Phoenix Beach

The bulk of Phoenix Beach's career has been spent in Class 5 company, which sits near the lower end of British racing's prize ladder. Three wins from 30 races at that level — roughly 1 in 10 — suggests a horse that is competitive without being dominant. It won for the first time at Southwell in August 2022 and picked up its most recent victory at Wolverhampton in April 2025, which was now 13 months ago. The gap since that last win is starting to stretch, and the recent form figures — two fifth-place finishes, a third, and a ninth — show a horse that is still running creditably without finding the winner's enclosure.

Scott Dixon's yard at Rolleston in Nottinghamshire has been in decent form this season, sending out 35 winners, which suggests the operation is ticking along well. Joey Haynes has been the most regular partner for Phoenix Beach, winning 2 of their 10 races together — that's 1 in every 5, which is actually a stronger ratio than the horse's overall career record. The fact that Phoenix Beach raced just yesterday tells you it is still fit, active, and being kept busy. Whether another win is around the corner is harder to say, but with a trainer in form and a regular jockey who clearly knows the horse, the ingredients are there. At 53 races and counting, Phoenix Beach is nothing if not a trier.