LAST Saturday’s Phoenix Stakes was the seventh Group 1 of the domestic flat season, and in a competitive year Ger Lyons became the sixth individual trainer to win a top-level race with Babouche showing the same qualities she had to land the Anglesey on her previous start.

Beating the colts for the second time, she again travelled strongly and battled well late, beating a field that was on the low side by Phoenix Stakes standards while facing four rivals, but the lack of runners did not mean a lack of pace.