*Updated following the abandonment of the Brisbane Cup meeting this weekend.
Following the partial abandonment of Saturday night’s Brisbane Cup meeting, Anthony Azzopardi has confirmed that the Maturity Classic remains a likely target for his promising youngster, Gambella.
“It’s thrown a spanner in the works, that’s for sure,” Azzopardi said.
Gambella was one of four Victorian greyhounds entered for the Group 1 Brisbane Cup, but the only one eligible for the upcoming Maturity Classic.
Heats of the age-restricted Maturity Classic (525m) will be run at The Meadows on Saturday, 19 July, alongside heats of the Group 1 Fireball (730m).
“She knows The Meadows, so it’s not like she will need to trial,” Azzopardi said.
Gambella won a maiden heat and final at The Meadows in September last year, stopping the clock in a slick 29.88 seconds.
To keep her ticking over, Gambella had a hit-out at Albion Park on Sunday following the abandonment of the Brisbane Cup meeting. She trialled a smart 22.53 seconds over the 395 metres.
On Wednesday night, Racing Queensland confirmed the proposed rescheduled Brisbane Cup meeting will be abandoned after an independent track assessor determined it was not suitable for Thursdays proposed trial session.
Unpaid prize money for Saturday night’s scheduled features will be evenly distributed between connections of eligible greyhounds.
