Gustavus Weston leads home his rivals under Gary Carroll© Photo Healy Racing
Gustavus Weston recorded his second group win of the season, as he made all in the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint Stakes.
A surprise winner of this Group 3 in 2019, the Joe Murphy trained five-year-old landed the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes over the course and distance on his penultimate start, finishing second to Mooneista in the Sapphire Stakes most recently.
Sent off at just 7/2 this afternoon, the Alfred Sweetnam owned gelding broke smartly to lead and he had all his rivals in trouble with over a furlong to race.
The bay victor kept up the gallop inside the final furlong and came home two-and-a-quarter lengths to the good under Gary Carroll. Power Under Me (13/2) filled the runner-up spot under Colin Keane for Ger Lyons, while A Case Of You was just a nose away in third.
There was a further four-and-a-half lengths back to Teresa Mendoza in fourth, while Light Refrain (6/4f) could only manage a disappointing fifth in the colours of the Queen.
"That's a stepping stone to Haydock on September 4th (the Sprint Cup)," Murphy said.
"Then we might come back for the Flying Five here and maybe the Abbaye. That was a very good performance and the time was good.
"We've found the key to him. He's a more relaxed horse now and he's stronger. He keeps on improving all the time.
"It's amazing, since we've put him into a big stable on his own, he has a whole barn to himself, he's just thrived. It's amazing how little things like that can make a difference.
"That's the thing with horses, whether they can sing or not you have to get the voice out. We have to make him sing and he's giving us memories that will last a lifetime."
The winner is unchanged at 12/1 with Paddy Power for the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock
STEWARDS REPORT
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Light Refrain (GB), trained by William Haggas (in GB), at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.
D.P. McDonogh, rider of Ventura Rebel (GB) trained by Richard Fahey (in GB), reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount was slowly away from the stalls and reluctant to race.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
