By Tom Frary
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, set off in front under David Egan. Tackled and passed by Ballydoyle's 4-6 favourite inside the final furlong, the 7-1 shot looked booked for second again but battled tenaciously to get back in front close home and score by a head.
“The plan was to drop him out and come from behind, but there was no pace early on and he had choice but to go on,” trainer Adrian Murray said. “He stuck at it very well. He's still not the finished article, there is more improvement in him between now and the Coventry. He was an early horse, but we gave him an easy time of it after that to give him time to grow into himself. The last day he got beat here, he wouldn't have been 110%. He had a right little bit of a blow after that race, so he'll come on again.”
Pedigree Notes
Arizona Blaze's dam Liberisque (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) is a daughter of the Listed Finale S. winner Jane Austen (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a full-sister to the listed-placed Acapulco (Ire) from the family of the G3 Prix des Chenes-winning sire Evasive's First (Fr) (Evasive {GB}) and the G1 Derby Italiano winner Houmayoun (Fr) (Shernazar {Ire}). Liberisque also has a yearling colt by Harry Angel (Ire).
Arizona Blaze strikes in a thrilling finish to the @GAINEquine Marble Hill Stakes, run in memory of Theresa Marnane.
The colt struck in our opening two-year-old race of the season and now he's off to Royal Ascot! 🎩 pic.twitter.com/f8OfXp1h8L
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) May 25, 2024
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN MARBLE HILL S. (IN MEMORY OF THERESA MARNANE)-G3, €60,000, Curragh, 5-25, 2yo, 6fT, 1:14.70, gd.
1–ARIZONA BLAZE (GB), 131, c, 2, by Sergei Prokofiev
1st Dam: Liberisque (GB), by Equiano (Fr)
2nd Dam: Jane Austen (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
3rd Dam: Harasava, by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (36,000gns Wlg '22 TADEWE; £82,000 Ylg '23 GOFFUK). O-Amo Racing Ltd & Giselle De Aguiar; B-Andrew Bengough & Partners (GB); T-Adrian Murray; J-David Egan. €36,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $60,079. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Camille Pissarro (Ire), 131, c, 2, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Entreat (GB), by Pivotal (GB). TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (1,250,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Peter M Brant; B-CN Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €12,000.
3–Midnight Strike (Ire), 131, c, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Not After Midnight (Ire), by Big Bad Bob (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€65,000 Wlg '22 GOFNO1; 50,000gns Ylg '23 TADEY). O-Teme Valley; B-Hawes Stud (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €6,000.
Margins: HD, HF, HF. Odds: 7.00, 0.67, 3.00.
Also Ran: Local Lad (Ire), The Parthenon (Ire), Unexpected Issues (Ire), Monotone (Ire).
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