Sandhu looking to strike it rich with Blue Diamond hope
Cranbourne trainer Julius Sandhu will be looking to have a February to remember with Blue Diamond Stakes hopeful Lofty Strike.
The colt has only been to the races once, recording an impressive win down the Flemington straight last month to beat home odds-on favourite English Riviera with a gap to third.
He will be looking to continue that winning form in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) this Saturday at Caulfield. If all goes well, the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) will be the target on February 26.
Sandhu is in only his fifth season of holding a training license in Australia. Although a fairly new name in Australian racing, he has been working in the racing industry for about 30 years.
After beginning his career in India, he went on to work for champion trainer Kairan McLaughin in Dubai before arriving in Australia. After having a stint working in the corporate world, then working for the Mick Kent stable, Sandhu eventually began his boutique stable.
Sandhu had a very impressive 22% strike rate in town last season, yet he has still managed to fly under the radar of many punters. This is emphasised by the fact that you would’ve made a 169.5% profit on your turnover if you backed all 40 Sandhu runners in town last season.
The spotlight could be on its way to Sandhu, though, if Lofty Strike can acquit himself well on Saturday and put himself in a position to take out the Blue Diamond Stakes later this month.
Sandhu is not the only one who could benefit greatly from the colt’s success. The two-year-old is owned by Lofty Thoroughbred Group, a big supporter of the Sandhu stable.
The $280,000 price tag as a yearling could look like a bargain buy if the son of Snitzel is to achieve a Blue Diamond triumph. Being out of Golden Slipper winning mare Overreach, Lofty Strike would be a valuable stallion prospect if successful at Group 1 level.
He is currently a $7 chance with Australian online bookmakers at Caulfield on Saturday, and a $16 chance to take out the Blue Diamond Stakes.
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