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Ciaron Maher has won more than 900 races including Group Ones in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, but next month will bring something new for the leading Australian trainer.
In partnership with David Eustace, Maher will line up Azuro in the Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 7 – his first starter on New Zealand soil.
"I've never sent a runner over there before, so we're looking forward to it," Maher said. "The Kiwis are always very good with their hospitality, so it'll be great to get all of his owners over there and have a bit of fun."
The TAB rates Azuro a $5 second favourite for the Auckland Cup, with Platinum Invador just ahead of him at $3.80.
A six-year-old son of Myboycharlie, Azuro was bred in France and began his career there before being imported to Australia by OTI Racing.
He has won seven of his 33 starts and almost A$600,000 in stakes, and he has shown a particular affinity for the Auckland Cup distance of 3200 metres.
His first attempt at the trip was his only defeat, finishing second in the Listed Sandown Cup in November of 2018. He has subsequently won the Stayers' Cup at Rosehill, the Listed Queensland Cup and the 2019 edition of the Sandown Cup.
His two starts since that Sandown Cup victory have produced a close third in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on New Year's Day and a seventh, after taking off from the back of the field in a bold mid-race move, in the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m) on January 27.
"He's a good stayer and has a great record at the trip," Maher said. "Things didn't really work out for him in his last race, and he possibly should have won at Flemington before that.
"He likes a bit of time between his runs. He won a trial at Randwick quite nicely the other day, so everything seems to be on track for a couple of weeks' time.
"The Auckland Cup is a Group One race worth half a million dollars, and there aren't many two-mile races at that sort of level in this part of the world, so we thought it would be a nice race to target with him. It would be great for the owners if he could pull it off. They've had a lot of fun with him already and he's been a good horse for them.
"He'll travel over to New Zealand on Monday, and we'll take it from there."
Azuro is set to be ridden by Jason Waddell, who could be in for a big carnival. He has also been confirmed as the rider for Dragon Leap, the favourite for the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m).
The last jockey to win the Derby and Auckland Cup in the same week was James McDonald in 2012, riding Silent Achiever in the Derby and Shez Sinsational in the Cup.
