Six of the two-year-olds engaged in the feature race in Melbourne on Saturday are under double-figures for the win in the updated Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes 2017 betting markets.
Catchy remains favourite in Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes betting 2017 despite a wide draw for the Caulfield Group 1. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
A full line-up is engaged for the $1.5 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield Racecourse this weekend including Catchy who has retained favouritism despite a wide draw.
The Lindsay Park-trained Fastnet Rock filly has won all three of her opening starts to date including the Group 2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m) on February 11.
She is yet to jump from a wider barrier than seven so is in for a big test in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes after drawing gate 13, which will become 12 at best with just one emergency in the mix Sheer Madness (7).
After having his pick of a very good bunch of juveniles, champion hoop Craig Williams opted to stay aboard Catchy chasing his first Blue Diamond Stakes winning ride this autumn.
He remains upbeat about the chances of the unbeaten youngster staying that way post-Saturday despite the wide alley for the current $5.50 fancy in the Blue Diamond Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Blue Diamond Stakes form shows that just four of the past 17 winners (since 2000) saluted from barrier 11 or wider, including Extreme Choice (11 of 16) last year.
Williams though upset the history books winning the 2012 Caulfield Cup aboard the widely-drawn Dunaden (18) and hopes he can overcome another Group 1 hoodoo on Catchy in the Ladbrokes blue Diamond Stakes.
“They told me that for Dunaden in a Caulfield Cup, so I guess records are there to be broken,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“Hopefully it’s a year where there’s a horse outside the usual.
“It [the barrier draw] wasn’t ideal.
“I would have loved to have drawn eight. Six to eight would have been perfect. Outside the middle is not that nice, but happy with the horse, she worked really well yesterday, she’s in the field and we just need a little bit of luck.”
Occupying the second line of Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes betting at $6 is another widely-drawn runner, Pariah (11), for Peter & Paul Snowden who won with Pride Of Dubai (2015).
Black Shinn replaces Kerrin McEvoy aboard the Redoute’s Choice colt who won the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) on debut in Sydney before his last start second in the colts-and-geldings’ edition of the Blue Diamond Prelude.
Winner of that Prelude, Property was a $55,000 late entry into the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes field for the Robert Smerdon stable and is at $6.50 to complete the double last achieved by Sepoy (2011).
Property was one of Williams’ rejected rides, the in-form son of Starcraft drawn a treat in barrier three with Brazilian hoop Joao Moreira over for the ride.
Early money has come in for another two Lindsay Park-trained fillies in the mix for co-trainer David Hayes who chases a sixth Blue Diamond Stakes win.
Tulip ($9 into $7) and Formality ($8.50 into $8) both have genuine claims at the title after drawing barriers eight and 12 respectively.
Tulip hasn’t raced since her second to Limestone in the Blue Diamond Preview back in late January, but is a beautifully bred daughter of 2012 Golden Slipper winner Pierro.
Formality meanwhile is a Fastnet Rock filly chasing her third win from as many starts on the back of a Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) victory by 1.5 lengths at the track in early February.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies is the Ciaron Maher-trained Snitzel colt Jukebox ($8) who is proven over the distance and drawn ideally in barrier four for Luke Nolen.
Check out the latest Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes 2017 odds below, following the market links to race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au for the right price on your Group 1 racing tips this weekend.
