Aidan O’Brien and Adrian Murray were among the winners on Irish Oaks Day at the Curragh, with Royal Ascot heroine True Love and the progressive Arizona Blaze both adding Group 2 sprint honours to their records.
Royal Ascot winner True Love added to her burgeoning haul with a victory in the Group 2 Railway Stakes over 6f at the Curragh on Saturday.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained filly had been defeated by useful performers Gstaad and Lady Iman on her first two starts but improved when taking the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Stepping up to 6f for the first time, the filly, receiving weight from her three rivals, was always travelling strong under Ryan Moore and found the front with a furlong to go. Asked to extend her advantage, she pulled clear for a five-length success over stablemate Puerto Rico with Power Blue back in third.
Speaking to Racing TV in the aftermath of the contest, Aidan O'Brien said: "She's a lovely filly. We loved her before Ascot, and obviously she won the Queen Mary Stakes, which is a very important race to win for a filly. We weren't sure about the six (furlongs). If she was to go to the Prix Morny or the Cheveley Park Stakes she would have to get the six. Ryan just let her relax in the first half. She didn't feel like there was any limit, she was doing it easy. At halfway, they quickened up very well. She has Galileo's pedigree, so on blood, she'd be second to none."
The daughter of No Nay Never is out of Listed winner Alluringly, who has produced three individual Black Type performers with her three raced foals.
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It was a facile success for Arizona Blaze in the Group 2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes over 5f at the Curragh, coping well with the drop back in trip having been narrowly denied in the 6f Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on his previous start.
While the Amo Racing-owned colt boasted just a single win over the minimum trip - which came on debut at this venue back in 2024 - he did land the Group 3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly in April, run over just half a furlong further.
On his way to a third Group success, the Adrian Murray-trained three-year-old was held up by Amo's retained rider David Egan before being produced inside the final furlong. Arizona Blaze showed a smart turn of foot to score decisively by two lengths over Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner Mgheera, with Sognhai another half-length away in third.
Speaking to FanDuel TV after his win, Egan said: "He goes on any ground. He's a tough individual. It's great to get his head in front. He deserves it after Ascot and our defeat. Normally he can trailblaze and be on his own at the front, as he was at Ascot. He's not a horse who likes to be upsides another horse, so we just stayed up the middle on our own and gradually brought him home. I kicked him in the belly with two (furlongs) to run, knowing he stays six, and at the last 100 yards he stayed on all the way to the boards."
Discussing potential next targets, Egan was clear on the long-term plan for the colt: "Kia's (Joorabchian, Amo Racing) a Breeders' Cup man, and this lad was only narrowly defeated in the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile. A Group 1 is really key for him. For me, I think he's good enough to try and get one."
