LAST Monday’s Group 3 Prix Sigy over five and a half furlongs saw Arizona Blaze keep up the good early season form of the Adrian Murray yard when the Amo Racing colt ran out the two and a half-length winner under David Egan.

The Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot is his main target following an impressive front-running victory.

Murray’s charge showed top-class form as a juvenile last season for Amo, being placed in the Norfolk Stakes, the Railway Stakes and the Phoenix Stakes before being beaten just half a length into second place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Following his third behind Henri Matisse over seven furlongs, connections opted to revert to sprinting and the Sergei Prokofiev colt led from the start and was well on top at the post.

Murray said: “He was very good today and we’re very happy with him. I certainly wouldn’t rule out going back up to seven furlongs at the back end of the year, but we’ll go for the Commonwealth Cup now and he might just take in a Group 2 in Haydock at the end of May before that (Sandy Lane Stakes).

Reappearance

Highlight of the early season classic trials at ParisLongchamp last weekend was the reappearance in the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte over a mile, of the late Aga Khan’s filly, Zarigana, a granddaughter of the brilliant Arc winner Zarkava.

Zarigana looked a potential superstar after winning her first two juvenile starts for Francis-Henri Graffard, but suffered a shock nose defeat at the hands of her stablemate Vertical Blue in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend in October.

She was odds-on favourite for her return at Group 3 level and travelled strongly throughout in the hands of Mickael Barzalona while Shes Perfect led under Kieran Shoemark.

It looked a question of how far Zarigana would win by when she was produced with her challenge racing inside the final two furlongs, but the Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect refused to go down without a fight and, as there was only a neck between the pair at the line, Fellowes is eyeing a potential rematch in next month’s French 1000 Guineas.

The Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau over a mile also went to the late Aga Khan-owned runner in Ridari, the son of Churchill ridden by Mickael Barzalona for Mikel Delzangles, prevailing by a nose over Sahlan with the favourite Darius Cen only fifth of the seven.

In the other colts’ trial, the Group 3 Prix Noailles over a mile, two and a half furlongs, it was a one-two for Wertheimer and Frere runners, but victory went to Uther, a son of Camelot trained by Christophe Ferland, over the better fancied and favourite Nitoi.

The length and three-quarters winner completed a four-timer on the day for jockey Mickael Barzalona.

Embroidery weaves way to success

Oka Sho (1000 Guineas)

JOAO Moreira continues to clock up the international Grade 1 wins and he partnered the filly Embroidery to win the first Japanese classic of the season, the Oka Sho (1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday.

The filly wove through traffic to lead in the straight and held off a late bid from the two-year-old filly champion Arma Veloce to win by a neck.

It was the first Grade 1 win for her sire, Admire Mars, and for her trainer, Kazutomo Mori. Riding on a temporary license, it was Moreira’s second top-level win in just two weeks, following the Takamatsunomiya Kinen on Satono Reve. Embroidery carries the silks of Silk Racing.

Turning for home, Embroidery did not have a clear path while Arma Veloce was running on the outside. Moreira had to manoeuvre around before he got a clear run. Lynx Tip finished third and the favourite, Erika Express, finished fifth.

“When she was able to get the split between horses,” Moreira was reported saying, “she really had to let down and show what she’s got. We didn’t really know how she was going to handle the track as it’s been raining for nearly half of the day,” he added.

The win made it three in a row for Embroidery, following the Group 3 Daily Hai Queen Cup last time.

The next race in the Japanese filly Triple Crown is the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) on May 25th at Tokyo but there may be stamina doubts as Embroidery’s sire, Admire Mars, was a successful miler during his career.