Exhibit (17)(a)

                               Form of Proxy Card






                     PHOENIX APPRECIATION FUND, A SERIES OF
             PHOENIX TRUST (FORMERLY KNOWN AS PHOENIX-ZWEIG TRUST)
                                900 THIRD AVENUE, 31ST FLOOR
                               NEW YORK, NY 10022

                 PROXY FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                                March 19, 2004

                           PHOENIX APPRECIATION FUND

        The undersigned shareholder of the Phoenix Appreciation Fund (the
"Merging Series"), a series of Phoenix Trust (the "Phoenix Trust"), revoking any
and all previous proxies heretofore given for shares of the Merging Series held
by the undersigned ("Shares"), does hereby appoint Philip R. McLoughlin and
Richard J. Wirth, and each of them, proxies and attorneys of the undersigned,
with power of substitution to each, for and in the name of the undersigned to
vote and act upon all matters (unless and except as expressly limited below) at
the Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Merging Series to be held on March
19, 2004 at Hartford, Connecticut and at any and all adjournments thereof, with
respect to all shares of the Merging Series for which the undersigned is
entitled to provide instructions or with respect to which the undersigned would
be entitled to provide instructions or act with all the powers the undersigned
would possess if personally present and to vote with respect to specific matters
as set forth below. Any proxies heretofore given by the undersigned with respect
to said meeting are hereby revoked.

        To avoid the expense of adjourning the Meeting to a subsequent date,
please return this proxy in the enclosed self-addressed, postage-paid envelope.
In the alternative, you may vote by telephone by calling toll-free
[           ] and following the recording instructions or by Internet by
following the instructions on this proxy card. Prompt voting by shareholders
will avoid the costs associated with further solicitation.

        This proxy, if properly executed, will be voted in the manner as
directed herein by the undersigned shareholder. Unless otherwise specified in
the squares provided, the undersigned's vote will be cast "FOR" the Proposal. If
no direction is made for the Proposal, this proxy will be voted "FOR" the
Proposal.

 THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST WHICH
                      RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE PROPOSAL






                                                                 ACCOUNT NUMBER:
                                                                         SHARES:
                                                                     CONTROL NO:

TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS: [X]

                       KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS
                      DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY

              THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED

VOTE ON PROPOSAL

REORGANIZATION OF FUND


                                                                                          
1.  To consider and act upon a proposal to approve the Agreement                For       Against     Abstain
    and Plan of Reorganization, dated [________ __, 2004], and the               [  ]      [  ]        [  ]
    transactions it contemplates, including (a) the transfer of all
    or substantially all of the assets of the Phoenix Appreciation
    Fund, a series of the Phoenix Trust, to the Phoenix Small Cap
    Value Fund, a series of Phoenix Investment Trust 97, in exchange
    solely for shares of the corresponding class of the Phoenix Small
    Cap Value Fund and the assumption by the Phoenix Small Cap Value
    Fund of all known liabilities of the Phoenix Appreciation Fund and
    (b) the distribution of the shares of the Phoenix Small Cap Value
    Fund so received to shareholders of the Phoenix Appreciation Fund
    in complete liquidation of the Phoenix Appreciation Fund.



TO TRANSACT SUCH OTHER BUSINESS AS PROPERLY MAY COME BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY
ADJOURNMENT THEREOF.

NOTE: PLEASE SIGN EXACTLY AS YOUR NAME APPEARS HEREON. IF SHARES ARE REGISTERED
IN MORE THAN ONE NAME, ALL REGISTERED SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD SIGN THIS PROXY; BUT
IF ONE SHAREHOLDER SIGNS, THIS SIGNATURE BINDS THE OTHER SHAREHOLDER(S). WHEN
SIGNING AS AN ATTORNEY, EXECUTOR, ADMINISTRATOR, AGENT, TRUSTEE, GUARDIAN, OR
CUSTODIAN FOR A MINOR, PLEASE GIVE FULL TITLE AS SUCH. IF A CORPORATION, PLEASE
SIGN IN FULL CORPORATE NAME BY AN AUTHORIZED PERSON. IF A PARTNERSHIP, PLEASE
SIGN IN PARTNERSHIP NAME BY AN AUTHORIZED PERSON.


THIS PROXY MAY BE REVOKED BY THE SHAREHOLDER(S) AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO THE SPECIAL
MEETING OF THE SHAREHOLDERS.


_____________________________________________________________________



_____________________________________________________________________
Signature (PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX) Date Signature (Joint Owners) Date