Phoenix Thoroughbreds enjoyed a successful 72 hours on the track with three winners in as many days.
The hat-trick of wins on three different continents kicked off on Saturday when the Ed Vaughan trained Angelic Time ran out a comfortable, if not slightly cosy winner, at Wolverhampton. The striking son of Dark Angel was making his second start and showed significant improvement to score in the 7f Novice Stakes under record-breaking rider Hollie Doyle.
“I was very pleased with him,” said Vaughan on Monday. “He loved the surface there (at Wolverhampton) and enjoyed the fast pace. He travelled really well and he stayed the seven furlongs; I imagine he’d get a mile. He’ll have a break now before we start him up again in the New Year. He’ll probably run him in another Novice under a penalty next and if he comes through that, we might look at something like the (Listed) Burradon Stakes at Newcastle.”
Meanwhile, Little Menace could prove a name to watch as he dominated a Maiden Special Weight at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Providing the middle leg of the three-timer, the colt sat handy under Ricardo Santana Junior before gliding past the long-time leader on the turn for home. Entering the stretch Steve Asmussen’s charge pulled further and further clear, eventually crossing the line just shy of eight-lengths clear of the field.
If that victory was dominant so was that of Gamble Rules, who led from barrier to wire at Palermo to complete a memorable few days for the Dubai-based group. Owned in partnership with Haras Abolengo the filly was sent off as a heavy favourite following a series of promising efforts. Taken immediately to the front by jockey Eduardo Pavon, the pair went at a decent clip, but any concern they had gone off to fast was soon put to bed as their rivals started to throw out distress signals around the turn. Entering the straight Gamble Rules continued her relentless gallop and with no dangers emerging from the pack won in splendid isolation.