By Tom Frary
Space Blues had made a strong start to his stud career in 2025 and his son Power Blue took it to the next level on Saturday when causing a surprise in The Curragh's feature G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes. Handed an easier task by the withdrawal of Ballydoyle's Coventry winner Gstaad (Starspangledbanner), Amo Racing's Marble Hill runner-up was also able to benefit from the drop off of his comprehensive Railway conqueror True Love (No Nay Never) to land the spoils by 1 1/2 lengths at 10-1.
“It's unbelievable–he has got bigger and stronger and has been improving all year,” commented trainer Adrian Murray, who had earlier saddled the owner's Bucanero Fuerte to win the Phoenix Sprint. “He never lets us down and a furlong out I was thinking the filly wasn't going to get to him as he was still in his comfort zone.”
Power Blue, a bargain £44,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale purchase for the LNA Racing Syndicate, had won the opening juvenile maiden of the season here in impressive fashion on soft ground in March prior to running third to Lady Iman (Starman) and True Love when the latter was making her debut in the Listed First Flier Stakes in early May. Runner-up to Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) in the G3 Marble Hill later that month, he was fifth in the Coventry making his debut in the Amo silks before being beaten nearly six lengths by True Love in the Railway last month.
While his determined display from the front here could be classed as a fluke, with the runner-up deemed as having run below-par in a far from vintage renewal of the European calendar's first two-year-old Group 1 race, the winning time was the race's fastest since it returned here from Leopardstown in 2002.
Jockey David Egan was keen to champion his mount. “He wears his heart on his sleeve,” the rider said. “We went hard all the way with that tailwind. I'm sure we went fast fractions and we really ran them into the ground. It was a real tough performance. I was glad when I jumped out of the gates and the fancied one was on my left. I could have stayed straight, but I just angled over so he would have something to fight against because he loves a battle. That was key.”
“It's fantastic, a mega day. It's my first Group 1 for Amo, which is huge for myself and the team,” Egan added. “So much hard work goes into it and Kia puts a lot into the game. He obviously has his critics, but to give him a day like this is a proud day. I knew the second half of the season was going to be better than the first half for us and the second year better than the first and the third year better than the second. It's all about giving it time.”
Oh. My. Goodness ….
1-4 favourite True Love is outgunned by in the @keeneland Phoenix Stakes @curraghrace
What a day for @amoracingltd, @AMurrayRacing and @DavidEgan99 pic.twitter.com/6tviaSISyO
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Power Blue, one of a trio of Stakes performers for his first-crop sire alongside Do Or Do Not and Polly Shelby, is the first foal out of the G3 Premio Elena e Sergio Cumani-placed Visions (Worthadd). She is a daughter of the G3 Premio Tudini winner Charming Woman (Invincible Spirit), while the family also features the GIII Bewitch Stakes winner and Preis der Diana-placed Lilac Queen (Law Society). Visions's yearling colt by Starman named New Again is catalogued in the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1.
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