Blazejowski has made a promising start to his campaign with a narrow win at Flemington which has trainer Greg Eurell looking to raise the bar with the progressive gelding.
Making his first appearance since running a close second at the same track in a heat of the Winter Championship Series last June, Blazejowski raced to a narrow win over Sirius Supsect in Saturday’s Furlong Bar Handicap (1100m).
Giving Jye McNeil his third winner from the first four races on Saturday’s program, Blazejowski ($3.20) defeated Sirius Suspect by a long head in the straight-track sprint while Embrace Me was a short neck away third.
Blazejoswki rose through the grades last preparation with three wins and a second from four runs, spanning from a first-up win at Sale in a benchmark-70 to winning an open handicap at Flemington.
Eurell believes Blazejowski’s first-up win can provide the right springboard to even stronger races this preparation, with the trainer believing the five-year-old can step up to stakes level.
“Leading into this he gave me a very good feel and last preparation was exactly the same,” Eurell said.
“The way he was going you just knew he was going to run well for you.
“He’s matured up a bit more and I think he’ll find himself in a good race somewhere through this campaign.
“I do think he could get to stakes level. I think he’s a very genuine horse.
“It will be interesting to see where he does get to. You can’t overstep the mark. The rate he improved last campaign, I don’t think he can do that again, but he only has to improve a bit more to be competitive in good races.”
McNeil said Blazejowski, who has now won seven of his 16 starts, raced a bit keenly early in Saturday’s race with freshness on his side, but felt the gelding grew in confidence as the race went on.
“I’ve had a fairly long association with him and always liked him as a horse,” McNeil said.
“It looks like he’s in for a good campaign.”