2011 Blue Diamond Stakes Preview & Tips

2011 Blue Diamond Stakes Preview & Tips

Caulfield – Sat 26 February 2011

There is an 9 race meeting at Caulfield featuring the Group 1 $1,000,000 Blue Diamond Stakes over 1200 metres, the Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes over 1400m, and the Group 1 $400,000 Oakleigh Plate over 1100m. The Blue Diamond Stakes is Melbourne’s premier event for two-year-olds and has attracted a field of 14 runners. The favourite, Sepoy, is currently odds-on and will probably start as one of the shortest priced favourites in Blue Diamond history. The track is currently rated as dead.

Runners in the 2011 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield

Sepoy ($1.60) is a top-notch colt with a perfect race record of 3 wins from 3 runs. Those wins include both the Blue Diamond Preview for colts and geldings and the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings by margins of over 3 lengths. He will be the first odds-on favourite since Raise A Rhythm in 1991 but let’s hope history doesn’t repeat because in that race, 20 years ago, Raise A Rhythm finished 4^th behind Canonise. Drawn nicely in barrier 5 and should win.

Hallowell Belle ($8.50) is one of six fillies in the race and the only one of the fillies who has not yet won a race. At her first start she ran 2^nd to Defiant Dame in the Gimcrack and then returned from a spell to run 3^rd in the Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies after being held in and getting a rough run. Should take improvement from that run.

Atomic ($10) has drawn nicely in barrier 2. He has only had one start and looked very impressive when winning the Listed Chairman’s Stakes on 9 Feb coming from well back in the field to beat Vatican and Hollyweird. One of the main chances.

Running Tall ($17) is one of only 3 horses in the race who is still a maiden (the others are Envious and Hallowell Belle). At his first start he was a very close 3^rd in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate. He resumed from a spell for second behind Sepoy in the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings. He held the rest of the field well, but it is very unlikely he can turn the tables around on Sepoy at set weights.

Holdontoyahorses ($21) is a lovely filly who won her fist two starts by good margins although both were in small fields. Her latest start was 1.7 lengths 4^th behinds One Last Dance in the Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies where she finished strongly and was just behind Hallowell Belle.

Jo’s Tips – Blue Diamond Stakes

1. Sepoy,  2. Atomic,  3. Avenay