Arizona Blaze gets his Group 1 in BC WAYI Flying Five

Arizona Blaze, the close runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1), booked his return ticket to Del Mar in Sunday’s Flying Five (G1) at the Curragh. The Adrian Murray trainee scored his Group 1 breakthrough in the “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). 

A spot in the Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) was up for grabs in the Moyglare Stud (G1), but the victorious Precise was already in, thanks to her prior Breeders’ Cup Challenge success in the Prestige (G3). The lesser-fancied Aidan O’Brien representatives outperformed their favored stablemate, Composing, who tired to fourth.

Other Ballydoyle hotpots overturned on day two of the Irish Champions Festival were the two-year-old colt Gstaad, just outdueled by Zavateri in the Vincent O’Brien National (G1), and older stayer Illinois, only seventh behind Al Riffa in the Irish St Leger (G1). 

Flying Five (G1)

Australian mare Asfoora was favored to follow up on her recent win in the Nunthorpe (G1) at York, where Arizona Blaze was an uncharacteristic 11th as the favorite. But the Curragh’s yielding ground blunted Asfoora’s speed here. The sprinters have been taking turns beating each other all season, a recurring theme, and Sunday was the time for Arizona Blaze to shine.

Arizona Blaze was one of two top contenders in the Flying Five for Amo Racing and Giselle de Aguiar, along with the older Bucanero Fuerte. Amo’s retained rider, David Egan, had the unenviable task of having to split the pair, and he sided with the sophomore. The market believed that he might have been on the wrong one, but only marginally, and Arizona Blaze vindicated him as the $12.40 winner.

Tracking Bucanero Fuerte early, Arizona Blaze was traveling better passing the halfway stage, and he soon overtook his stablemate. British shipper Night Raider, prominent nearer the stands’ side, challenged in a bid to give trainer Karl Burke another big win during the weekend festival. 

But Arizona Blaze kept finding and edged away by one length. The son of Sergei Prokofiev clocked the straight five furlongs in :59.03.

British-based filly Nighteyes surged late on the far side to grab second, heading the one-paced Bucanero Fuerte in third. Nighteyes was found to be lame immediately post-race.  

Irish filly She’s Quality did her best work late to pip Night Raider for fourth. Next came Mgheera; Asfoora, who stalked in tandem with Arizona Blaze early but couldn’t pick up, Two Stars, Powerful Nation,  Art Power, Vadream, Grand Marques, Erosandpsyche, Whistlejacket, and slow-starting Lady with the Lamp. Saratoga Special was scratched. 

Arizona Blaze’s resume now reads 17-6-4-4. The hardy colt, who was denied by a neck in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot, went on to beat older horses in the Sapphire (G2) at this course and distance before his Nunthorpe flop. 

Also, the winner of the 2024 Marble Hill (G3) and April 14 Prix Sigy (G3) in his own age group, Arizona Blaze, has amassed seven stakes placings. Notable among them are last year’s Norfolk (G2) at Royal Ascot, Railway (G2), and Phoenix (G1), in addition to his Breeders’ Cup and Commonwealth Cup near-misses. 

Amo Racing impresario Kia Joorabchian indicated that Del Mar is on the agenda.

“I think Arizona will go on to the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll have a lot of fun with him.”

Moyglare Stud (G1)

The Moyglare Stud was expected to be a showdown between O’Brien’s Composing and Burke’s undefeated Venetian Sun. The clash never really materialized, unless their anticlimactic photo for third and fourth counts. 

Composing went straight to the early lead, but she didn’t find much at the decisive stage. Beautify, Ballydoyle’s third-stringer in the betting, was moving best of all as she prompted the pace and struck the front.

Although Precise had to be nudged along into contention by Ronan Whelan, she responded well to drive past Beautify by three-quarters of a length. The Starspangledbanner filly negotiated seven furlongs in 1:29.13 and returned $12.50.

