Paul Messara’s Scone-trained two-year-old Outburst is tipped to continue his winning ways in Brisbane on Saturday with the juvenile leading betting on The Phoenix 2020 at Doomben.

Last year’s The Phoenix winner Shadow Hero went on to win two Group 1 races including the Randwick Guineas. Photo: Steve Hart.

The low-key, COVID-19 affected Queensland Winter Racing Carnival continues this weekend with the Listed $125,000 The Phoenix (1615m) headlining the meeting.

The mile showdown for juveniles, won last year by subsequent Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes – Randwick Guineas winner Shadow Hero (2019), features a 10-starter field with the favourite Outburst drawn midfield in barrier five with in-form hoop Brad Stewart coming aboard for the ride.

The Real Impact gelding has his third career start on the weekend having broken his maiden status last time out on June 9 at home in a 1400m showdown at Scone.

He is up in both class and distance for The Phoenix, but sits at the top of the markets paying $3.60 through Ladbrokes.com.au to break through at Black-Type level.

It is a wide-open affair in The Phoenix this year with a further five runners under $10 in the latest market including the $4.20 second elect Cosmic Gossip.

The well-tried Stuart Kendrick-trained Spill The Beans filly is also the early market mover having been backed in from her opening quote of $5 ahead of her ninth start on Saturday.

A two-time winner including two back over the 1200m at Eagle Farm in late May, Cosmic Gossip is down in class after her 12^th behind Rothfire in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) on Stradbroke Day.

That run was better than it appears on paper as the filly had a wide barrier (16 of 18) to overcome and was only beaten 5.4 lengths as a triple-figure roughie in betting.

The rails-drawn The Actuary is the next best fancied at The Phoenix odds of $5, the Tony Gollan-trained filly a nicely-bred daughter of Sebring who was last seen winning over 1350m at the Doomben track on June 3.

She presents fit fourth-up on Saturday and is back in Listed company for the first time since her fifth behind the brilliant Away Game in last December’s Listed Calaway Gal Stakes (1100m).

Along with the aforementioned Cosmic Girl, Sunshine Coast horseman Kendrick also saddles-up $7 fancy Way Beyond in this season’s The Phoenix field.

Also by Spill The Beans, the colt chases a breakthrough win coming into the race a maiden after his opening seven starts.

He is a four-time placegetter and is another J.J. Atkins graduate looking for a better finish dropping in grade having run six lengths back 15^th at 300/1 in the Group 1 on June 6.

“There’s not much between them and their form doesn’t read too well after they were both beaten at their last starts,” Kendrick, speaking to Racing Queensland, said of his two runners ahead of Saturday.

“But their runs in the J.J. Atkins weren’t that bad.

“Way Beyond got chopped out at the start and was shuffled back to last but he ran on well to be beaten six lengths.

“Cosmic Gossip also got back and was tightened for room about 200 metres out.

“She wasn’t beaten too far either and was never extended.”

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Fastnet Rock colt Toscanini ($8) in the outside barrier (10) and Desleigh Forster’s consistent Sebring filly See Marie ($8) drawn well in gate four round out the single-figure fancies.

Click here for the latest The Phoenix 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2020 The Phoenix Field & Barriers

Table Credit: Racing Australia.