Phoenix Tower wins the Earl Of Sefton

Just 48 hours after Twice Over's defeat in the Dante Stakes, Phoenix Tower bids to give his connections Group One compensation in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

The mile feature is sponsored by owner Khalid Abdullah's stud operation, so victory would be particularly pleasing following the failure of the former ante-post favourite for the Vodafone Derby.

"He's been good and everyone is pleased with him," said racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. "It would be nice to win the Juddmonte Lockinge and it's a really good field."

The Henry Cecil-trained Phoenix Tower warmed up for his first race at this level when opening his Pattern-race account in the Group Three Earl Of Sefton Stakes at Newmarket a month ago.

Grimthorpe added: "He has come on for Newmarket. He hadn't run for nearly a year when won the Earl Of Sefton. He didn't have the clearest of passages, so he did very well. He's coming back a furlong, but we think he's in good shape."

James Fanshawe's Cesare has yet to win in this company, but he has a Group Two to his name and made a winning reappearance at Ascot last month.

"He did it very easily at Ascot, but that was only a Listed race," said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud. "We are just not sure if he is a true Group One performer as the only times he has run at the top level he has been pretty well beaten.

"But saying that, it was by Ramonti twice, and he was the best around last year. If he can reproduce those runs he wouldn't be far away.

"Tariq would be a big danger if he stays - he improved at a rate of knots last season and could still be on the upgrade. And of course Aidan O'Brien's horse (Haradasun) is an unknown quantity, he really could be anything.

"But James is very happy with our horse, he has been in great shape since his last run, and of course he has been doing all his work with Spacious and she ran such a great race in the Guineas."