Arizona Blaze ready to light up York for Murray team

After a weekend to remember, Adrian Murray is relishing another bid for Group One glory at York next week, when Arizona Blaze goes for gold in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe.

While stablemate Power Blue caused a major shock against the long odds-on True Love in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes on Saturday and Bucanero Fuerte ran out a Group Three winner on the same Curragh card, Arizona Blaze is vying for favouritism in the five-furlong feature on the Friday of the four-day Ebor Festival.

Second at the Breeders’ Cup, he has been running to a remarkably consistent level this season in a division that continues to surprise, finishing second in the Commonwealth Cup to Time For Sandals and then winning the Sapphire Stakes by a clear-cut two lengths.

“He’s among the favourites and that is because he always turns up on the day – hopefully he will do again in the Nunthorpe,” said Murray.

“He’s a very exciting horse, he never runs a bad race and the sprint division is wide open this year. There’s no standout horse this season, all the big sprints are being won by different horses. Ours is one of the favourites, but it’s wide open.

“I was talking to Roger O’Callaghan (owner of star two-year-old Lady Iman) the other day and they are going to York because of that, it could be a big field. It’s exciting times ahead, for sure.”

Reflecting on a big-race double for Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing he described as “unbelievable”, Murray said: “We expected a run from Bucanero, well we expected a big run from both of them, but we were taking on Aidan O’Brien in the Group One.

“I was always told never be afraid to run, they don’t win anything stood in their stable.

“Power Blue ran very quick sectionals all the way and that is what won him it, he has a high cruising speed but isn’t a horse who finds a whole lot off that speed. He can maintain a very high cruising speed.

“He’ll probably go for the National Stakes now on Champions Weekend, that will be his next target I think. He’s in at York in the sales race, but he’s a Group One winner now.

“Bucanero was just very comfortable the whole way through the race and the further they went, the more it looked like he was going to win.

“He was never out of his comfort zone and is a very good horse.”

Murray went on to praise his assistant Robson Aguiar and his role in the victories.

“We’re very lucky to have these horses and it’s all down to Robson, he’s sourced them and didn’t really spend fortunes on them. He’s a brilliant man at picking these horses,” said Murray.

“None of the good ones were that expensive in the grand scheme of things, but I think we got a little bit lucky with Bucanero as he’s by Wootton Bassett and we got him just before he really took off.”