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A filly who was bought for £430,000 at Goffs' London Sale on Monday evening proved that was money well spent when Forever In Dreams finished second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup for three-year-olds over six furlongs.
Her valuation is now well ahead of that purchase price, but no less importantly she provided the fledgling Phoenix Ladies' Syndicate with a fabulous entrée to European racing. Created last year, as a division of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, it enjoyed success in Dubai during the winter, and decided it was ready to spread its wings outside of the Emirates.
The syndicate is headed Pamela Cordina, who was born in Malta and lives in Dubai. Ironically, the horse who beat Forever In Dreams (20/1) today, Advertise (8/1), is owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, the brainchild of Amer Abdulaziz. He won by one and a half lengths, and there was a further head back to third-placed Hello Youmzain (6/1). In fourth was the evens-favourite Ten Sovereigns.
Forever In Dreams was bred by Con Marnane, and raced by him until Monday evening. Initially his filly was trained by Matthieu Palussiere in France, and she was seventh in last year's Windsor Castle Stakes, but only a length and a quarter behind the winner. She was then switched to Aidan Fogarty's stable in the spring, and he saddled her to win the Listed Cecil Frail Stakes before her sales' ring appearance.
Fogarty, who is based in Bansha, between Cashel and Tipperary town, said: "That was brilliant - my first Royal Ascot runner. I'm delighted for myself and the Phoenix teams who own this filly and the winner.
"It suited me when Con asked me to train her - I'm a Jump trainer who has some pointers, and a few Flat horses, but nothing else as good as this filly. She was fifth in a Listed race at Cork on her first start for me, and then she won at Haydock. I've had just two runners in Britain, and she was both of them.
"It would be lovely to keep her, but it will be up to her new owners."
Ms Cordina said: "It's a pinch-me moment. I'm in a daze and very happy. I was at the sale on Monday - we had studied her page, and noticed there was a lot of black type in her family and a lot of sprinters.
"The Phoenix Ladies were looking for a horse like this and I'm so glad we bought her. This was the first horse to race outside of Dubai, and what a place to start."
Bruce Raymond, representing Jaber Abdullah, the owner of Hello Youmzain, said: "He's still maturing and there is a lot more to come, including races like the Haydock Sprint Cup. He's better on soft ground and he wants taking care of, because I think he's going to be an even better four-year-old, when he will be fully mature."
Aidan O'Brien, the trainer of Ten Sovereigns, said: "I'm pleased with that because it was his first run since the Guineas and he ran well given that he was dropping back in trip. The July Cup is a possible."
His jockey, Ryan Moore, said "It was Ten Sovereigns' first run back at six. I think he will come forward for the run. It was a bit messy for him, but he will go the right way from that."
