The 2013 Blue Diamond Stakes at the end of the month could become more than just a pipe dream for former jockey turned Randwick horseman Craig Carmody and his young filly Everage if the wet weather around the country persists over the coming weeks.
Everage (Black & White silks) is a long shot chance for the Blue Diamond Stakes 2013
A $20,000 purchase from last year’s Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sales, Everage is a nicely-bred daughter of 2007 Golden Slipper runner-up Zizou out of Snippets mare Quipster.
On the weekend she proved she had ability on a rain-affected track with her breakthrough win handing Carmody, who part-owns Everage with fellow trainer and old mate Mick Kent, his first juvenile winner.
After running a distant second on debut when beaten five lengths over 1000m at Canberra on January 25 having blown the start, Everage came back home to Sydney for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting and relished the Heavy (10) track winning the $85,000 Spotless 2YO Handicap (1200m) as a $20 roughie in an impressive all-the-way performance.
“I rode her on Tuesday on the B grass at Randwick and she went beautifully in the ground,” Carmody said.
“Mick said she would handle it and a lot of the credit goes to him.
“She’s out of a Snippets mare and that also gave us confidence.”
Carmody is now praying the tracks in Melbourne can soften up a bit with some rain down south as he eyes a very ambitious prize with Everage a long-shot chance for the $1 million Group 1 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield Racecourse on February 23.
“She’s entered for the Blue Diamond but we’ll wait and see on that. Rain down there might help,” he said.
In the latest Blue Diamond Stakes odds Everage is one of the $201 outsiders, meaning she has a tough few weeks if she is to make the cut for the classic.
Markets are led by South Australian filly Miracles Of Life at $3.20 despite the Daniel Clarken-trained Blue Diamond Preview winner not being nominated for the race.
Also not yet entered is Metastasio ($7) who further staked her claims as a genuine Blue Diamond Stakes prospect on the weekend in Melbourne winning the $120,000 Listed Chairman’s Stakes (1100m) in an impressive 2.75 length effort over the Peter Moody-trained Kona Breeze.
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