Azzopardi To Feature At Gosford

By Noel Ovington

The in-form Anthony Azzopardi kennel will head to Gosford tonight with runners in all three feature race finals.

Azzopardi will be represented by Jacks Zac (box one) in the Oaks Road Sprinters Dash Final (400m), Where's Keroma (box one) in the Smooth Fancy Middle Distance Championship (600m) while Hurricane Rino (box five) and Ferly Reign (box two) will line up in the feature event of the night, the Group 2 Woy Woy Poultry Supplies Gold Cup Final (515m).

Ferly Reign (pictured, inside) was first reserve but gained a start with the scratching of My Signature, who was injured in a paddock mishap this morning.

Azzopardi took out last year's Gosford Gold Cup with Free Will so is hoping to go back-to-back.

"Jacks Zac and Where's Keroma are both very well boxed," Azzopardi said.

"Jacks Zac will need to jump but she has gone 22.89 at the track so I think she is a winning chance.

"Where's Keroma loves an inside draw and I think he's in with a massive chance but he's got to stay on his feet.

"He was checked at the start last week and I thought his run was good. Looking at the draw I think he might get a bit more room at the start.

"He needs that bit of room to wind up because as I have said before he is a magnet for trouble.

"It's a very good field so he is going to have to be at his best to win."

Azzopardi concedes Hurricane Rino will need to have a lot go his way to win the Gold Cup.

"He will struggle," he said. "He'd have to land on the bunny and get a big break and then the others will have to get into trouble.

"For him to win the impossible will have to happen.

"In his heat he had a bit of luck and I'll give him credit for making the final. He can run in the low 30s but unfortunately that just won't be good enough to win this week."

Despite being run down last week Azzopardi believes Ferly Reign is in with a great chance.

"I was very disappointed when he was run down last week," he said.

"I know they went 29.62 in his heat and the winner was just too good but I have no explanation as to why he didn't finish the race off.

"But I think he can improve tonight and box two is perfect. Hopefully he will be in front and if he leads I give him a great chance, but he has to do everything right."

Both Ferly Reign and Where's Keroma will tackle feature race heats at Wentworth Park on Saturday night after their Gosford assignments.

Ferly Reign has been nominated for the heats of the Group 1 Sportingbet Paws Of Thunder (520m) while Where's Keroma will tackle the Group 2 Summer Distance Plate (720m).

"I've been keeping Where's Keroma to sprint events until last week and I was very happy with the way he found the line in his Gosford heat," Azzopardi said.