Blue Diamond Stakes runner-by-runner betting preview | Caulfield
| What | 2021 Blue Dimaond Stakes |
| Where | Caulfield Racecourse – Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145 |
| When | Saturday, February 20, 2021 | 4:15pm AEDT | Race 7 |
| Prizemoney | $1,500,000 |
| Distance | 1200m |
| Status | Group 1 |
| Race Conditions | Set weights; 2YO |
| 2020 Winner | Tagaloa – 56.5kg (4) | Jockey: Michael Walker | Trainer: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
| Watch Live | |
Also read: Full Caulfield racing preview
Blue Diamond betting tips & form guide – February 20, 2021
A field of 16 has been assembled for this Saturday’s $1.5m Blue Diamond Stakes over 1200m. Some quality two-year-olds have won the Group 1 feature over the years, with the likes of Extreme Choice, Sepoy, Star Witness and Bel Esprit on the honour roll. General Beau, Jigsaw and Dosh will be handy in the run, while race favourite Enthaar will also push forward from the wide gate in a bid to find a prominent spot with cover.
#1 General Beau (3)
General Beau’s connections paid the late nomination fee to get their colt in the final field, and we suspect in-form hoop Jamie Kah had something to do with it. The son of Brazen Beau has won three of his four career starts, including both the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude. His tough, on-pace style of racing will see him in this for a long way.
#2 Ingratiating (7)
Ingratiating was an impressive winner of the Talindert Stakes down the Flemington straight last weekend, so he will have to handle the quick backup. He is the only horse to defeat General Beau and was only 2.5 lengths off Enthaar in their encounter three weeks ago. William Pike hops on for Damien Oliver, who elected to ride Anamoe.
#3 Finance Tycoon (6)
Lindsay Park’s promising galloper has been completely overlooked by the market in our opinion, with the Maribyrnong Plate winner rated a $19 chance. He beat Ingratiating on that day and has since been to the Gold Coast, where he won the Gold Nugget ahead of Shaquero and then ran a ripper when sixth in the Magic Millions Classic despite drawing the outside alley and looping the field from last. Finance Tycoon lands in a great spot under Luke Nolen and will have the freshness in his legs to charge home late.
#4 Pegasi (9)
Pegasi comes off a third behind Profiteer in the Inglis Millennium a fortnight ago at Randwick, but he was beaten 5.5 lengths and we aren’t convinced that field was any good. He did beat Lightsaber two back, and that horse has since won again, but the McEvoy clan’s colt will need to improve.
#5 Anamoe (15)
Anamoe was a brilliant maiden winner at the end of last year when beating Forbes at Sandown and then only just missed behind General Beau in the Blue Diamond Prelude two weeks ago. Up to 1200m, second up and with blinkers on will be ideal for the James Cummings-trained son of Street Boss. He has drawn wide, but with only the one turn into the straight from the 1200m chute and Damien Oliver deciding to ride him instead Ingratiating, you would expect them to be right in this. He should find cover three or four pairs back.
#6 Abseiler (16)
Abseiler was a decent winner on debut at Flemington, beating a subsequent winner at double-figure odds, and then ran fourth in the Blue Diamond Preview on Australia Day. He has shown pace in both starts, so we can expect to see him go forward from the outside alley, but he may not quite have the class.
#7 Artorius (10)
We are somewhat surprised to see Artorius line up in this given he was a winner over 1300m last time out at Sandown, but he does have an exceptional turn of foot. He was no match for Jigsaw on debut over 1135m at Geelong but then blew his rivals away at his next start. He will need a hot tempo and Luke Currie to be on his game, but he should be savaging the line late.
#8 Jigsaw (4)
Cindy Alderson and Michael Walker combine with Jigsaw, who will appreciate the good gate on Saturday. He blew his rivals away on debut and then was caught three-wide throughout in the Blue Diamond Prelude but toughed it out to finish third, beaten just over a length. He will be handy throughout from barrier four and should be thereabouts in the finish.
#9 Construct (5)
Construct comes into this as a maiden galloper after running second on debut in the Breeder’s Plate and then finishing 3.3 lengths off General Beau last time out. The I Am Invincible colt is in the right stable to win a two-year-old feature, but we would have preferred to see him win a race prior to this.
#10 Marine One (12)
Marine One represents the same owners group as Tagaloa, who tasted success in this race last year, but we aren’t convinced they are in the same caliber. He is yet to win a race but has been thereabouts behind Finance Tycoon and General Beau. He will come late, but it might be too late.
#11 Hitotsu (13)
Wendy Kelly’s Hitotsu was a pleasing debutant in the Blue Diamond Prelude two weeks ago when the despised outsider was held up for room and then went through the line very nicely. He’ll be back in the run here but will come home well late, which suggests he may be better suited to the Sires Produce at Flemington.
#12 Dosh (8)
Grahame Begg’s filly Dosh comes into this undefeated after winning the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes on Oaks Day and then the Blue Diamond Preview for fillies a month ago. Drawn in barrier eight under Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jye McNeil, they will go forward and be in it for a long time. However, we are not convinced she is good enough to beat this field.
#13 Enthaar (14)
Enthaar is the most hyped two-year-old for as long as we can remember, and she gets her chance to really prove herself on Saturday in her first real test. She won the Gimcrack in style on debut and then was too good for Ingratiating in a weak Chairman’s Stakes. Both of her runs have been comfortable wins at 1000m, so the 1200m is a slight unknown and the wide alley puts added pressure on. She may be the best two-year-old in the race and she definitely can win, but we aren’t sold on the hype just yet.
#14 Arcaded (1)
Godolphin filly Arcaded has been impressive in both of her career starts, showing punters that she has a scintillating turn of foot. She careered away in the Blue Diamond Prelude a fortnight ago to win by 2.5 lengths, thus franking her debut 3.25-length victory. Out to the 1200m should suit, but she has to overcome the inside alley.
#15 Wolves (11)
Greg Eurell and Dwayne Dunn combine with Wolves, who put in a very nice effort behind Arcaded last time out. She was Lizzie Jelf’s pick of the yard on that day too, so she should be forward enough. She is yet to win a race, but we cannot talk you out of including her in your multiples.
#16 Ginibi (2)
Gemma Reilly has Ginibi engaged in just her second career start. She finished fifth on debut in the Fillies Blue Diamond Prelude when beaten just less than five lengths, and she has drawn well in gate two as Damien Thornton jumps on the Headwater filly for the first time. She will be on the speed from the low alley, but we don’t think she has the class.
Best bets for 2021 Diamond Filly Stakes
| $100 Betting Strategy | |
|---|---|
| $35 each way: | Finance Tycoon |
| $30 boxed trifecta: | 1-3-5-7-13 |
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