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Sydney's driving rain this week has claimed another casualty with debutant Alan Scorse juvenile Azzalin unlikely to contest Saturday's Australian Turf Club Plate at Warwick Farm.
The Newcastle gelding had been well in the market for the 1000m two-year-old sprint, but Scorse was reluctant to risk him on a damp track.
“I don't think he'll run, the owners said all the family don't handle it and they're not real keen to run him first-up on a really wet track,” Scorse said.
“The only reason he's in it there is because I was concerned about going to Canterbury around a tight-turning track [on Friday night] with the rail out six metres. I thought I'll run him at [Warwick Farm].
“I didn't know where to run him because they don't put on enough two-year-old races. There's no other races to run them in.”
A half-brother to talented Queensland sprinter Azzaland, Azzalin had attracted interest from punters after his most recent trial, which he won by almost 10 lengths at Wyong.
But Scorse wasn't getting carried away with the gallop despite running a solid time, given he only beat two other runners home.
“I think there was only one horse that ran faster time then him [that day] but it was a three-year-old,” Scorse said.
“His time wasn't too bad but it's a bit hard to get a guide on it when they jump out with two other horses.”
The trainer said his horse may have missed the chance to run in Sydney, and would now probably debut in provincial grade.
“I don't want to take on the better ones now because you've got all the Slipper horses coming through,” Scorse said.
“There's a race at Wyong I think it's the 19th, a thousand metre maiden.”
WARWICK FARM EARLY SCRATCHINGS
Race 1 No 10 - Pinocchio (John O'Shea)
Race 3 No 1 Unanimously (Matthew Dale)
Race 4 No 5 Detours (Peter Snowden); No 7 Vantage Point (John O'Shea)
Race 6 No 5 Alberton Park (John O'Shea); No 7 Mount Verde (John O'Shea)
Race 8 No 3 Parthian (Peter Snowden); No 11 Slick Sniper (Tracey Bartley)