McEvoy pair to contest Diamond Previews

Tony McEvoy will showcase two of his stable’s potential Blue Diamond contenders in Preview races at Caulfield.

Azazel and Miss Wahoo will represent the stable in separate Blue Diamond Previews on Thursday.

And McEvoy has plans for Aspect and Roomooz to join those two-year-olds in next month’s Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Azazel made a winning debut at Moonee Valley in late October before finishing fourth to Aspect in the Maribyrnong Stakes at Flemington on November 5.

After running second in a trial at Pakenham on January 13, Azazel is ready for his return on Thursday in the colts and geldings Preview with McEvoy saying he expects improvement from the colt.

“He had a cruisy trial and he’s in good shape for this stage of his preparation but he’ll improve a lot out of this week,” McEvoy said.

“There was nothing between him and (Preview nomination) Wait For No One in the Maribyrnong and my horse was trying to run left the whole race and still nearly got there.

“After Thursday I think he’ll then need to go to the Prelude.

“He’s a big gross horse and looks very pretty at the moment so I think he’ll need another run.”

McEvoy said a slow start cost Miss Wahoo when she ran econd to Limestone at Flemington on New Year’s day.

“Our plan was to get behind Oscietra but Darren Weir’s horse (Limestone) got there before us because we didn’t jump clean,” McEvoy said.

“Her sections were good from the race and she’s come on from it.”

Miss Wahoo ran third on debut at Caulfield during the spring which McEvoy said should be a good pointer to her chances on Thursday.

Aspect, who won the Maribyrnong Stakes in the spring, won a jump-out at Flemington last Friday and is set to have his first-up run in the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield on February 4 before going straight into the Blue Diamond three weeks later.

McEvoy said Aspect was more advanced than Azazel.

“Even though he hasn’t probably done as much work he takes less,” McEvoy said.

Debut Morphettville winner Roomooz is heading towards the Blue Diamond Prelude on February 11 after which a decision will be made on a Blue Diamond start.