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By Graeme White

Blaazay is quickly making up for a late start to his racing career and has the opportunity to further enhance his impressive record at Moruya on Friday.

The six-year-old has only raced 10 times for three wins, three seconds and two third and will start favourite in his toughest test to date in the $35,000 Cameron’s Hardware Bateman’s Bay Cup (1650m).

Moruya trainer John Gamble also owns the galloper whose record at his home track is even more impressive with three wins, a second and a third from five appearances.

Blaazay ($2.50 favourite on TAB) is coming off a gallant last start fighting second behind Phillipsburg in a $100,000 TAB Highway at Kembla Grange on September 11.

Wagga jockey Nick Heywood will ride Blaazay for the first time and has previously ridden some winners for Gamble as an owner.

“He looks a nice horse and he won well with 62 kilos at Moruya prior to his last start,” Heywood said.

Blaazay made his debut in May of last year and then had 12 months between starts before resuming racing five months ago.

Despite having had some setbacks which have restricted him to very few starts, Blaazay is being marked on potential as he has demonstrated in recent starts.

He won consecutive races at Moruya by comfortable margins in August, but steps up to a Benchmark 66 and up to a mile for the first time.

Pitted against some seasoned and proven gallopers, Blaazay faces his toughest country test despite proving he was up to the task when he jumped up to Highway company last start.

Gamble has found the perfect race to test Blaazay at “home” where he excels.

Stablemates My Blue Jeans ($8) and Rent A Rock ($12) have both won at Moruya in the past and have been racing in this type of grade for some time.

Their trainer Danny Williams finished second in the feature race last year with Petaluma which Heywood also rode.

Clergyman ran third in the corresponding race last year and will line-up again on Friday as a $34 chance.

The gelding defeated My Blue Jeans (third) in a feature race at Moruya as a $61 chance in August and will again start at big odds.

The Showcase meeting will offer $30,000 across seven races with the feature event carrying prize money of $35,000.

Meanwhile, one of the more promising gallopers racing at the meeting is Molly Nails ($1.85 fav) which will contest the South Coast Window Furnishings Batemans Bay Class 2 (1425m).

Molly Nails finished third at her latest start in a Randwick Highway and is rated as the shortest priced favourite for the day.

Her trainer Matthew Dale will also start Port Douglas ($9) in the same race where he is considered one of the main dangers.

There are some showers forecast for Moruya where the track is rated a soft 6.