After finishing third behind superstar Winx in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile seven days ago, honest mare Azkadellia had her well-deserved moment in the sun when Damien Oliver tracked an inside path to land Saturday's $1 million Group 1 Coolmore Legacy Queen Of Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
As is her usual pattern, the Ciaron Maher-trained mare came from well back in the field with a barnstorming finish to defeat the Tim Martin-trained Heavens Above (Street Cry) by two lengths with Noble Protector (Haafhd) one and a half lengths back in third. (photos Lisa Grimm).
"She's got that devastating turn of foot – it was super," Maher said.
"She's always shown the ability but because of her racing style she does run into a bit of traffic and gets a bit unlucky – she got the favours today.
"She's a valuable mare now so it's a good job by all the team."
"I've always been thinking the Stradbroke with her.
"It'll be interesting to see what weight she's going to get now.
"She'll have a freshen-up now but the horses seem to thrive up there.
Sent to Australia after winning a maiden on a heavy track at Avondale
She has not been off the board in 10 starts and placed in Group 1 Myer Classic, Group 1 Coolmore Classic and Group 1 Doncaster Mile before breaking through at the highest level.
Her overall record stands at 6 wins, 5 seconds and 2 third from 14 starts for earnings of $1,338,708.
She is the fourth named foal of the winning Centaine mare Raving whose dam Raging (Wild Rampage) was a 4-time winner and finished third in the Group II Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.
But that is the only sign of black-type for four generations.
She becomes the fifth Group 1 winner for the deceased Shinko King (IRE) after Eskimo Queen (Queensland Oaks and Coolmore Classic), C'Est La Guerre (New Zealand Derby), Bramble Rose (New Zealand Oaks) and Barinka (NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes) on the Shinko King Group 1 honour roll.
A Group 1 winner in Japan, Shinko King was a half-brother to the English Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes winner Dr Devious and the Group III Greenlands Stakes winner Archway, by Encosta de Lago's sire Fairy King.
