Link between Phoenix Thoroughbreds and new ownership force is revealed - and it poses a big question for racing authorities

Out of sight, out of mind – that is how it has been for most people in Europe when it comes to Phoenix Thoroughbreds in recent years.

Yet, just because the colours are no longer seen on racecourses in Britain, France and Ireland does not mean Phoenix has gone away. Nor does it mean the questions have been answered, or that even more have not emerged in the last 12 months.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds burst on to the scene in 2017 with Amer Abdulaziz Salman, the free-spending founder, showing no shyness in expressing his ambition for the organisation, which he claimed was the “world’s first regulated fund” focused on thoroughbred racing and breeding. The aim was to rub shoulders with the likes of Coolmore and Juddmonte, and Abdulaziz spent big acquiring the horses he felt could achieve that goal.