Azamour won the Saint James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday and asserted himself as the leading miler of his generation by reversing the form of the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas with an impressive performance.

An unbeaten Group winner at two, Azamour had shown a great turn of foot to take third place after missing the break on his seasonal debut in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, having been caught slightly by surprise in a sprint finish, he made no mistakes here. Showing a superb turn of foot in the straight, he found an extra gear over his competitors and drew clear at the line.

By Night Shift, out of the Stakes winning mare Asmara, Azamour is a brother to three winners including the Group placed Ahsanabad. He ran twice at two, winning the Group II Beresford Stakes on his second outing.

Trainer John Oxx commented after the race: “I thought he would probably win at The Curragh but looking back we had a couple of minor things in the run up to the race and he probably wasn’t at his best.”

“He is a very tough horse with a great temperament. He stays well, runs to the line well and will probably go a little further. He’s very courageous and genuine and a lovely athlete – he’s got everything really.”

A delighted Mickael Kinane offered: “I knew we hadn’t got the best out of him in the two races so far. He just missed the start at Newmarket - it was his first run of the year and he was very rusty.”

“He loves that fast ground. He’s a very adaptable colt and a mile and a quarter is well within his scope. The Irish Champion would have to be a serious consideration later on in the year. He’s a good horse and he has the physical size and scope to improve as the season goes on.