September 23, 2024First trial winner for Cool Aza Beel
A set of barrier trials staged at Arawa Park in New Zealand mid-month witnessed a very precocious first-crop member of the Cool Aza Beel (NZ) breed show brilliant speed and race savvy to score over 800m in the famous colours of Te Akau.
Named Cool Aza Rene, the rapid filly looked a ready-made racehorse when jumping straight to the lead and railing like a greyhound before being allowed to coast to the line ahead of her four rivals.
Cool Aza Rene was ridden by Opie Bosson on behalf of the Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson training partnership. The Newhaven Park-bred filly was always in control of the open (colts, geldings & fillies) 2-year-old heat which was conducted on a Heavy 10 surface.
Cool Aza Rene was offered at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and sold to D C Ellis CNZM (BANZ) for $55,000. She is the first foal of Irene, an unraced daughter of Xtravagant (NZ) that is in turn a grand-daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Hasna.
Hasna, of course, was trained by Gai Waterhouse for the late George Altomonte and won both the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old after a very near miss in the Golden Slipper when finishing runner-up to Polar Success.
In addition to Cool Aza Rene, other named 2-year-olds in Cool Aza Beel’s first crop include Cool Archie (from a daughter of Media), Novelette (from a daughter of Polar Success), Cool A Breeze (from a daughter of Blizzardly) and Don’t Tellyfather (from a daughter of Gallica). There’s also a filly named Favours produced by a three-quarter sister to Group 1 Oaks and Derby winner Delicacy.