Robbie Laing prepared Azevedo throughout a stop-start racing career so it was appropriate he trained the stallion’s first winner at Cranbourne on Sunday.

Serene Tanie (3f Azevedo – Southbeach by Zedrich) did the honours in the Beaconsfield FC Maiden over 1400m.  She led clearly and was in full flight in the straight to score by more than three lengths.

Azevedo (Helissio) is based at Bowthorpe Stud in Tasmania.  He stands alongside El Maggiore (El Prado) at the Longford property owned by David and Patricianne Cochrane.

Laing had a lot of time for Azevedo.  In his first preparation, the colt won at Moonee Valley and was beaten a nose by seasoned sprinter Super Elegant in the G3 Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield.

He also finished third to Choisir and Spinning Hill in the G1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington at just his seventh start.  “We were offered big money for him at that stage,” Laing recalled.  “But we knocked it back because he had so much potential.”

A colic attack sidelined the colt and he later battled laminitis.  The injury plagued galloper also required throat surgery.

Despite the setbacks, Azevedo returned to training and completed a hat-trick of 1000 metre sprint wins at Sandown and he also finished second to Super Elegant again in the LR Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield.

Serene Tanie is from Azevedo’s initial crop and she is the also the first winner from an unraced daughter of NZ G3 Great Northern Foal Stakes winner Miss Emma (Alvaro).