Arizona Blaze on a fact-finding mission at Leopardstown The Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes will point the way in which Arizona Blaze is to be campaigned this season as the smart son of Sergei Prokofiev tackles seven furlongs for the first time. The AMO Racing-owned colt won twice last year including the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh and was placed twice at the highest level including a fast-finishing second to Magnum Force in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar. The Adrian Murray-trained three-year-old made an impressive reappearance over six furlongs at Dundalk earlier this month and the Rathowen handler is looking forward to stepping him up in trip saying, “It will be interesting going up to seven with him. It’s a fact-finding mission. “We’re hoping he could be a Guineas horse, but we’ll have to find out. He has an awful lot of speed and you’d be hoping he will get the seven.” Henri Matisse is the obvious threat in this €60,000 Group 3 event having won twice at Group 2 level in the Curragh last year and he signed off last term with a memorable success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Aidan O’Brien will be pleased that Leopardstown has escaped any recent rainfall with the going currently described as good to yielding. “Henri Matisse is very well. He’s a fast horse, he likes fast ground and likes to come late,” said O’Brien at a press open day earlier this week. “What happened last year was we put blinkers on him on bad ground in France, he got a bump and got frightened early. Then he won very well in America. “He’s a very good mover, so I’d say we wouldn’t be keen to go on soft ground with him again.” The Dermot Weld-trained Hazdann is another interesting contender as his Curragh maiden win last June has worked out exceptionally well since.
