Arizona Blaze bounced back from Nunthorpe disappointment to land the Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes.
Having impressed over this course and distance in the Sapphire Stakes on his penultimate start, the three-year-old was favourite to break his Group One duck on the Knavesmire last month, but trailed home 11th of 17 runners.
Back on home soil, Arizona Blaze lined up as one of two leading contenders for trainer Adrian Murray and in the Amo Racing colours along with the hat-trick-seeking Bucanero Fuerte, and both were up with the pace from the off.
Bucanero Fuerte was the shorter of the two in the betting at 9-2, but 11-2 chance Arizona Blaze was the choice of Amo Racing's retained rider David Egan and his decision was justified as his mount finished off strongly to score by a head from Nighteyes, with Bucanero Fuerte a close-up third.
A Group Two winner over course and distance on his penultimate outing, Arizona Blaze (11-2) scores at the top level in the Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes under David Egan for Adrian Murray pic.twitter.com/y2aF891oWX
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 14, 2025
Amo Racing chief Kia Joorabchian said: "I’m so happy for this guy (Arizona Blaze) and I’m emotional about it because he deserves it. He’s been just beaten in Group One races and today was his day.
"David is riding unbelievably and he has such a positive energy that he’s given us so much confidence in the whole operation."
He added: "What an amazing job Adrian and Robson (Aguiar) have done with him. They have never lost belief in him even when he’s run so-so. He’s so tough.
"It was a very tough decision for David whether to ride him or Bucanero (Fuerte). We knew Arizona is a stallion prospect and that’s what did it for him.
"I got in two hours ago from Keeneland, where we bought 14 or 15 horses."
Jessica Harrington's Barnavara led from pillar to post to land the Moyglare "Jewels" Blandford Stakes.
A winner at Listed and Group Three level in June, the three-year-old was last seen finishing third behind the reopposing 11-8 favourite Red Letter in the Group Three Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes at this venue a fortnight ago.
But stepping back up to a mile and a quarter, 6-1 chance Barnavara was soon bowling along in front in the hands of Shane Foley and having had the chasing pack in trouble from halfway up the straight, she kept pouring it on to score by three and a half lengths from One Look, with Red Letter back in third.
Despite racing keenly, Barnavara (6-1) makes all in the hands of Shane Foley to take the Moyglare 'Jewels' Blandford Stakes for Jessica Harington #IrishChampionsWeekend pic.twitter.com/EhidPDFYeX
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 14, 2025
Harrington said: "She’s a fantastic filly and is improving all the time. She’s a big filly and with each race she gets better and better.
"I thought Hotazhell would run well yesterday and he did (fourth in Irish Champion Stakes), but she was my best chance because of her form and I thought every bit of rain was going to help her, because she will go on softer ground.
"She’ll go to Paris on Arc weekend for the Prix de l’Opera – she has to go there now. She’s won a Listed race, a Group Three and a Group Two, so a Group One is the natural way to go."
Karl Burke will look to step Alparslan up in class following a runaway victory in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes.
The Spigot Lodge handler enjoyed a double on day one of the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown on Saturday courtesy of Convergent and Fallen Angel and his latest representative was a heavily-supported 5-4 favourite on the back of an impressive debut at Leicester last month.
Always up with the pace in the hands of Clifford Lee, Alparslan came under pressure with over a furlong still to run, but the further he went the better he looked and he passed the post with three and a half lengths in hand over Magny Cours.
Burke said: "I'm delighted with him, he’s a lovely colt.
"We purposely left him for this race after he won his maiden. He’d improved a lot on that and we’ll obviously throw him into black-type races now and see how high we can take him.
"He’s workmanlike at home, he’s not a speed horse, so you never know until you get those horses on the track exactly what they’ve got under the bonnet."
Tango Flare was a 50-1 winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bold Lad Sprint Handicap for trainer Pat Foley and jockey Luke McAteer, while the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Northfields Handicap went the way of Johnny Murtagh’s 11-2 shot Shaool, ridden by Ben Coen.
