Proven two miler Azuro will get his chance to win another marathon staying test and will head to the Listed $200,000 Triple M Queensland Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on July 20.
Azuro, above, winning the the Stayer;s Cup over 3200m at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Azuro outstayed his rivals to win the $125,000 Stayer’s Cup over 3200m at Rosehill last Saturday and the stable’s Sydney representative Annabel Neasham said he deserves another opportunity to chase a two mile success in the Queensland Cup.
Neasham runs the Sydney arm of the ever expanding Ciaron Maher and David Eustace training partnership and the stable is thinking long term of a Melbourne Cup campaign.
“You don’t get much opportunity to run over two miles and he ran it strongly,” Neasham told Sky Sports Radio.
“He was very tough and he sustained it all the way to the line.
“The Melbourne Cup is a long way off but any horse who run two miles; you’ve go to think about it.”
Prizemoney for this year’s Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5 has been boosted to $8 million.
Azuro has had one other run over the 3200m for a half a length second to Yogi in the Listed $150,000 Ladbrokes Sandown Cup at Sandown at the end of the 2018 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Azuro is now the winner of five of his twenty-five starts with prizemoney earnings of just over $300,000.
Despite Azuro showing great staying potential, he is still at triple figures for the 2019 Melbourne Cup with bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au posting the rising six year old as a $101 chance.
European stayers sit at the top of the market order for the 2019 Melbourne Cup with last year’s winner Cross Counter installed as the $15 favourite ahead of Master Of Reality at $17 and Japan and Torcedor at $21.
The Charlie Appleby trained Cross Counter has had two runs since winning the 2018 Melbourne Cup for a win in the Group 2 AED 1.5m dirham Dubai Gold Cup (3200m) at Meydan in Dubai on March 30 followed by a fourth in the Group 1 £500,000 Gold Cup (2 miles and 4 furlongs) at Royal Ascot in England on June 20.
Early betting for the 2019 Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $15 Cross Counter, $17 Master Of Reality, $21 Japan, Torcedor, $26 A Prince Of Arran, Avilius, Finche, Ghostwatch, Gold Mount, Ispolini, Kew Gardens, Marmelo, Shraaoh, Surprise Baby, Verry Elleegant, Vow And Declare, $31 Amade, Dee Ex Bee, Falcon Eight, Johannes Vermeer, Latrobe, Rostropovich, Southern France, Steel Prince, Stradivarius, $34 or better the rest.
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