Azzopardi's Mixed Feelings For Ballarat Cup Decider

MELBOURNE Cup winning trainer Anthony Azzopardi says he'll be more than happy to see a rival trainer walk away with Saturday night's Group 2 Ballarat Cup trophy.

As long as that trainer is Darryl Thomas.

"I know it sounds funny but I'd love to see Darryl win the race with La Grand Quality … he really deserves it," Azzopardi boldly declared in the lead up to Saturday night's group 2 showpiece.

"He's been away from home for a few weeks now and I know what it would mean to him to win the race … we've had our bit of luck lately, it's a bit of a weird feeling actually."

Putting sentiment aside, Azzopardi says he couldn't be happier with his charge Whiskey Riot going into Saturday night's finale, after the Melbourne Cup hero qualified with a narrow second to Snags Mckenzie in last weekend's heats.

"I've been pretty easy on him since the Melbourne Cup," explained Azzopardi.

"He's coming to the end of a long preparation so after Saturday night he'll be off until the Paws Of Thunder in the new year. Going into the heats he'd had just the one slip up my straight and I've kept it the same this week; I'm really happy with him though … he'll be right there don't worry about that."

Drawn box seven for Saturday night's $47,000 to-the-winner decider, Azzopardi told the Recorder he's delighted with the draw.

"It looks perfect," he added.

"Two turns I want him inside and one turn I'd rather him outside. The pink (Almapa Berisha) shouldn't worry him early and neither should the six (Get It Gizmo). Crimson Vixen looks the leader and hopefully we're out wide with no trouble and it will depend where La Grand Quality is. That's how it looks but it's a dog race … anything can happen."

Bookmaker Beteasy have installed La Grand Quality – fastest qualifier for the final with a sublime 24.91 heat victory – the $2.90 favourite from his box four draw.

Second elect is Melbourne Cup runner-up Western Envoy from box one at $3.20, just ahead of Whiskey Riot at $3.80.

"He's so consistent my bloke .. he doesn't know how to run a bad race," Azzopardi offered of the 17-time winner.

"And not being disrespectful it's not your classic Ballarat Cup you'd say … with all the good dogs spread out between here, Tassie and Queensland it's taken away from it a bit but it's still a bloody good race."

Azzopardi will be searching for a second Ballarat Cup trophy on Saturday night after his champion sprinter Zambora Brockie landed the race in 2016.

But the 40-year old conditioner saved the last word for Thomas.

"We were lucky we have a roller door here at the house because his head wouldn't have fit through anything else when we got home from Ballarat on Saturday night," chuckled Azzopardi.

"We've been having some fun with him and playing some practical jokes but being serious after watching Darryl the past few weeks there's no surprise he's having so much success. He doesn't miss a beat with the dogs and wants to learn all the time.

"La Grand Quality is a machine. I'd love to see he and Hooked On Scotch go at it in a race in the new year. I don't want to say who'd win but it'd be a real good race."

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