Azkadellia
Photo- Darryl Sherer
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare Azkadellia (NZ) (Shinko King) landed a well-deserved first Group One victory when easily accounting for her rivals in the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes at Randwick last weekend, and in the process brought a smile to the face of her Taranaki breeder.
The daughter of Japanese Group One winner Shinko King and out of the winning Centaine mare Raving, Azkadellia was bred by Craig Linton.
"She's a little ripper," enthused Linton. "She always was right from the time she popped out as a foal."
Linton, along with his partner Ilone Kelly, bred Azkadellia and Kelly prepared her to win her first start as a two-year-old in 2014, before she was sold for good money to the Maher stable.
"She was a no fuss filly," Linton added. "She didn't like her mane being brushed or any attention, that's why she was named Azkadellia after the wicked witch.
"She only ever had two jump outs before she had her first start at two and the way she won that we knew she was something pretty special."
Now a four-year-old, Azkadellia has won six races, and been Group One placed three times.
Azkadellia is the fifth and last foal of the Centaine mare Raving, who is in-turn out of the stakes placed Wild Rampage mare Raging who won four races.
Kelly trained Raving to win for Ian Clark, who was also an original part-owner in Azkadellia.
"Ilone won a race with Raving as a two-year-old before she was sold to Australia to former New Zealand trainer John Collins," Linton said.
"Collins wanted to buy her half-sister by O'Reilly and the deal was done on the proviso that Raving came home.
"Along with Ian Clark, we bred her to Al Akbar a couple of times before leasing her to Stoney Bridge to breed from.
While her first foal was unraced, Raving's second foal is the stakes placed mare Bavarian and her third and fourth foals are both winners.
"When Raving was carrying Azkadellia we offered her free to any stud that would foal her down - she was after all getting on, she would be 18 now.Brian Corbett offered to take her to send to Istidaad, and so she went to him, we got the foal back and the mare hasn't been heard of since.
"Still we have a winning stakes placed half-sister in Bavarian, who is in foal to Shocking, and Azkadellia's achievements will certainly help her." – NZ Racing Desk
The daughter of Japanese Group One winner Shinko King and out of the winning Centaine mare Raving, Azkadellia was bred by Craig Linton.
"She's a little ripper," enthused Linton. "She always was right from the time she popped out as a foal."
Linton, along with his partner Ilone Kelly, bred Azkadellia and Kelly prepared her to win her first start as a two-year-old in 2014, before she was sold for good money to the Maher stable.
"She was a no fuss filly," Linton added. "She didn't like her mane being brushed or any attention, that's why she was named Azkadellia after the wicked witch.
"She only ever had two jump outs before she had her first start at two and the way she won that we knew she was something pretty special."
Now a four-year-old, Azkadellia has won six races, and been Group One placed three times.
Azkadellia is the fifth and last foal of the Centaine mare Raving, who is in-turn out of the stakes placed Wild Rampage mare Raging who won four races.
Kelly trained Raving to win for Ian Clark, who was also an original part-owner in Azkadellia.
"Ilone won a race with Raving as a two-year-old before she was sold to Australia to former New Zealand trainer John Collins," Linton said.
"Collins wanted to buy her half-sister by O'Reilly and the deal was done on the proviso that Raving came home.
"Along with Ian Clark, we bred her to Al Akbar a couple of times before leasing her to Stoney Bridge to breed from.
While her first foal was unraced, Raving's second foal is the stakes placed mare Bavarian and her third and fourth foals are both winners.
"When Raving was carrying Azkadellia we offered her free to any stud that would foal her down - she was after all getting on, she would be 18 now.Brian Corbett offered to take her to send to Istidaad, and so she went to him, we got the foal back and the mare hasn't been heard of since.
"Still we have a winning stakes placed half-sister in Bavarian, who is in foal to Shocking, and Azkadellia's achievements will certainly help her." – NZ Racing Desk