By Kelsey Riley
Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) may not have backed up from last weekend's G1 Doncaster H. to participate in Saturday's second Championships meeting, but Azkadellia (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) did, and the 4-year-old was able to step out from the shadow of that great mare and collect her first Group 1 win in the Coolmore Legacy S., also known as the Queen of the Turf S. Sent off the heavy favourite Saturday, Azkadellia raced near the rear of the field off the fence through the early stages as Vergara (Aus) (Snippetson {Aus}) and Badawiya (Aus) (Al Maher {Aus}) cut out the running. Azkadellia and jockey Damien Oliver still had at least 10 lengths to make up as the field rounded the bend, but the pair found a clear opening on the fence when the pack straightened and quickly began to pick off rivals. Hitting the lead approaching the 200-metre mark, the dark bay needed just hand encouragement to hold the fast-finishing Noble Protector (GB) (Haafhd {GB}) at bay.
“It was a great team effort by all the staff,” said trainer Ciaron Maher. “Ollie rode a great ride and saved all the ground–job well done. To his credit he had to ride an icy, steely ride. He was patient and she's got that devastating turn of foot–it was super.”
“She's always shown that ability, but because of her racing style she does run into a bit of traffic and gets a bit unlucky, but she got the favours today,” Maher added. “The plan was always the Doncaster and to slide her in on the minimum weight. She ran as good as we could hope for and she's thrived and backed up well. She's a valuable mare so good job by all the team.”
Oliver said, “She is a little ripper, this one. You never get sick of riding these ones. We always thought she had an action like she would love the soft and she showed that today. When she straightened up I think she was pretty happy not to see Winx in front of her. She quickened really good and she loves that ground.”
Azkadellia won her lone outing as a juvenile at Avondale before switching to the Maher stable for her 3-year-old debut, from which she also emerged victorious. Off for 10 months after missing in a pair of stakes in Victoria, Azkadellia won a pair of races in the Victorian provinces early in her 4-year-old campaign last year before finishing a close second in Moonee Valley's G3 G1x.com.au S. over this trip on the Cox Plate undercard last October. She was third, beaten just a length, a week later over the same trip in Flemington's G1 Myer Classic, and was subsequently given a summer break. Azkadellia was a half-length second-best in Caulfield's 1200-metre G2 Bellmaine S. Feb. 13 when partnered by Damien Oliver for the first time, and that pair took the same track's G3 Mannerism S. over a furlong longer two weeks later. Stepping up to 1500 metres and trying Group 1 company for the second time in the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Mar. 12, Azkadellia finished a half-length second under Brett Prebble. Sent off at 8-1 in last Saturday's Doncaster over a mile, Azkadellia attempted to match Winx's late turn-of-foot, but had to settle for third behind the supermare and Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}), who backed up to be third in yesterday's G1 Queen Elizabeth S.
Maher identified the June 11 G1 Stradbroke H. in Queensland as a next possible target for Azkadellia.
“I was always thinking the Stradbroke H. with her, but it will be interesting to see what weight she gets now,” the trainer noted. “We'll freshen her and make a plan on the back of that.”
Saturday, Randwick, Australia
QUEEN OF THE TURF S.-G1, A$1,114,500, ATC, 4-9, 3yo/up, f/m, 1600mT, 1:35.98, Soft.
1–&AZKADELLIA (NZ), 57.0, m, 4, by Shinko King (IRE)
1st Dam: Raving (NZ), by Centaine
2nd Dam: Raging (NZ), by Wild Rampage
3rd Dam: My Learned Friend (NZ), by March Legend (NZ)
O-B Connolly; B-C R Linton, Central, NZ; T-C Maher; J-D Oliver;
A$714,500. Lifetime Record: 14-6-5-2, A$1,338,735. *1/2 to
Bavarian (NZ) (Al Akbar {Aus}), SP-NZ. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Heavens Above, 57.0, m, 4, Street Cry (IRE)–Reggie (NZ), by
Germano (GB). O-President Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Mgr: R C
Kemister); B-Mr R Kemister NSW; T-T R Martin; J-T Angland;
A$200,000.
3–Noble Protector (GB), 57.0, m, 6, Haafhd (GB)–All Glory (GB),
by Alzao (USA). O-Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (Mgr: D Redvers); B-D.
R. Tucker, GB; T-R W Smerdon; J-Craig Williams; A$100,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 2.0 len, 3.5 len, 4.4 len. Odds: 1.80, 12.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Lady le Fay (NZ), Zanbagh, Vergara, Badawiya, Artistry, Miss Rose de Lago, Slightly Sweet, Suavito (NZ), Casino Dancer, Pasadena Girl (NZ), Risque (NZ), Coronation Shallan.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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