Phoenix Thoroughbreds and the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate have been allegedly banned from running horses in France, Racing Post reported late on Friday. France Galop has not confirmed the ban.
Phoenix Thoroughbreds has been shrouded in controversy since last November when its founder and chief executive officer Amer Abdulaziz Salman was named in a U.S. federal court trial as being involved in a money-laundering operation. Abdulaziz was also accused of stealing money from sham cryptocurrency OneCoin, which he purportedly helped to run. Abdulaziz has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Phoenix announced earlier this week that it would cease racing horses in the UK on its own volition. Should France Galop confirm the ban, it would be the first national governing body to take action against Phoenix. A handful of individuals previously associated with Phoenix have sought to distance themselves, including trainers Martyn Meade and Bob Baffert, bloodstock agent Dermot Farrington and former head of U.S. operations Tom Ludt.
Phoenix's most important wins in France have come via Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and Signora Cabello (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) in the 2018 G2 Prix Robert Papin. As of November Phoenix was reported to have around 300 horses on five continents.
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