Egan chooses correctly from serious Amo 

David Egan enjoys coming back home to the home of his youth, and the flame-haired rider bagged his second Group 1 of the season at the Curragh Racecourse in the colours of his paymasters, Amo Racing, by stewarding Arizona Blaze (11/2) to a length victory over the David O’Meara-trained Nighteyes (16/1) in the Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes.

Egan had to be feeling the pressure, as many eyebrows were raised when he selected the Sergei Prokofiev gelding Amo owns in partnership with Giselle De Aguiar, over Bucanero Fuerte, who he had partnered to victory at Group 3 level at Flat HQ on the same day that he had navigated Power Blue to win the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes win last month.

The Kildare native’s judgement proved as elite as his ability in the saddle, however, though the difficulty of the selection was emphasised by Bucanero Fuerte battling on to be third under Colin Keane at 9/2.

It was another memorable occasion for trainer Adrian Murray, who has relished the association with Robson Aguiar, whose name will soon be joining his on the licence, and Amo boss, Kia Joorabchian.

All concerned felt that it was an overdue top-flight success for Arizona Blue.

“He competed as a juvenile at the top level and the Commonwealth Cup was hard to swallow, just touched off by a short head or a head,” said Egan. “He’s a top-class horse and he really deserved that. I’m delighted.

“Leading up to the race, a lot of people were talking that Bucanero was probably the pick between the two. Myself, it was probably very close to a flick of a coin but I always had a lot of faith in this horse.

“Adrian Murray and Robson, they can get horses to bounce back. He was a little bit disappointing last time but bounced back. A bit of ease in the ground helped. He was always comfortable and it’s the best form I’ve ever felt him in so credit to Robbie and Adrian.” Joorabchian was delighted for the horse in particular.

“I love this racecourse, it’s a fantastic place,” Joorabchian remarked. “Irish racing is on the way up. It’s getting better and better and it’s nice to come here and compete.

“I’m so happy for this guy. I’m so emotional about it because more than anyone, Arizona deserves it. He’s touched the lines so many times in a Group 1 and to do it today, he really deserves.

“It’s an amazing job Robson and Adrian have done with him in the last couple of years. They’ve never lost belief in him and he’s so tough. It was a very tough decision to go Bucanero or Arizona but we knew Arizona is a stallion prospect and I think that’s what did it for him. And wow, what a great day for him.

“We always knew we were going to have a much better second half of the season. We were under the cosh during Royal Ascot and the earlier part of the season, but the horses that we purchased, the pedigrees that we’ve got into – Alex Elliott and Ben (McElroy), who do our purchasing, always knew that it was going to be (about) the second half of the season. And Power Blue and now Arizona have really lifted us.”