Stradbroke Handicap favourite Azkadellia will get a solid tune up for her major Brisbane Winter Carnival assignments when she competes in a special trial at Eagle Farm on Thursday.
Stradbroke Handicap favourite Azkadellia is set to trial at Eagle Farm. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Brisbane Racing Club has convened five trials on Thursday afternoon to give the new Eagle Farm track a good test before racing resumes there on June 4, Queensland Oaks Day.
The Eagle Farm track has been out of commission since August 2014 for a total reconstruction, forcing the majority of last year’s Winter Carnival races to be run at Doomben.
Azkadellia has had a freshen up since winning the Group 1 $1m The Coolmore Legacy Stakes (Queen Of The Turf Stakes) (1600m) at Randwick on the second day of ‘The Championships’ on April 9 and trainer Ciaron Maher is keen to see how she performs in the 1000m trial.
“Azkadellia has been ticking over nicely since her win in the Queen Of The Turf and I’m looking forward to seeing her trial at Eagle Farm this week,’’ Maher told The Courier-Mail.
“I think her get-back racing pattern will suit the Stradbroke at Eagle Farm a lot more than she will be suited by the tight track at Doomben for the 10,000.”
Azkadellia heads the market order at Ladbrokes.com.au at $4.40 for Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 and is also at the top of the betting at $3.80 for the Doomben 10000.
There were fourteen horses left in the Group 1 $750,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) to be run at Doomben on Saturday week at first acceptance time today and Nick Hall has been booked to ride Azkadellia in the weight for age Winter Carnival feature sprint.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Dothraki and Charlie Boy are also among the first acceptances for the Doomben 10000.
Dothraki was narrowly beaten by the Lee and Anthony Freedman trained Malaguerra when second in the Group 1 $500,000 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben last Saturday while Charlie Boy was always in the second half of the field before finishing twelfth.
Early market order for the Doomben 10000 at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.80 Azkadellia, $4.80 Ghisoni, $7 Delectation, Dothraki, $8 Fell Swoop, $9 Music Magnate, Rageese, $13 Stratum Star, $17 Scarlet Billows, $19 Charlie Boy, $26 Hooked, Two Blue, $41 Tivaci, $61 Divine Centuri.
