Meade pleased with Advertise gallop at Newmarket

Martyn Meade expects leading Qipco 2000 Guineas contender Advertise to come forward mentally from his racecourse gallop at Newmarket.

The son of Showcasing returned to the Rowley Mile for the first time since finishing second in last year's Dewhurst Stakes, when working over seven furlongs alongside stablemate Infrastructure before racing on Tuesday.

Tracking his work companion for much of the gallop, last year's Phoenix Stakes winner moved on under Oisin Murphy during the closing stages of the exercise before crossing the line around four lengths clear.

Meade said: "It was pleasing, and I could not be happier with the bit of work. Just mentally, it will have helped him because suddenly he knows he is back at the races.

"He didn't do too much, and if he needed he could have changed his hands and gone. I think it will bring him on no end. He will do one more bit of work now.

"We were always going to run him straight off in the Guineas, because we can get them fit enough at home.

"We just wanted to take him for an away day because they can get bored. Thanks go to Michael Prosser (clerk of the course), who has been so helpful."

Charlie Hills admits he faces a race against time to get last year's Acomb Stakes winner Phoenix Of Spain ready in time to take his place in the 2000 Guineas, after he participated in a similar exercise.

Hills said: "We had a bit of a setback with him in January, and he had a good time there during that month just walking.

"I'm just concerned about his fitness. He is in a good place and is feeling very good - but he probably got a bit tired in the last furlong. It is a little bit of a race against time if we do want to go to Newmarket.

"The good thing is we have the French Guineas a few days later, and there is the Irish Guineas as well. He will do a little bit of work on Saturday, and next week will tell us where we are."