The Tony McEvoy-trained Azazel shapes-up as one of the livewire Blue Diamond Preview Colts & Geldings 2017 nominations taken for this Thursday’s Australia Day showdown at Caulfield Racecourse.

2017 Blue Diamond Stakes hope Azazel races in the Colts & Geldings Preview at Caulfield Racecourse on Thursday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The first round of official lead-up races to next month’s $1.5 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) take place in Melbourne this week with two Blue Diamond Preview races scheduled.

Nominations for the $150,000 Listed Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) run over 1000m have been extended by Racing Victoria until 3pm (AEDT) on Monday after only a dozen early entries were received for the set weights plus penalties event.

Heading the current nominations and the shortest-priced of the entries in futures Blue Diamond Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $15 is young Snitzel colt Azazel.

The two-year-old has had two career starts so far including a debut win in the Restricted Listed Inglis race run at Moonee Valley back on Cox Plate Day in the spring.

After winning that by nearly two lengths he raced again on November 5 at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival and ran fourth to Aspect in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m).

Since then Azazel has trialled nicely at Pakenham finishing second over 900m on January 13 to bring him on fitness-wise for his return on Thursday.

The other headline Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Preview nominee this Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival is the David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Wait For No One.

A $17 chance in pre-field Blue Diamond Stakes betting, the son of Lonhro has also had two starts for a win and a minor placing in the Maribyrnong Plate.

He narrowly took out the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield last October before finishing two lengths back third in the Group 3 on Emirates Stakes Day.

The only other horse nominated for the race that has had a previous start is the Robert Smerdon-trained Starcraft gelding Property who ran second to Catchy on debut over 1100m at the Caulfield track on January 7.

Other notable 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes-bound youngsters in the mix include Hawkes Racing’s I Am Invincible colt Overshare and Sheer Madness for John Salanitri.

Ciaron Maher has entered for his All Too Hard colt All Too Royal who won a Pakenham trial on January 13, while the Godolphin stable could be represented on Thursday by the John O’Shea-trained Lonhro colt Ganzfeld.

Check out the current Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Preview 2017 nominations below, final acceptances closing on Tuesday with betting at Ladbrokes.com.au to open shortly after.

2017 Blue Diamond Preview (Colts & Geldings) Nominations

Caulfield Racecourse – 26/01/2017