Azazel forgotten horse in C&G Blue Diamond Prelude

Smart colt Azazel has been labelled the forgotten horse in the Group 3 $200,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Azazel. above blue and white colours, runs in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Azazel. above blue and white colours, runs in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Stable representative for the Tony McEvoy stable Michael Stepherson said that Azazel has really picked up since his last start second to Property in the Listed $150,000 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26 and is ready to reproduce his best form.

“He’s a bit forgotten,” Shepherson told racing.com.

“He carried a penalty first-up and he really ran through the line.”

“It’s a little bit further on Saturday (1100m) and it’ll give him a chance to travel and he’ll be really strong.”

Azazel scored an impressive debut win in the $250,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) at Moonee Valley on October 22 before running fourth to stablemate Aspect in the Group 3 $150,000 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington November 5.

The Snitzel colt was then spelled and resumed with a second in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Preview and Shepherdson said if he can get his fair share of luck in running from barrier twelve in the thirteen horse field, he will be very hard to beat.

“It’s just whether he can get a cushy run,” Shepherson said.

Regan Bayliss takes over the reins in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude from Luke Currie who is on the sidelines because of a careless riding suspension he incurred at the Ballarat meeting on Tuesday, February 7.

Currie had been aboard Azazel for all his three race starts but was sent out for ten race meetings after pleading guilty to causing interference at the winning post on the first occasion in the 2200m BenchMark 64 Handicap.

Azazel is marked at $9.50 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude and will be up against Property again who is one of the main fancies at $5.

The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Pariah heads the market order at $3.40 after creating a huge impression with his debut win in the Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on January 28.

Also high up in the betting for the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude is the Mick Price trained Cao Cao at $5 and Godolphin’s well bred colt Marsupial at $7.50.

Pariah also heads the betting for the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25 at $6 and can cement his spot at the top of the market order with another impressive win in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.