Phoenix Thoroughbreds are celebrating a significant milestone after reaching 100 winners Worldwide.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained Holyfield brought up the century of successes for the Dubai based group with victory at Newcastle under a strong ride from Brodie Loy.
After breaking on terms from gate one, Loy settled the colt in third place, where he would sit for much of the race. Still travelling well within his comfort zone as the field entered the home straight, Loy angled Holyfield out to make his challenge. Still showing signs of inexperience the son of I Am Invincible wandered about a bit, but his raw ability was enough to see him get home in front.
“He is very raw,” explained Maher Racing’s Annabel Neasham. “That’s why we wanted to kick him off over 1200 meters, any shorter he would have found things unfolding too quickly for him and he needed every inch of that today. He’ll learn a lot from that today.”
Phoenix’s journey towards 100 winners began on 9th June 2017 in the slightly modest cliff-top surroundings at Brighton on the English South Coast. The horse in question was Gotti who managed to finish in fourth-place before, just 10 days later, he delivered the first win for Phoenix, getting his nose in front at Royal Windsor.
Perhaps typical of the sharp rise of Phoenix a first win at the very top level came later that same year. Dream Tree gave the ambitious owners an early Christmas present taking out the Grade One Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on 9th December.
An inaugural Royal Ascot win went into the record books a year and a day after that opening glory for Gotti, Signora Cabello thrillingly landed the Queen Mary Stakes. It was an event that genuinely marked Phoenix Thoroughbreds arrival on the World stage and one they have not looked back from since.
During that season Advertise became the flagbearer in Europe. The son of Showcasing notching up a first Group One on the continent when becoming the first Britsh trained horse in 21 years to win the Pheonix Stakes at the Curragh. He’d go on to add another first for Phoenix, a Royal Ascot Group One in the 2019 Commonwealth Cup and before retiring to stand at the National Stud, he added the Prix Maurice De Gheest to his CV.
Meanwhile, Loving Gaby emerged as a star filly in Australia. After several near-misses in Group One’s in her juvenile campaign, she provided an opening top-level success in the Southern Hemisphere by winning the 2019 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley. Significantly the owners had another milestone to celebrate in Australia this year as Farnan helped the team realise years of planning and ambition by entering Phoenix Thoroughbreds history as their first homebred winner.
With some of their star names about to reappear and with a collection of exciting youngsters also waiting in the wings Phoenix Thoroughbreds can be hopeful their path to the second century of winners will be well underway in the near future.