Amo pair who carved up Flying Five now set for sprint raid on Breeders' Cup

Adrian Murray will head stateside with two of his Amo Racing stars as the trainer unveiled plans to run both Arizona Blaze and Bucanero Fuerte in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

A visibly emotional Kia Joorabchian of Amo Racing greeted Arizona Blaze after the luckless three-year-old finally got his big-race breakthrough in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh last month, and similar scenes are likely should he back that up at Del Mar on November 1.

Bucanero Fuerte finished just over a length behind his stablemate in third in the Curragh contest, and the Group 1 winner will be another lively contender in California.

Arizona Blaze was second in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at the track last year and went agonisingly close in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot this summer, when leading home his group on the near side only to be denied by a neck. 

Amo Racing boss Kia Joorabchian celebrates Arizona Blaze's Group 1 triumph with Robson Aguiar, assistant to Adrian MurrayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

“Up to the Flying Five, he'd done everything bar win a Group 1,” said Murray. “He was so close at Ascot. He won his race, but he was on the wrong side. 

“We haven’t spoken about anything beyond the Breeders’ Cup. He could go to stud, but I don’t know. 

“We're very lucky to have two very good horses going over there for the Turf Sprint, and wouldn’t it be great if one of them could win it?”

While Murray is definitive in his plans for his stable stars, fellow trainer Joe Murphy is less inclined to nail his colours to the mast for his standout Group 1-winning filly Cercene.

Cercene (red cap) wins the Coronation Stakes from Zarigana Credit: Edward Whitaker

Her victory in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot provided Murphy with his maiden top-level success, but whether she breaks more new ground as his first Breeders' Cup runner is in the balance.

"We're 50-50 on whether we go to America or not," he said about the three-year-old, who was fifth behind Fallen Angel on her last start in the Matron Stakes. "Her coat is a little bit gone off, but we'll make a decision at the end of this coming week. She'd go for the mile-and-three [furlong] race for fillies [Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf].

"She came out of Leopardstown brilliantly, but it's just at this time of the year that fillies can go over weak. She'll go only if she's 101 per cent."

Read more:

'She ran a great race' - Breeders' Cup still an option for Minnie Hauk after going so close in Arc 

Breeders' Cup calling for 'powerful' Puerto Rico after Aidan O'Brien and Christophe Soumillon double up in Lagardere 

'It was the flip of a coin, but I had faith' - David Egan's belief in Arizona Blaze pays off as he chooses right in Flying Five 

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