FABULOUS AZURRA landed another major title when saving her best for last in the bet365 Empress Stakes Final at Towcester on Sunday.

 

Already winner of the British Bred Derby at the backend of last year, a GBGB Category One event, before winning the British-bred BGBF Oaks at Henlow, a Category Two, last month following a lengthy lay-off, the Patrick Janssens-trained, Dave Firmager-bred and owned August 2019 daughter of Magical Bale and Fabulous Artist was back in the big-race winner’s enclosure at the weekend.

 

The original ante-post favourite had been displaced in the market by Makeit For Waz (Frank Gray) after the local’s brilliant unbeaten run through to the £10,000 decider, but Fabulous Azurra broke smartly and soon sealed a lead which proved a winning one as the Janssens runner raced away to win by four and three-quarter lengths from Forest Roanna and Makeit for Waz.

 

The winning time for the 500m trip was a fast 29.19sec (+20).

 

A litter sister of English Derby champion Romeo Magico, Fabulous Azurra has the [Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks] at Perry Barr as her next main target – and the winning trainer was delighted with her.

 

“Lucy’s suited to Towcester because she’s got speed and stays well – and that’s what you need at Towcester,” he said. “Remember she won her heat of the [Premarket Pets] Blue Riband here which we sponsored in the fastest time of the round win beating our own Thorn Falcon, but unfortunately picked up an injury which kept her off for a long while. It meant we had to miss the Derby with her.

 

“Thankfully she’s come back as good as ever round two very different tracks in Henlow and Towcester – that shows you how classy and what great trackcraft she has. Then again, we shouldn’t be surprised – her brother won the Derby, of course!”

 

Janssens said the victory went some way to relieving the kennel’s midweek disappointment with Coolavanny Shado, who finished second to Hopes Paddington in the [BresBet] East Anglian Derby Final at Yarmouth.

 

“We had high hopes for him on the night and he was rightly favourite, but we knew he still had to do things right. Unfortunately he wasn’t quite foot-perfect at the boxes and then probably challenged the leader (Gracias Lorenzo) at the wrong time and they came together. But he then showed awesome pace to lead, but had probably run his race in many ways.

 

“We still think the world of him and he’s always been a greyhound for 2023.” 

 

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=389324&raceId=875051