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Should Azkadellia be In the spelling paddock?

Should Azkadellia Be In The Spelling Paddock?

Azkadellia is a clear favourite to win the 2016 Doomben 10,000 in Brisbane on Saturday, but has trainer Ciaron Maher made the right decision sending her to Brisbane for the race?

There is no doubt that Azkadellia is going to be very hard to beat in the Doomben 10,000.

She has missed the placings in just one of her 14 career starts and it is fair to say that she has gone to another level this preparation.

Azkadellia resumed with a close second behind Tuscan Sling in the Bellmaine Stakes at Caulfield on February 13 before she returned to winning form with a tough effort in the Mannerism Stakes at the same venue on February 27.

Only a career best performance from Peeping could deny her in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens on March 12 and she finished second behind Winx and Happy Clapper in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick on April 2 before she backed up a week later to score a maiden win at Group 1 level in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

Her recent barrier trial victory at Eagle Farm indicates that she has not gone backwards since her Queen Of The Turf Stakes win and there will be very few racing experts that will argue she isn’t deserving of being a clear favourite in the 2016 Doomben 10,000 betting market.

It might seem odd to be questioning the placement of Azkadellia in a race that she has an excellent chance of winning, but there is an argument to suggest that she should be in the spelling paddock getting ready for a 2016 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.

The $480,000 on offer for first past the post in the Doomben 10,000 is nothing to sneeze at, but there are races in the spring that are worth significantly more money and would greatly enhance her value as a broodmare.

Azkadellia is yet to make the step-up to 2000 metres, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that she will have no trouble running out the trip strongly and it could end up being her preferred trip.

Winx is obviously a clear favourite in 2016 Cox Plate betting, but Azkadellia is on the second line of betting and there are a number of other races that Maher could find for his star mare in the spring that would not include Winx.

While there is the conventional school of thought that leading horses should be given a lengthy spell between their autumn and spring campaigns, a number of leading trainers – like Chris Waller and Darren Weir - have been able to keep their horses up for much longer periods in recent years.

Waller has dominated the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival in recent years and a number of his star performers have gone on to have a massive impact during the subsequent spring.

Winx had a lengthy autumn and winter campaign last year that did not conclude until the Queensland Oaks, but she was still able to take all before her in the spring, while Press Statement won the JJ Atkins on Stradbroke Handicap Day and took out the Caulfield Guineas during the spring.

Azkadellia will likely win the Doomben 10,000 this weekend, but we may not know until November whether connections made the right decision.