Bold Derby Audition by NZB Ready to Run Sale Graduate

The A$2m Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) will be run less than two weeks before next month’s NZB Ready to Run Sale, and a graduate of last year’s sale is set to line up as one of the favourites for the prestigious Flemington classic.

Azazel (NZ) (Shocking), who was bought for $140,000 by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis in partnership with OTI Racing at Karaka last November, stamped his Derby credentials with a tough performance to win the A$200,000 Listed Roderick Insurance Brokers Geelong Classic (2200m) on Thursday.

Azazel has now had three starts for two wins, with the only defeat being a close fourth in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on October 4. He has earned A$151,250 in prize-money.

Thursday’s victory moved Azazel up the pecking order among the contenders for the Victoria Derby on November 1. Rider Michael Dee seized the initiative when the pace slackened, getting his mount up and rolling and moving into contention a long way from home.

Azazel kept up a tough run all the way to the finish despite covering plenty of extra ground in the running. The challengers chased hard down the straight, but Azazel maintained his advantage and held on to win by a short neck.

“He really keeps grinding away,” Dee said. “We did want to ride him a bit quieter today to see more of a turn of foot, but the way it panned out, we just had to go and put ourselves in the race.

“He is still a little bit green, and he is probably a horse that will never win by a huge margin, but he has a great will to win, and he has improved every time he has stepped out. He looked a picture in the yard today, and he will definitely give a sight in the Derby.

“The team says he has kept on improving, and he has plenty of improvement to come, so he is definitely going to be peaking on the right day.”

Azazel is trained by Te Akau’s trans-Tasman head trainer Mark Walker, who was represented at Geelong by his Cranbourne-based assistant Ben Gleeson.

“He obviously toughed it out well today,” Gleeson said. “When I saw that they slowed the pace, and it was going to be a sit and sprint, it was never going to suit this horse. Credit to Mick (Dee), he took off at the right time, and the horse was gallant.

“We’re thrilled to get this win for OTI, it’s our first stakes winner for them. They have given us two horses, and it’s great to have this horse in the Derby for them.

“He will love the 2500 metres of the Derby, we bought him with that profile from a good family, so hopefully we get a strongly run 2500 metres and a true staying test. If it’s a truly run race, we will be there at the finish.”

Azazel was bred by Anne Corcoran and was sold for $15,000 in Book 2 of Karaka 2024 by the Corcoran family’s Grangewilliam Stud. He was later re-offered at the Ready to Run Sale by Riverrock Farm.

Azazel is by Shocking, who will have three sons going through the ring during the 2025 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka next month.

The dam of Azazel is Alagant Angel (NZ) (Tavistock), a half-sister to the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) placegetter Taroni (NZ) (Showcasing). Their dam Alagant Satin (NZ) (Al Akbar) won five races up to Group Two level.

NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 10am (NZT) on Wednesday 12 & Thursday 13 November, where Riverrock Farm will present another quailty draft.
 

Vendor	Karaka 2024: Grangewilliam StudReady to Run Sale: Riverrock Farm
Purchaser	Karaka 2024: Game Lodge Ltd (Hawke’s Bay)Ready to Run Sale: Mr DC Ellis CNZM/OTI Racing (Te Akau/Australia)
Breeding	Shocking – Alagant Angel
Sale	Lot 1066, Karaka 2024 Book 2, $15,000Lot 261, 2024 Ready to Run Sale, $140,000
Breeder	Mrs A A Corcoran
Owner	OTI Racing, Te Akau Angelic Partnership, Mr L D Freeman, G Force Racing , Sparks Flying, Greighten, Mr P A Tasker, Mr C Treherne, Mr L Webb, Ms D McKeown, Mr W Peart, K Peart