FlightOfThePhoenix

FlightOfThePhoenix is a beautiful 2-year-old filly by Phoenix Of Spain and out of the race winning and Listed placed mare, Sea Mona.

She was bought for €95,000 by McKeever Bloodstock and Charlie Hills at the Goffs Orby sale in 2023.

Her breeders at the Irish National Stud have loved this filly from day one and, as such, have decided to hold on to one third of her. Mr Hills shares their sentiments and has also asked to keep a share for himself.

This has given Old Gold Racing the opportunity to syndicate one third of her.

FlightOfThePhoenix is a quality filly with a good page. Her dam, Sea Mona, was a winner at 2-years-old herself, placing a further four times including in the Listed Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. Now a broodmare, she is responsible for California Angel who won twice at 2-years-old including the Group 2 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes and then went on to be placed at Group level at 3-years-old. She has also produced Pandorica, herself a winner at 2-years-old and Into The Groove, who placed on his second start behind a Ballydoyle colt that has since been Group placed.

FlightOfThePhoenix’s stallion, Phoenix Of Spain, was also trained by Charlie Hills, for whom he won a Group 3 at 2-years-old and gained a Classic success at 3-years-old in the Group 1 Irish 2,000 Guineas, achieving an official rating of 120. Over the course of his career he beat top class horses including Too Darn Hot, Magna Grecia and Benbatl. In doing so, he earned £368,804 in prize money over distances from seven furlongs to a mile.

As a sire he has had a great start with his first crop of 2-year-olds, including the likes of Group 2 Vintage Stakes winner Haatem, and has achieved a remarkable 42% winners to runners strike rate.

This filly seems to have all the best attributes of her parents; she has an impressive look to her, a lovely walk and is proving to have a very good mind, whilst also having a bit of a spark about her.

Her trainer, Charlie, has informed us that “she’s nice and sound, and, you know, she’ll hopefully get us to the nice meetings, which is always good and you know, she’ll hopefully be able to have a good few runs this year, and will be something to look forward to over the winter for for next year as well”.

Charlie wanted to give FlightOfThePhoenix plenty of time to mature ahead of her first run and was really pleased to see her progress so nicely with all of her training over the summer.

FlightOfThePhoenix finished a thrilling 2nd at Kempton (AW) on debut to a highly regarded Richard Hannon filly, who sealed the victory by only a neck. It was an especially pleasing run given how green she still was. She will come on plenty both physically and mentally from this and looks to have a very bright future ahead!

Charlie has spent his entire life immersed in racing. He learnt a lot working under his father, Barry, before taking over the licence at Faringdon Place Stables in Lambourn, in August 2011. Charlie saddled a winner with his first runner and he quickly established himself as one of the most promising young trainers in the country. Less than two years after taking the reins from his father, Charlie trained his first Classic winner in the 1,000 Guineas at Curragh. Later that season, he won the Shadwell Fillies Mile at Newmarket and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita with the European Champion two year old filly, Chriselliam. In recent years more top class horses have emerged including two European Champion sprinters in the shape of Muhaarar and Battaash. Battaash was a phenomenal horse for Charlie for many years and continued to represent the yard in the sprinting division from season to season. Charlie is married to Philippa, with whom he has two racing mad sons James and Eddie who like to help out with the horses as much as possible.