One of the top fancies for the end-of-month Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes, the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Defcon has suffered an early blow drawing wide in barrier 13 for Saturday’s 2016 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G).

Group 3 winner Power Trip is one of the best performed runners in Saturday’s 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes Prelude for the colts and geldings. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

One of two Diamond Preludes on the CF Orr Stakes Day card at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend, the colts-and-geldings’ edition of the $200,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) attracted a bumper 16 acceptors.

Out of those the shortest-priced in the early markets at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $1.5 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) back at the track on February 27 is Team Snowden’s Choisir colt Defcon at $9.

The youngster ran second on debut to Tessera in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) in the wet at Rosehill on January 30 and is tipped to improve off of that.

He has work to do from gate 13 of 16 this weekend however with Blake Shinn aboard from the nasty barrier.

Drawn better in barrier four and wearing the number one saddlecloth in the Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude is the John McArdle-trained Hard Spun gelding Power Trip.

The youngster on the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on debut during November’s Melbourne Cup Carnival before a first-up fourth to Cohesion in the Listed Blue Diamond (C&G) Preview on Australia Day.

Power Trip is rated a $21 chance in futures Blue Diamond Stakes odds while the Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Preview winner Cohesion is at $17.

Prepared by John O’Shea for powerhouse racing operation Godolphin, Lonhro colt Cohesion is also backing up in Saturday’s rematch.

He ran fourth on debut last October behind current Golden Slipper Stakes favourite Capitalist in the Listed Breeders’ Plate (1000m) in Sydney before his breakthrough win first-up at Caulfield on January 26.

Cohesion won from gate 10 of 10 with Ben Melham aboard last start and is drawn wide again in 12 with Melham retaining the ride on Saturday.

The two-year-olds that finished second and third respectively behind Cohesion in the Blue Diamond Preview Capannello and El Venetian are also both in Saturday’s field looking to turn the tables.

Cranbourne’s Robbie Griffiths prepares Onemorenomore colt Capannello who was beaten one and a quarter lengths for his debut run as a $31 outside, while the Peter Moody-trained El Venetian has a tough run ahead after drawing barrier 15 this weekend.

Ladbrokes Blue Diamond betting is firmly led this Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival by the Mick Price-trained Extreme Choice, and on Saturday Price is running another hope for the Group 1 classic.

Flying Artie was runner-up to Power Trip in the Maribyrnong Plate during the spring before a blistering three and a half-length Geelong (Synthetic) trial win on February 1.

Price has a big wrap on the Artie Schiller colt who currently pays $11 in Blue Diamond markets, but who has drawn the outside alley (16) for Saturday with Damien Oliver to ride.

Other notable Blue Diamond Prelude hopes for the colts and geldings clash include the Team Hawkes-trained Star Witness colt Star Turn, dual Morphettville winner Bullion Wolf who ran fifth in the Preview and the Paul Messara-trained Beneteau colt Weatherly.

See below for the full 2016 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) field, jockeys and barriers then visit Ladbrokes.com.au for the hottest odds this weekend and across the entire autumn season!

2016 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude Field & Barriers

Caulfield Race 4 (3:00pm) – 13/02/2016