The recent record makes for sobering reading. Going back through the last six runs, Phoenix Arizona has finished 11th, pulled up or didn't finish, then 6th, 7th, 2nd, and 3rd. That sequence tells a clear story: there were signs of promise a few runs back — a second and a third in consecutive races — but since then the performances have fallen away sharply, culminating in an 11th-place finish. The fact that the horse didn't complete one of those races is also worth noting, as it suggests there have been difficult days mixed in with the ordinary ones.
Mr P J O'Neill has been the regular partner in the saddle, riding Phoenix Arizona in 5 of its 8 races without managing to find the winner's enclosure once together. That is not necessarily a reflection on either horse or rider — sometimes a pairing just hasn't found its moment — but five attempts without a win does underline how elusive that breakthrough has been.
What keeps the story alive is that Phoenix Arizona raced just yesterday, meaning this is very much a horse still in active training and being aimed at races. At seven, it is not young, but horses can and do win for the first time at this stage of their careers. For now though, Phoenix Arizona remains one of racing's nearly-horses — present, placed occasionally, but yet to experience what it feels like to cross the line first.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilbeggan Tight |
2 | 2 other | 15 May | 0% |
| Tipperary Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 8 May | 0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 30 May | 0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 | 1 third | 7 Oct | 0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 21 Apr | 0% |
| Navan Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Nov | 0% |
| Sligo Sharp |
1 | 1 second | 24 Oct | 0% |