The Phoenix Thoroughbreds owned Advertise landed his second Group One victory of the year, and third overall, by taking the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Sunday.
A winner of the Phoenix Stakes as a juvenile and then the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot this season, the son of Showcasing arrived at the six and a half furlong start on the back of a superb second in the July Cup. Those formlines were enough to see him sent off as the favourite and with trainer Martyn Meade enthusing about his chances before the off, the colt rewarded the faith placed in him.
Breaking from stall 10 against 14 rivals the three-year-old was soon tracking the early speed set by Pretty Pollyanna and Fox Champion as the field spread themselves across the width of the Northern French track. The colt’s regular big race Jockey Frankie Dettori always seemed happy enough with his mount, and it wasn’t until 300 metres from the line he decided to make his move. Brando and Space Blues emerged from the pack to challenge, but that only seemed to spur Advertise on as he pulled out a bit more to claim the victory.
“He’s a lovely horse,” said a beaming Frankie Dettori after landing his 12th Group One win of the season. “He went to the start in tremendous form, and I was able to slot him in behind Pretty Pollyanna. Actually at the two-furlong marker, I had to take a pull because he kind of idles in front, and when I saw the others coming, I had to kick at the 300. He showed a good turn of foot, he idled a bit, but when he felt Brando coming, he took off again.
“I was alone for a long while so there was the danger I was there to be shot at but like said he felt in tremendous form, he’s a tough horse and doesn’t know how to run a bad race; he deserved a Group One today.”
Trainer Martyn Meade looked delighted and relieved in equal measure as he let his achievement sink in. For his Manton team, and owners Phoenix Thoroughbreds, the future now is likely to be geared towards increasing the horse’s value as a stallion.
“It’s always so much pressure,” reflected Meade in the winners’ enclosure. “You think you have the horse in perfect form and everything is going right, but you never know until you cross that line.
“He’s done it now, three Group One wins is just fantastic. I’m thrilled with him. From my point of view, we don’t need to do a lot more, there might be another couple of races for him, but I would think that would be it for him after the end of the season. You have to always finish on a high I think, and I’m going to be pretty positive about where I put him next time. I’m not going to just throw him in with a chance as we’re not in it just for the prize money, we’re in it to make a really nice stallion, and that’s what he’s proving he is.”