On Saturday February 5 a cracker day of racing at Caulfield Racecourse is headlined by the $100,000 Listed Chairman’s Stakes (1100m) where a number of two-year-olds vying for a spot in the 2011 Blue Diamond Stakes will face off.
The 2011 Chairman’s Stakes has attracted 12 young runners including seven juveniles heading towards the $1 million Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes on January 26.
Of the Blue Diamond entries running in the Chairman’s Stakes, Helping Hand and Metonymy are the two best rated runners sitting 14th and 17th respectively on the Blue Diamond Stakes order of entry.
On Saturday the John Thompson-trained Fusaichi Pegasus filly Helping Hand will jump from barrier four with Craig Newitt in the mount as she seeks her second win on the trot having scored victory at Flemington last start.
First up for the season, Peter Moody’s Metonymy is another last start winner having claimed an impressive three length victory at Moonee Valley last November.
Metonymy has a nice barrier two draw for the Chairman’s Stakes, will have Glen Boss in the mount and drops back to just 53.5kg from the hefty 57kg to carried to victory at Moonee Valley making her a top chance.
Luxbet currently have Helping Hand at a quote of $18 in their Blue Diamond Stakes odds while Metonymy is slightly shorter at $17.
Other two-year-olds further down the ballot order for the Blue Diamond Stakes 2011 that are looking for a win in the Chairman’s Handicap are Covered In Class (26th), Hell’s Kitchen (34th), Cape Canaveral (= 43rd), And Rock (= 43rd) and Executive Star (= 43rd).
Cape Canaveral is the next shortest priced of these runners in the Blue Diamond betting markets at Luxbet, Danny O’Brien’s unraced Starcraft colt paying $18.
On Saturday there will be a lot of attention on Cape Canaveral when they make their race debut in the Chairman’s, due to jump from barrier three with Dwayne Dunn aboard.
Also representing top Victorian trainer Peter Moody in Saturday’s showdown is Exceed And Excel colt Covered In Class.
Covered In Class won on debut in great style with a three length victory at Mornington carrying 57kg back on New Year’s Day, but at their last start they finished a disappointing fourth behind Holdontoyahorses in the Thomas North Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.
Luxbet have Covered In Class at a very generous early quote of $71 for the Blue Diamond and this could prove great value if they win on Saturday and shorten in the odds.
Other notable runners in this year’s Chairman’s Stakes not nominated for the Blue Diamond include Hollyweird (barrier eight), Lee Freedman’s Commands colt Atomic (barrier 11) on debut and Listed Merson Cooper winner Dinner Date coming up trumps with gate one.
The Gerald Ryan-trained Snitzel filly Hollyweird comes into Saturday’s race on the back of two comprehensive wins having scored her maiden victory at Gosford back in December before scoring a tidy three length win over Glissade in an 1100m handicap at Rosehill on January 15.
The 2011 Chairman’s Stakes is set to run as Race 3 at Caulfield on Saturday, jumping at 2:10pm (AEDST).
Races.com.au will publish the exclusive Chairman’s Stakes betting tips shortly so bookmark us.
Did you know that the best Saturday horse racing odds are at Luxbet where you are guaranteed the Best Tote or Best Fluc, whatever is highest, when you bet and win on the metro meets at Luxbet!
2011 Chairman’s Stakes Field, Barriers & Weights
| # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DINNER DATE | David Hayes | Craig Williams | 1 | 55.5 |
| 2 | COVERED IN CLASS | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 6 | 55.5 |
| 3 | VATICAN | Byron Cozamanis | Michael Walker | 5 | 55.5 |
| 4 | HELL’S KITCHEN | Mark Young | Mark Zahra | 12 | 55.5 |
| 5 | ATOMIC | Lee Freedman | Ben Melham | 11 | 55.5 |
| 6 | CAPE CANAVERAL | Danny O’Brien | Dwayne Dunn | 3 | 55.5 |
| 7 | EXECUTIVE STAR | Ken Keys | Danny Nikolic | 9 | 55.5 |
| 8 | GONE SKIING | Rick Hore-Lacy | Chris Symons | 7 | 55.5 |
| 9 | HOLLYWEIRD | Gerald Ryan | Damien Oliver | 8 | 54.5 |
| 10 | HELPING HAND | John P Thompson | Craig Newitt | 4 | 54.5 |
| 11 | METONYMY | Peter G Moody | Glen Boss | 2 | 53.5 |
| 12 | AND ROCK | John McArdle | Chris Symons | 10 | 53.5 |
