A bold front-running ride by Jockey's Premiership leader Samantha Collett landed local runner Azaboy a handsome winner of the Group II Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (2200m) at Pukekohe.
Part owned by ex-pat kiwi and Welsh rugby
coach Warren Gatland, the Azamour three-year-old had shown he could handle a
testing track when he beat the well-regarded Mongolian Marshal to break his
maiden on a Heavy11 surface on his home track back in February.
Collett was at her pace-making best as she dictated a muddling speed in front before booting clear on Azaboy rounding the home bend. Sent for home the nuggety bay never looked like flinching as he held out all challenges to register a length and a quarter victory from the well favoured Gundown, who pipped Azaboy's stablemate Time Lord for second by a bare nose.
Trainer Richard Collett had Azaboy tuned up for his first attempt at stakes company with a win over a similar distance at his last run and was feeling confident as the rain came before the race.
"The showers of rain on the day, including the last one before the race was held, really did help as it slowed the other ones down," he said.
"He's tough horse who has been a real slow maturer."
Collett was delighted with both of his runners as he had found it hard to split them before the race.
"To be fair there's never been much between him (Azaboy) and Time Lord," said Collett.
"We'll have to see how he comes through the race as he is such a light framed horse before we look at anything else.
"I'm not sure but we might have a go at something later on in Queensland, but he will have to have the constitution to handle it."
Race favourite Sherrif loomed into contention on the home bend but never appeared to handle the heavy track conditions as he battled home into a well beaten fifth." – NZ Racing Desk
