Australia’s top juveniles set to shine in Blue Diamond Stakes
THE Blue Diamond Stakes is one of the gems in two-year-old racing and this Saturday at Caulfield the next rising star will add its name alongside the legends of the sport.
The 1200m sprint is worth $1.5 million after getting a $500,000 injection this year and, with the Golden Slipper only weeks away, it’s an extremely important time for Australia’s top juveniles, especially those looking to add some black type to their pedigrees.
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First run in 1971 when Tolerance was first past the post, the Blue Diamond has had a rich history of star-profile winners including Manikato (1978), Zeditave (1988), Alinghi (2004), Sepoy (2011) and Miracles Of Life in 2013.
It has also become a sire-making race with both Redoute’s Choice (1999) and Bel Esprit (2002) winning the race in the last 17 years. Bel Esprit, most notably siring champion sprinter Black Caviar, continues to produce slick sprinters and has sired $101 chance Sweet Sherry this year.
Redoute’s Choice is represented by Zamzam which was an impressive debut winner before closing well in the Prelude last start.
Not without its share of controversy, in 2003 the Mick Price-trained Roedean was disqualified for failing a drugs test, resulting in the race being won by Kusi.
Reports stated that Lignocaine was found in the urine sample taken post-race with connections stating they used Neocort, which contains Lignocaine, to treat several leg cuts, but Price was subsequently charged and fined $15,000.
Price has been the talking point in the build-up to the 2016 Blue Diamond, but for the right reasons. The top Victorian trainer has a three-pronged attack this year which includes the two favourites with CrownBet.com.au. Extreme Choice, Flying Artie and China Dream will all take their place in the field of 16, but the barrier draw hasn’t been kind to Price.
“It’s a little bit messy for my horses with those barriers but they go in there spot-on and can win if good enough,” Price said.
Extreme Choice ($2.80 at Sportsbet.com.au) has drawn barrier 13 with stablemate Flying Artie ($4.80) drawing wide in barrier 17.
“He’s still got a great chance but it [barrier] hasn’t made my job any easier and there’s a few in there that we have to beat,” Damien Oliver said of his mount Flying Artie.
China Dream will jump from barrier 14, but the colt isn’t expected to be a winning chance.
David Hayes has won this race on five occasions – Canonise (1991), Principality (1995), Nadeem (2006), Sleek Chassis (2007) and Reann (2008). He also brings a three-pronged attack to this year’s edition and it would be his first Blue Diamond win in partnership with Tom Dabernig.
Hayes and Dabernig will line up Valliano ($34), Highland Beat ($101) and Zamzam ($26) with the Redoute’s Choice filly Zamzam being backed in from $34 to $26 with CrownBet.
There are seven colts and nine fillies in this year’s field. Betting suggests that it’s a two-on-two race between colts Extreme Choice and Flying Artie versus fillies Samara Dancer and Concealer. Fillies had won three consecutive Blue Diamond’s before the now retired Pride Of Dubai broke that streak by winning last year.
Punters have rallied around Concealer at $6.00 after it produced an eye-catching run in behind Samara Dancer in the Blue Diamond Prelude for Fillies. The Tony McEvoy-trained filly missed the jump and was forced to go around runners on the Caulfield turn, but still managed to produce a slick sprint in the straight.
“It wasn’t the plan to get that far back last time,” McEvoy said. “She just stepped a bit slow so with a better beginning I think she can sit in the middle somewhere.”
The Blue Diamond is also a key lead-in race to the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on March 19. Five horses have completed the Blue Diamond/Golden Slipper double: John’s Hope (1972), Manikato (1978), Bounding Away (1986), Courtza (1989) and Sepoy in 2011.
Extreme Choice, Flying Artie and Star Turn are all well-favoured for the Golden Slipper and there’s no doubt their odds will take a hit if they win the Blue Diamond this Saturday.