Unbeaten colt Sepoy is still the favourite to win the 2011 Blue Diamond Stakes
The Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) is the feature event on the bumper nine-race Caulfield programme this Saturday, February 26, scheduled to run as Race 7.
Peter Snowden’s unbeaten Elusive Quality colt Sepoy is the raging favourite in the updated Blue Diamond Stakes odds at Luxbet paying $1.60.
Sepoy is out to become the first horse since Bel Esprit in 2002 to complete the Blue Diamond clean sweep after winning both the Preview and Prelude at his most recent starts.
Punters could get Sepoy at around $1.80 in the Blue Diamond Stakes betting markets before the final field was released this morning.
Sepoy completely dominates Diamond betting, the ease of his three career wins to date ensuring he is one of only two Blue Diamond Stakes hopefuls at single-figure odds.
His closest rival and the Blue Diamond Stakes second-favourite is Peter Moody’s Starcraft filly Hallowell Belle at $9 through Luxbet.
Yet to break her maiden status, Hallowell Belle came into Blue Diamond Stakes contention having run third in the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude behind her since withdrawn stablemate One Last Dance and Peter Snowden’s Glissade.
Hallowell Belle will jump from barrier four in the Blue Diamond with Craig Williams in the mount while Sepoy is set to start from an equally advantageous gate five.
Atomic is currently third favourite for the 2011 Blue Diamond after paying the late entry fee
Connections chose to pay the $55,000 late entry fee to get Commands colt Atomic into the Blue Diamond Stakes field after the Lee Freedman-trained two-year-old won the Listed Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Sandown as a debutant on February 9.
Atomic has drawn ideally in barrier two for the Blue Diamond on Saturday with Craig Newitt booked for the ride.
Other runners in the market for a Blue Diamond Stakes upset are:
- Running Tall ($17 Luxbet) – Danny O’Brien-trained Stratum colt ran third on debut in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) behind fellow Blue Diamond rival Arctic Command last November then resumed with a first-up second behind Sepoy in the Prelude
- Holdontoyahorses ($18 Luxbet) – Mick Price’s Dane Shadow filly won her first two race starts before finishing a game fourth in the Fillies’ Prelude last start
- Delago’s Lad ($21 Luxbet) – Improving colt ran second behind Sepoy when both were on debut in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes last October then won at Sandown before finished third to Masthead in the Inglis Premier at Mornington on February 16
- Anevay ($21Luxbet) – Well-bred Exceed And Excel filly second in the Fillies Preview in January before scoring an impressive victory in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington last Saturday, to be ridden by Nicholas Hall who won the Talindert / Blue Diamond Stakes double 12 months ago aboard Star Witness
Spectrolite and Helping Hand are the two roughies of the Blue Diamond field paying $101 and $201 respectively through Luxbet after both drew unsuitably wide with barriers 14 and 12.
Punters that get in on the Blue Diamond Stakes betting action now can lock in some great Place Bets with Luxbet offering Fixed Place odds on all the juveniles as well.
Below are the current 2011 Blue Diamond Stakes odds.
Visit Luxbet for full markets and updates and to jump on the excellent prices on offer for the Blue Diamond Stakes before odds shorten closer to race day.
2011 Blue Diamond Stakes Odds
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SEPOY (5) | 1.60 |
| 2 | MASTHEAD (13) | 31.00 |
| 3 | ARCTIC COMMAND (10) | 41.00 |
| 4 | DELAGO’S LAD (9) | 21.00 |
| 5 | GRAND BRITANNIA (11) | 41.00 |
| 6 | ATOMIC (2) | 13.00 |
| 7 | RUNNING TALL (1) | 17.00 |
| 8 | ENVIOUS (8) | 31.00 |
| 9 | ANEVAY (3) | 21.00 |
| 10 | SPECTROLITE (14) | 101.00 |
| 11 | HOLDONTOYAHORSES (7) | 18.00 |
| 12 | HELPING HAND (12) | 201.00 |
| 13 | METONYMY (6) | 34.00 |
| 14 | HALLOWELL BELLE (4) | 9.00 |
*Odds are Fixed Win from Luxbet and subject to change
