Arizona Blaze (GB)
Thoroughly deserving of his first Group 1 success on Sunday, AMO Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar's Arizona Blaze (Sergei Prokofiev) justified David Egan's call to partner him in The Curragh's Bar One Flying Five Stakes. Taking a lead from the owners' other live contender Bucanero Fuerte (Wootton Bassett), the 11-2 shot stayed on strongly to edge ahead a furlong out and land the five-furlong prize by a length from Nighteyes (Night Of Thunder) with Bucanero Fuerte holding on for third. "I had to go with my gut feeling and I...
From four runners at this year's Royal Ascot, Harry Eustace now boasts a pair of Group 1 winners as the filly Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali) followed on from stablemate Docklands in Friday's G1 Commonwealth Cup. Drawn widest in one, the 25-1 shot who had been edged out by Woodshauna (Wooded) in Chantilly's G3 Prix Texanita last month was forced to stay in the group up the centre racing away from the main pack. Driven clear of her neighbours inside the final furlong by Richard Kingscote, the bargain €35,000...
Making every yard in Monday's G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly, Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar's battle-hardened Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) proved too tough and classy for a fascinating cast. Dropping back to 5 1/2 furlongs having finished a game third to Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in Leopardstown's seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes, the 10-3 shot was out of reach as the 9-5 favourite Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) encountered traffic attempting to come from behind. At the line, the Adrian Murray-trained G3 Marble...
Monday, Chantilly, France, post time: 16:15, PRIX SIGY-G3, €80,000, 3yo, 5 1/2fT Field: Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), Estepona (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), Mehmist (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), The Strikin Viking (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), King Of Light (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), Rayevka (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Une Pointure (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), Miss Lamai (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Apollo Fountain (GB) (No Nay Never) and Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). TDN Verdict: TDN Rising Star Polyvega was smart last year for Carlos Laffon-Parias, but she looks to have taken a leap forward...
Starting his new term having signed off with success in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, Ballydoyle's Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) overcame rustiness to capture Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" Stakes at Leopardstown. Reserved early by Ryan Moore off the pace set by Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), the 6-4 favourite arrived late to collar that rival and the eventual second Comanche Brave (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). At the line, there were two half-length margins between the Wootton Bassetts and the non-staying Arizona Blaze. "He wants to...
With six winners from 13 runners in the past fortnight, few stables are in better form at present than that of Adrian Murray, who now has his sights set on bigger targets in the coming weeks with three of those winners, including last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint runner-up Arizona Blaze (GB). The son of Sergei Prokofiev kicked off his three-year-old season in the best possible fashion at Dundalk last Friday, when giving weight and a comprehensive beating to his five rivals in the Horse Racing Every Friday...
Adrian Murray trainee Arizona Blaze (Ire) (Sergei Prokofiev--Liberisque {GB}, by Equiano {Fr}), who closed a nine-race juvenile campaign with a runner-up finish in November's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint when last seen, made a winning return to action in Friday's Horse Racing Every Friday Until 11th April Race at Dundalk. Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar's March-foaled bay got the better of subsequent G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in May's G3 Marble Hill Stakes and broke swiftly to gain an early advantage in...
As a heralded and unbeaten member of the dominant 2-year-old fillies' division entering Saturday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh, Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}--Pavlosk, by Arch) was always going to be a force to be reckoned with and in the event she was too much for Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) to handle in the first major clash of the sexes in this age group. Surrendering a length and a half from the gates to the Ballydoyle representative, the Ger Lyons-trained G3 Anglesey Stakes winner...
Wathnan Racing's Shareholder (Not This Time--Cloudy Dancer {GB}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) had only announced himself a G2 Norfolk Stakes candidate 12 days ago when winning Beverley's Two Year Old Trophy Conditions Stakes and made light of the quick turnaround to capture the Royal Ascot prize. Held on to by James Doyle early among the group racing up the centre, the Karl Burke-trained 12-1 shot was in front passing the two-furlong pole and asserted to score by a length from Tropical Storm (GB) (Eqtidaar {Ire}), with a head back to...
Crack stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) leads a 12-strong field for the 2 1/2-mile G1 Gold Cup, as next Thursday's Royal Ascot fields take shape. A winner of this event in 2022, the chestnut sustained an injury last term that forced him to make just two starts. However, he has put that hiccup behind him and has won the Listed Vintage Crop S. and the G3 Levmoss S. in succession. This race's entries read like a who's who of some of the best stayers in Europe, and, although Wathan Racing's...
Continuing the stellar start to his stud career of Sergei Prokofiev, Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar's Arizona Blaze (GB) outstayed Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at the close of The Curragh's G3 GAIN Marble Hill S. run in memory of Theresa Marnane on Saturday. Second to the runner-up's stablemate Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) in the five-furlong Listed First Flier S. here earlier this month, the £82,000 Goffs UK Premier graduate, who was his sire's first winner also at this venue in March,...
Monday's curtain-raising Curragh card saw Whitsbury Manor Stud's first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev register his opening salvo as his son Arizona Blaze (GB) captured the five-furlong Castle Star And Alkumait At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden. Representing AMO Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar and the Adrian Murray stable, the £82,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale graduate was always on the sharp end under David Egan. Asserting from Rowdy Yeats (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) inside the final furlong, the 5-4 favourite eked out a professional 1 1/4-length success. "David [Egan] said...