Next month Ed Vaughan will saddle his first runners since relocating to the US and there’s every chance they’ll be for either Phoenix Thoroughbreds or Phoenix Ladies.
Vaughan quit his Newmarket base at the end of 2020, citing the financial strain of training in the UK. He has now settled in at his new home at Keeneland where he has a string of around seven horses, the majority of which are owned by the extended Phoenix family. Three horses collectively for the Dubai-based groups followed him to the States while owners have since sent him two more.
In a recent interview with Thoroughbred Daily News, the Group winning handler opened up about some of these ‘exciting’ horses.
Lady De Peron: I have an unraced Kingman filly, who’s a half to Capello Sansevero, I didn’t get a chance to run her in the UK. I think she’ll suit being over here.
War Cross: He’s a horse I’m very excited about, he’s a War Front out of Curvy. His best run was his last run at Wolverhampton when he was second and there were 15 lengths back to the third. I think he’ll be a nice maiden to run up here, he loves fast ground and he’s been gelded since that last run. He’ll do well here.
Miss Chess (Pheonix Ladies): She’s by Zoffany and a half-sister to Fancy Blue, one of the best fillies in Europe and Zoffanys have done really well over here. She’s a lovely neat filly that loves fast ground and should have won first time-out, but she jumped the road and was a bit slowly away before staying on really well. Holly Doyle rode her that day and thought she’d won in the photo! We’ll probably start her off in a maiden at Keeneland.