Venetian Sun stayed on for third, a head up on the disappointing Composing. Skydance, Pivotal Attack, and Suzie Songs completed the order under the wire.

Campaigned by the Coolmore principals and Westerberg, Precise sports a mark of 4-3-1-0. The improving chestnut broke her maiden at Cork and wheeled back 10 days later in the Prestige at Goodwood. 

The Prestige form is turning out to be solid. Prestige third-placer Aylin just won the May Hill (G2), Prestige fourth Sukanya was runner-up to O’Brien’s exciting Diamond Necklace in Saturday’s Ingabelle S., and Prestige sixth went on to place second in the Dick Poole Fillies’ S. (G3). 

Vincent O’Brien National (G1)

British shipper Zavateri preserved his perfect record after a battle with Gstaad and a stewards’ inquiry. His final time in the seven-furlong National was 1:26.73, considerably faster than Precise in the Moyglare.

Trained by Eve Johnson Houghton and piloted by Charlie Bishop, Zavateri was anchored at the back of the compact field early. Ballydoyle pacemaker Dorset led the way, shadowed by North Coast, while Gstaad bided his time.

As Zavateri angled out into a challenging position, Gstaad commenced his move as well, and the two pulled clear of the rest. Zavateri got the better of the argument by a head. After the stewards reviewed their grappling to the wire and saw no reason to change the order, he rewarded his backers with $10.30.

Another 2 1/2 lengths back in third came Ballydoyle second-stringer Italy, who didn’t help his cause by pulling hard. Dorset faded to fourth, followed by North Coast and Godolphin’s Saba Desert.

Now 4-for-4, Mick and Janice Mariscotti’s Zavateri has been consistently underestimated by bettors. The son of Without Parole was an 18-1 longshot in the July (G2) at Newmarket, fresh off his debut at Salisbury, and an 8-1 chance in the Vintage (G2) at Glorious Goodwood. 

The Oct. 11 Dewhurst (G1) is next for Zavateri, whose female line descends from the great Zarkava, the unbeaten winner of the 2008 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1). 

Irish St Leger (G1)

The Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa ($8) is bound for the Melbourne Cup (G1) after his conquest of the 1 3/4-mile Irish St Leger. Under confident handling by Dylan Browne McMonagle, the recent Australian Bloodstock Two recruit rallied from far off the pace and cruised home by four lengths.

Hitherto unbeaten sophomore Amiloc lost no luster by finishing best of the rest in a strung-out field. Making his first start versus elders here, and beyond 1 1/2 miles, the Ralph Beckett gelding could have the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on his radar. 

Al Riffa, hero of the 2022 Vincent O’Brien National during his juvenile campaign as well as the 2024 Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1), has just reinvented himself as a stayer. The son of Wootton Bassett dominated the course-and-distance Curragh Cup (G2) in his first try at 1 3/4 miles on July 19. His career scorecard of 15-5-5-1 reflects placings in several major prizes, including the 2023 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (G2) (to future Arc star Ace Impact), the 2024 Eclipse (G1) (to City of Troy), and this summer’s Hardwicke (G2) at Royal Ascot (to Rebel’s Romance). 

Blandford (G2)

The Blandford (G2) rounded out the major stakes of the Irish Champions Festival, and Barnavara ($13.60) delivered a new career high in front-running fashion. Under Shane Foley, the Jessica Harrington sophomore held sway by 3 1/2 lengths from the belatedly-closing One Look. Favored Red Letter, who had previously traded decisions with Barnavara, was third in this rubber match. 

Alpha Racing’s Barnavara advanced her record to 12-4-0-5. The daughter of Calyx, who was thereabouts in several Group races at two, turned a stakes double in June. After landing the Kooyonga S. at Navan and the Jannah Rose (G3) at Naas, she was most recently third in the Snow Fairy Fillies’ S. (G3). 

Barnavara will now take her chance at the highest level in the Oct. 5 Prix de l’Opera (G1) on Arc Day.