racing_news/

Phoenix Reach Retires To Stand At National Stud
21/09/06

Triple Group 1 winner, Phoenix Reach, is to stand at The National Stud for the 2007 season.

Phoenix Reach the globetrotting winner of three of the world's biggest races has run his last race. The winner of 5 races and almost £2 million in prize money, he raced in 7 countries on 4 separate continents. The highlights of his career were victories in the 2003 Pattison Canadian International (Group 1), the 2004 Hong Kong Vase (Group 1) and the 2005 Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1) - an amazing record given that his 2-year-old career was restricted to one race by a fractured pastern which resulted in the insertion of a plate and three screws. Against the odds the colt recovered from this setback to win a maiden at Newbury on his second life time start and on his third appearance won the Gordon Stakes (G3) at Goodwood defeating High Accolade. He also achieved second place in the 10f, Group 1 Singapore Airlines Cup and has beaten horses that include Alexander Goldrun, Brian Boru, Powerscourt and Cherry Mix.

His trainer, Andrew Balding commented “Phoenix Reach has been our stable flagship since I started training and we will miss him terribly. He achieved so much in spite of some very bad luck and his appetite for competition was second to none. It takes a very special horse to travel across the world from one top class race to the next and still perform at the very highest level.”

Martin Dwyer, Phoenix Reach’s regular jockey said “I feel very lucky to have been able to ride Phoenix throughout his career. He was extremely courageous and had such class with a wonderful cruising speed that always makes it easier to be in the right place at the right time. My best memory of him was turning into the straight at Nad Al Sheba, we had the whole field to get by and passed them all as if they were standing still!”

Andrew Christou of Winterbeck Manor Stud, the horse¹s owner, certainly has no concerns about Phoenix Reach¹s future success as a sire: “There is no doubt about what any potential offspring of Phoenix's will be like” he said.

“If they inherit anything from the sire, they will surely be as tough as nails, have plenty of guts, determination and an absolute dedication and commitment to the racing game. I am thrilled to be standing him at The National Stud.”

The National Stud’s Commercial General Manager, Tina Dawson, said “The National Stud is delighted to be working in partnership with Winterbeck Manor Stud and the Christou family and we look forward to standing this talented, 3 times Group1 winner. Achieving a Timeform rating of 124, despite considerable setbacks, proves what an absolute top-class performer he is.

“Being by proven multiple Group 1 producing sire, Alhaarth, and out of Carroll’s Canyon, a half sister to Arc winner Carroll’s House, Phoenix Reach, makes a very exciting prospect for breeders in 2007.”