Phoenix declare intent to rival Coolmore and Godolphin after Cabello strike
'Our ambition in horseracing is to be number one' says founder
One of the major emerging forces in international horseracing celebrated their first Royal Ascot winner on Wednesday and immediately declared an ambition to "dominate globally" and rival established racing and bloodstock behemoths such as Coolmore and Godolphin.
Phoenix Thoroughbreds, rarely mentioned in the bloodstock press without the preface 'big-spending', bought into the John Quinn-trained Signora Cabello only within the last fortnight and rewards came in swift and thrilling fashion as the flying filly came home first in a blanket finish to the Queen Mary Stakes.
Amer Abdulaziz, Phoenix founder and CEO, launched his operation little more than a year ago but it has grown exponentially in that period, spending more than £25 million on bloodstock in 2017 and now boasting a worldwide team of 150 horses.
Last month Phoenix made headlines after parting ways in unexplained circumstances with Jeremy Noseda, who trained 14 horses, including one-time Kentucky Derby hope Gronkowski, for the group. He has since finished second in the Belmont for Chad Brown.
The scale of Phoenix's ambition was made plain by Abdulaziz, who said his organisation consisted of investors around the world.
"Our ambition in horseracing is to be number one – and we will be," he said. "It's a big ambition but we always set targets and we go for it.
"It doesn't matter where we win, we want to dominate globally. We want to be on the same level as Coolmore and Godolphin. We've got a four-year-plan. We're very ambitious. We've got to try and we believe all the time.
"We've got our own team that looks at horses all the time. They came back and said 'this is a horse we need to buy' and so we said 'okay, let's go for it'.
"She's a beautiful filly, we've been watching her, she had two wins before and this is when we decided to go after her."
Among the beneficiaries of Phoenix's ambition are the original owners of Signora Cabello, Ross Sankey and Chris Edwards of the Zen Racing partnership, who bought the filly at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, paying just 20,000gns, before selling 75 per cent to Phoenix for an undisclosed sum. Quinn said Sankey and Edwards were in Barbados on Wednesday.
Signora Cabello was sent off 25-1 but travelled and finished strongly under Oisin Murphy to see off Aidan O'Brien's Gossamer Wings and the well-backed Clive Cox runner Shades Of Blue.
"I couldn't believe the price she was and we thought she'd finish in the six," Quinn said. "All she's done is improve and she's improved again. She's very laid-back but she does help you.
Queen Mary Stakes, replay, result and analysis
"Even when Her Majesty was coming in and the band started up she just kept walking around, so she has a very good mind, and she's got plenty of ability."
Murphy, toasting his second Royal Ascot win, added: "This is the Olympics of Flat racing and to ride a winner here is a dream come true."
Signora Cabello is in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury next month but Quinn said a definitive plan could wait. However, as with Phoenix Thoroughbreds, future plans for her are unlikely to lack ambition.
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