Date posted January 25, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and BreedingMelbourne, Vic (Jan 25th, 2010) - Sponsored by Arrowfield Stud the Blue Diamond series of five-races for the juveniles begins at Caulfield, tomorrow Tuesday (Jan 26th).The Australia Day meeting is the feature meeting in Victoira wth five black type races programmed on the eight race card.
After the running of the Previews tomorrow the next opportunity for the two-year-olds to qualify for the Group I Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 20th is in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preludes (1100 metres & two divisions) on 6 February.
Each year, there is plenty of interest and intrigue surrounding the juvenile events in the build-up to the Group I Blue Diamond, which is Victoria’s premier race for two-year-olds.
The colts and geldings preview has drawn a field of 10 with the early scratching of Hiatus. David Hayes will be lining up Marmaa (ex Lady Jaguar by Last Tycoon); a winner on debut at Moonee Valley in the Inglis Juvenile on Cox Plate day, Marmaa will be looking to keep General Nediym’s strike rate going.
Lee Freedman will saddle up the Listed Maribyrnong Trial stakes third placegetter, Pellizotti (Stratum ex Red Labelle by Blevic) an expensive $425,000 yearling purchase from the Inglis Easter yearling sale and jumps from gate nine.
At the other end of the yearling purchase scale is John Mcardle’s bargain buy Ello Ello (Niello ex Brown About Town by Rivotious). A $9,000 purchase from the Inglis Premier sale, Ello Ello has paid for himself in full with $18,000 in the bank and jumps from barrier eight.
Star Demon, by Testa Rossa, and an $85,000 purchase by Kevin Dagg Bloodstock, out of the Group 2 VRC Edward Manifold Stakes winner Ascorbic (by Mister C), has been sent across from South Australia by Mark Minervini and will jump from barrier three.
Innocent Gamble (by Elvstroem), a full-brother to Listed AJC Dulcify stakes winner Viking Legend, is another Melbourne Premier sale graduate. Purchased by his trainer Mark Riley for $150,000, the chestnut colt’s full bother finished third in last year’s VRC Derby.
Arrowfield Stud stallion, Flying Spur will be represented by Songspur (ex Radio Song by Unbridled Song) and will jump from barrier seven for his owners BC3 Thoroughbreds under the guidance of local trainer, Mick Price.
Another runner to watch is Rampart (Commands ex Seika by Canny Lad). A brown colt, trained by Peter Snowden for Sheikh Mohammed, he hails from a family that has produced the VRC Group I Lightning Stakes winner, Sports (by Zeditave).
The fillies division features New South Wales visitor Extremis (ex Tintagel Head by Rory’s Jester), also by Arrowfield’s Danehill stallion Flying Spur and she will jump from barrier nine after the early scratchings.
The last start Moonee Valley winner Warm Love (Octagonal ex Charangas by Flying Spur), jumps from barrier four and is another that didn’t cost the earth at $9,000. Purchased from the Inglis Melbourne Great Southern Weanling sale she hails from a family that has produced the Group I winners Domino, Hero, Linky Dink and Sale of Century.
The best performed fillies are Roulettes (Flying Spur ex Discretion by Canny Lad) winner of the Listed Moonee Valley St Albans Stakes (1000m) and drawn in barrier seven; She’s Got Gears (Invincible Spirit ex last Minute by Encosta de Lago) winner of the Listed VRC Ottawa Stakes and third placegetter in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate and drawn in barrier two and Shaaheq (Redoute’s Choice - Damaschino (by Last Tycoon) runner-up in the Listed VRC Ottawa Stakes and the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes.
The three remaining Listed races on the Australia Day programme honour two former Chairmen of the Club, John Dillon and Kevin Hayes, and the lightly-raced but highly successful galloper, Zeditave.
Trained by Angus Armanasco, Zeditave won the Group I Blue Diamond Stakes in 1988 en route to winning five Group 1 races in just two racing seasons before he was retired as a three-year-old after winning 14 of his 17 career starts.
- Blue Diamond history
