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Michael Dods will be hoping for some rain around Newmarket in the coming days as his filly Azure Blue bids to take the step up to Group 1 company in her stride in Saturday's July Cup.

Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Dods said: "She's entered at York and Newmarket but obviously Newmarket is where we want to go just, we've got to watch the weather I think."

"We just don't want it to go good-to-firm or firm."

"I spoke to Michael Prosser [clerk of the course] this morning and they didn't get the rain that they expected last night. They only got about 1.5mm I think but he said there is rain due Friday stroke Saturday so they could get rain."

"We just don't want jar in the ground really. She's quite a big filly and she hits the ground. Anything easier would suit her a lot better."

"At the moment it's easier ground at York than at Newmarket but at the moment we're probably just going to have to plan Newmarket and hope they get the rain because we'd have to decide on Wednesday about York."

"I think we'll be hopefully heading to Newmarket."

Much like market leader Shaquille, Azure Blue has progressed rapidly through the ranks this season having backed up an impressive handicap success on the Rowley Mile with a comfortable defeat over multiple Group 1-winner Highfield Princess in the Duke Of York Clipper Stakes at York in May.

On her progress, Dods added: "She's surprised me how much she's progressed."

"Physically she had done well over the winter and she's stronger. We had a few little niggles with her feet wise really up until her first outing, so I felt that we were going to Newmarket knowing she was well, but I didn't know if I had her fit, but she did it well."

"I knew she was A1 for York, but it was just whether she could step up and take on the horses she took on. I thought she did that well and travelled so well through the race and picked up."

"She's a good filly and I look forward to hopefully running Saturday."

Azure Blue has been well-supported in recent days and is as short as 11/4 to land the July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday.