Arizona Blaze on the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh at the Irish Champions Festival

The 11/2 chance failed to fire when a leading fancy for the Nunthorpe Stakes but returned to his best to gain a deserved Group 1 success in the five furlong contest.

Amo Racing retainer David Egan elected to ride Arizona Blaze over stable and owner mate Bucanero Fuerte and the two raced side by side down the centre of the track.

Night Raider and James Doyle, racing more towards the stands' side was always prominent, too, and looked a huge danger inside the distance but Arizona Blaze was game in front and kept pulling out more.

The chasing pack closed towards the line but Arizona Blaze finished a length to the good over his nearest pursuer, Nighteyes, who edged out Bucanero Fuerte for minor honours.

Adrian Murray trains both the first and the third and Egan revealed that it had not been an easy choice to make.

"Chewing the ear off a lot of people to get their opinions," he told Racing TV. "At the end of the day I had to go with my gut feeling.

"I was happy when the rain came and the ground was a bit slower for this lad because everything just happened a little bit too quick for him at the Nunthorpe, fast ground, really sharp five furlongs and he didn't get the cleanest of breaks. I was on the backfoot straightaway and never really got into it.

"Adrian and Robson [Aguiar] and the whole team can really get a horse to bounce back in a very short space of time and cantering down I was happy with my decision. Bucanero ran a great race and he took me into it a long way. What I noticed as I was cantering down, the wind had died off slightly and while I was initially going to jump and sit behind Bucanero, I was happy to sit on his quarters because I knew I wasn't going to get that much torture and being down the middle, gradually making my way across, passing James [Doyle], and he's a horse who does stay six furlongs and he hit the line strong.

"If any horse deserves a Group 1, it's him. Narrowly defeated as a juvenile, nearly won the Commonwealth - he things he won the Commonwealth Cup - when Richard Kingscote [won it] over the other side. Delighted for him today and another Group 1 for Kia [Joorabchian, owner] and myself, it's very humbling."

Egan also wanted to pay tribute to Bucanero Fuerte, adding: "I always knew Bucanero would run a solid race. For that horse to come back from what he's been through.....

"Not only his unsuccessful time at stud but how close he was from being touch and go. The first year he was going for the Commonwealth he got colic or something on the way over and then a similar thing happened again this year.

"To get him back is a real credit to the team."

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