PHOENIX REACH "THE GLOBETROTTER"

Phoenix Reach Dubai

Phoenix Reach has the world at his feet after he booked his place on a global tour with victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba.
The five-year-old, already a winner in Britain, Canada and Hong Kong, came from the rear to lead in the final 150 yards in the hands of Martin Dwyer to give his young trainer Andrew Balding a famous success. The winner, whose next target is the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong next month, was returned at 5-1 by British bookmakers.

Razkalla (20-1), Godolphin's second string, held off another British hope, Alan Swinbank's Collier Hill (40-1), for second place.
However, other European raiders fared less well.
Razkalla was back in front at the two-furlong marker and looked like springing a 20-1 surprise, but as the gaps opened up Phoenix Reach weaved his way through the pack to snatch the lead and quickly go clear close home for a two-length victory. Balding said: "He's better than ever and has been working really well. We were quietly confident, but you never know, what with taking the blinkers off and a bad draw. I am really pleased. "He's a really talented horse. If it wasn't for the beginning of last summer when he was wrong, he's only run two bad races in his life. He's an underrated horse, but he's pretty decent. "We will hopefully take him to Hong Kong for the QEII and see what happens.

It's certainly going to be an international programme but these days, with shuttle stallions travelling around the world, we want to put him in the shop window as a potential stallion in as many places as possible." If all goes to plan, Phoenix Reach will then return to Britain for a tilt at something like Sandown's Coral-Eclipse Stakes, before going back on his travels for races such as the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in Australia or even the Breeders' Cup meeting at Belmont Park in the United States.

Such ambitious targets only reflect the manner in which Phoenix Reach has improved his form in the past six months.

Even Dwyer seemed surprised by the manner of his mount's success. "I was pretty lucky to get the gaps on the rail, but I had to take a chance. I had walked the course before the race with Andrew and we agreed that we were never going to win by going too wide," he said. "He might have been a bit fortunate that everything opened at the right time, but you can only ride a horse like that if he has enough acceleration. "I took a chance and dropped across from a wide draw, but I was following the horses I wanted to be following. "He picked up well - he's a very good horse. Perhaps in the past he hasn't had the credit that he has deserved but maybe that was because he hadn't beaten top-class horses before.

"Tonight I think he was the real thing. It's been an amazing experience."

Phoenix Reach goes down fighting as Mummify wraps it up with late burst
Singapore Airlines International Cup: 1 Mummify ........................124-10 2 Phoenix Reach ..................48-10 3 Alexander Goldrun ............42-10 Owner: M Pejic, T J & A Torcasio et al Trainer: Lee Freedman Jockey: Danny Nikolic Breeder: C D Green Distances: 3 4 l, 2 3 4 l
Published: 16/05/2005 (Sport) Paul Eacott
GLOBETROTTING star Phoenix Reach had to settle for the silver medal on the latest leg of his overseas adventure as he went down by threequarters of a length to Australian raider Mummify in the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji yesterday, writes Paul Eacott. Mummify, who had provided trainer Lee Freedman with his 100th Group 1 win at home, notched his trainer's maiden top-level success overseas.
He relished the blistering pace and proved just too strong for the Andrew Balding-trained Phoenix Reach and Jim Bolger's Alexander Goldrun, who finished two and three-quarter lengths further back in third.
Phoenix Reach, who has won Group 1s in Canada, Hong Kong and Dubai in the last 18 months, looked set to notch another as he took a clear lead a furlong out under Martin Dwyer, before Danny Nikolic on Mummify made his challenge soon after to snatch victory late on.
Dwyer, who has won on the five-yearold in four different countries, said: ``He ran a super race, a blinder. I thought I had it won. For an English horse to come out here, it was an exceptional performance.''
The five-year-old could be clocking up further air miles according to Balding, who said: ``I can't complain, he's run a very solid race. The realistic options are the Hanshin in Japan or the Prince of Wales's Stakes.
Alternatively, we could give him a rest and wait for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.''

Paul Haigh on Saturday: You heard it here: Phoenix Reach wins

Published: 14/05/2005 (Sport) Paul Haigh
ALL of the above brings us - who cares about links? - to Singapore, scene of Phase 2 of what used to be the World Series and is now called the World Racing Championships.
Phoenix Reach will win the Singapore International Airlines Cup tomorrow or my name's not Nostradamus Shipton. Epalo, who ought on form to have run second, has lost condition this week and is showing signs of what everyone in the tropics dreads: dehydration.
The only danger is Alexander Goldrun, who was second to Attraction in the Irish Guineas, much later just beat Bullish Luck in Hong Kong, and then, when slightly below her best, finished fifth to Elvstroem at Nad Al Sheba. See what connectivity there is to top-class international form?
Actually, she's a very big danger. A quinella (also known as a dual forecast) is advised. As `a box'. Or if you prefer, as `a protector' - against the possibility of badly bitten buttocks.