Trainer Anthony Azzopardi missed out on a $47,000 payday when race favourite Whiskey Riot ($3.50) finished fourth to La Grand Quality in the Group 2 Warragul Cup.
But around one and a half hours earlier – and just over 350kms away – he received what was to be a nice consolation prize when Slick Riot ($2.00F) snared the $10,000-to-the-winner Warrnambool Summer Sizzle (390m) in a sizzling 21.85sec. Azzopardi also quinellaed the event, with Aston Pilsner ($4.10) finishing second (three lengths astern) and collecting $2,835.
WATCH: Slick Riot (1) ‘sizzles’ in the Warrnambool Summer Sizzle.
Amazingly, Azzopardi quinellaed last year’s Warrnambool Summer Sizzle with Whiskey Riot ($1.70F) and My Bro Kade ($7.20), who finished second (three lengths astern) in 25.13sec. (Crimson Vixen finished eighth in the race.)
And in a further touch of irony, Slick Riot is a younger half-brother of Whiskey Riot who won last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup and has amassed $640,810 in stakes. He’s also finished second in the G1 Adelaide Cup, G1 Maturity Classic and G2 Ballarat Cup, and third in the G1 Topgun and G3 Shootout.
Obviously, Azzopardi will be hoping Slick Riot can follow in Whiskey Riot’s illustrious footsteps. Yes, he has a long way to go – but you must start somewhere.
“In terms of natural ability, he’s easily just as good as Whiskey Riot,” Azzopardi said. “Actually, he broke in quicker than Whiskey Riot… But he’s been a late maturer, whereas Whiskey Riot’s development was rapid. I’ll now take him through his grades… He won’t be ‘thrown to the wolves’.”
As for Aston Pilsner, Azzopardi said “he just doesn’t know what to do yet”.
“He’s still a ‘big baby’… The penny hasn’t dropped, but I’m confident he has a bright future.”
Slick Riot (January 2018 Brett Lee x Ready To Riot) has only raced on eight occasions for six wins. He’s undefeated in three starts at Warrnambool.
In another statistical quirk, Whiskey Riot notched his seventh win from eight starts in his Summer Sizzle success.
Already, the ‘facts and figures’ suggest Slick Riot looks a rising star of the sport… Watch this space.
