Amer Abdulaziz

by Bren O'Brien/TDNAusNZ The Aquis Group and the Fung family have indicated they will end their Thoroughbred racing partnership with Phoenix Thoroughbreds after it was confirmed that Phoenix's prize money had been frozen in New South Wales and Victoria. The Australian Financial Review has reported that Aquis had not been informed that Phoenix's prize money had been frozen in Australia's two biggest racing states and, having failed to get answers from the Dubai-based operation, will seek to end the relationship. Aquis told the AFR that it was left in the...

Following on from Friday's news that Racing NSW would place a freeze on prizemoney won by Phoenix Thoroughbreds horses until money laundering allegations are resolved in the U.S., Racing Victoria has followed suit. Phoenix Founder Amer Abdulaziz was named in a U.S. federal court trial in November 2019 as allegedly being involved in a money laundering operation and as having stolen €100-million from OneCoin, a sham cryptocurrency he purportedly helped to run. Abdulaziz and Phoenix Thoroughbreds have denied the allegations. A spokesperson for Racing Victoria told TDN AusNZ, "While these...

Action has been taken in Australia against Phoenix Thoroughbreds for the first time since the organization's founder Amer Abdulaziz was accused of money laundering in the U.S. in November of 2019, with Racing New South Wales Chief Steward Marc Van Gestel telling ANZ Bloodstock News that it will freeze all prizemoney won by Phoenix horses until the "matter has been resolved in the U.S., or until such time that it's been resolved to our satisfaction." Abdulaziz was named in a U.S. federal court trial in November 2019 as allegedly being...

Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Phoenix Ladies Syndicate have been barred from racing in Dubai, the Racing Post reported on Thursday. Phoenix, which is already prevented from racing in the UK and France, does not have any runners in Dubai yet and last raced in the UAE in 2020. In November of 2019, Phoenix's founder, Amer Abdulaziz Salman was named in an alleged money laundering and fraud scandal in New York in connection to the crypto currency Ponzi scheme OneCoin. Phoenix denies all claims. "We have the horses in the stable but...

A day after the British Horseracing Authority announced that Phoenix Thoroughbreds had been barred from having runners in the UK, Phoenix released a statement on the matter. It read, "Following Phoenix Thoroughbred's recent decision to leave UK racing, the British Horseracing Authority have confirmed that there will be a temporary suspension on our runners in the UK whilst a review of our operations are conducted. We are in direct contact with the BHA and are working with them very closely during this review period and see it as a chance...

Effective Monday, Sept. 7, Phoenix Thoroughbreds cannot have runners in races in Great Britain until further notice, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Thursday. Phoenix had earlier in August made the decision to leave UK racing and was reportedly banned from racing in France a few days later. Any horse currently entered will not be permitted to be declared in its current ownership. All racing administration accounts of all registered ownership entities that involve Phoenix Thoroughbreds have been suspended. The BHA is in regular correspondence with Phoenix Thoroughbreds, and after...

Tom Ludt, who joined Phoenix Thoroughbreds as head of U.S. operations in December of 2017, has left the company, Racing Post reported. According to Ludt, he accepted a termination agreement offered by Phoenix's creator, Amer Abdulaziz Salman. Abdulaziz's brainchild operates on multiple continents and has enjoyed Group 1/I success, but first came under investigation in November of 2019, as first reported by Racing Post. Abdulaziz allegedly stole €100 million from sham cryptocurrency OneCoin-which he allegedly helped operate as an international Ponzi scheme-and reinvested those funds into thoroughbreds through Phoenix. The...

Phoenix Thoroughbreds has expanded its roster of U.S.-based trainers over the last few weeks to include Ken McPeek and Brendan Walsh. McPeek has already saddled a winner for the Dubai-based operation, sending out Crazy Beautiful (Liam's Map) to an impressive and popular debut victory in a one-mile turf maiden at Ellis Park July 5. The gray filly was acquired for $250,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale. The conditioner will also call the shots on a Speightster colt that just came into the barn last week and he also trained...

Phoenix Thoroughbreds, embroiled in controversy since its founder Amer Abdulaziz was named in an alleged money laundering and fraud scandal, has released a statement regarding its long-term commitment to racing. The statement reads as follows: "Phoenix Thoroughbreds wishes to reiterate our long-term commitment and continued investment in the equine industry after our recent homebred successes. We are delighted with the success of Farnan, our first homebred winner. His achievements are the culmination of years of ambition, vision and hard work as part of our ongoing long-term breeding strategy. As a...

Phoenix Thoroughbreds and trainer Martyn Meade-who conditioned the owners' Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) to win three Group 1s-have reportedly parted ways. The story was first reported by Racing Post. Meade told that publication, "I no longer train for Phoenix." Meade's son-in-law Dermot Farrington also left his post as a bloodstock advisor to Phoenix in November after it came out that Phoenix was alleged to be wrapped up in a money laundering scandal. Phoenix Thoroughbreds owns an estimated 300 Thoroughbreds on five continents.