmly on the radar.

Pretty Pollyanna posted a very respectable first run of the season, certainly seeing the trip out well enough in the circumstances (covered more ground than anything else) to think that she's fully effective at it. She is entitled to improve with that outing under her belt and appeals as a likely candidate for the Coronation Stakes in Hermosa’s expected absence.

The first Group 1 of the year for older horses in Ireland – Sunday’s Tattersalls Gold Cup – typically attracted just a handful of runners and ultimately proved as uncompetitive as the market suggested, with Magical (remains on 128) not needing to be fully extended to comfortably account for her pace-setting stablemate Flag of Honour (remains on 123) for the third start in a row.

Tougher tasks now lie ahead for Magical, but she's clearly at the very top of her game at present and will merit plenty of respect wherever she goes next, with the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and another potential clash with Enable reportedly on the agenda.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Haydock staged an excellent card, with the Temple Stakes producing not only one of the visual highlights of the Flat season so far, but also its best performance on Timeform ratings by some margin, as Battaash (remains on 133) posted a top-notch performance to tear apart other high-class sprinters – including a pair of Group 1 winners last year in the shape of Alpha Delphini (remains on 121) and Mabs Cross (remains on 123) – in a race teed up by the breakneck pace disputed by the pair who brought up the rear. His timefigure of 130 is also comfortably the best we've seen so far this year, coming in 5 lb superior to that achieved by Kachy in the Cleves Stakes at Lingfield in February.

Reported to have settled down over the winter, this showing sets Battaash up for a season that may well see him reclaim his place as the dominant force on the sprinting scene, with his hit-and-miss 2018 campaign having started with a far less sparkling winning performance in this race.

He's back! 🙌

Battaash claims the Armstrong Aggregates Temple Stakes! pic.twitter.com/tK6zpUkaTr

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 25, 2019

The career of Calyx (124 from 126p) had been far more hit than miss before Saturday, but his apparent rise to the very top of the sprinting scene hit a bump in the road in the Sandy Lane Stakes, with John Gosden’s charge – who returned an SP of 13/2-on – suffering a first career defeat at the hands of Hello Youmzain (116+ from 112).

Something was clearly not right with Calyx as soon as pressure was applied (hung left and looked hesitant), which is worrying against the backdrop of a juvenile season curtailed by injury; he remains a potential top-notcher but will bid for back-to-back wins at Royal Ascot with much more to prove than before. As for the winner, he simply did what he had to do with Calyx clearly not himself, and while his next run should reveal more as to his current merit, it's best to be cautious before then.

The two listed races at Goodwood on Saturday were won by the class acts in their respective races, namely Elarqam (up 4 lb to 120) and Mirage Dancer (remains on 121), both of whom have pretensions of mixing it back in pattern company before too long, while the pick of the rest of the action in Britain over the last seven days came at Sandown on Thursday evening.

With chief market rival Magic Circle a non-runner, Dee Ex Bee (up 1 lb to 123p) made the most of a good opportunity in the Henry II Stakes, not needing to improve much to follow up his impressive return in the Sagaro. The suspicion remains that there is more to come from him in the right circumstances, though, and that opening will perhaps come in the Gold Cup next month, when there is every chance that he will relish the longer trip.

Dee Ex Bee makes all, winning the Matchbook VIP Henry II Stakes in commanding style, providing @SilvDSousa with a quick-fire double 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/6EyXHekcoS

— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) May 23, 2019

The Brigadier Gerard Stakes was the other pattern event on the card, and there was a rather familiar outcome to it, with Regal Reality (up 3 lb to 120) producing a career best up in trip to beat Matterhorn (119+ from 122) and provide trainer Sir Michael Stoute with a remarkable eleventh win in the race. The winner is presumably set to have a campaign at around this sort of trip, having now shown his effectiveness over it, with the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot appealing as a potential target, for all that a fair bit more will be needed in what is shaping up to be a warm renewal.

Also worth a mention is the listed Heron Stakes, in which King of Comedy (up 9 lb to 116p) improved again to lead home a one-two-three for his sire Kingman. He showed much the best turn of foot to win comfortably and looks destined for a higher grade before too long, despite what are clearly some serious quirks (had to be dismounted and walked to the start).

Finally, there was also Group 1 action at Longchamp on Sunday, with British raider Zabeel Prince (up 1 lb to 123) winning the Prix d’Ispahan and Siyarafina (up 7 lb 113P) landing the Prix Saint-Alary.

The former rewarded his connections’ patience by recording a first top-level win at the age of six, while, on the same afternoon that Hermosa won at the Curragh, Siyarafina maintained her unbeaten record to enhance her own claims for the Prix de Diane. An exciting prospect, she looks potentially the best French three-year-old filly, if not that already, and the clash between her and the dual Guineas winner could well prove one to savour.