Red hot favourite Enthaar has suffered a slight blow drawing out wide with gate 14 of 16 in this afternoon’s 2021 Blue Diamond Stakes barrier draw.

General Beau chases the Blue Diamond treble having won the Preview – Prelude double ahead of Saturday’s Group 1. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Barriers for the Group 1 $1.5 million Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) were allocated on Tuesday afternoon following the morning’s final acceptances and the punters’ pick will need to be good from out wide in Saturday’s classic.

The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained daughter of Written Tycoon has won both her starts as the odds-on pick, but is yet to jump from a double-digit barrier.

First-up Enthaar took out the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield in her maiden run in Melbourne by over two lengths from the inside alley.

She may be proven at the track and have beaten home the boys previously, but there is still work to do for her and jockey Mark Zahra over 1200m from gate 14 this weekend in the major.

The bookies have not been deterred however keeping Enthaar very safe at $2.15 in the latest Blue Diamond Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Despite a capacity field, Godolphin’s Group 2 Blue Diamond C&G Prelude runner-up Anamoe is the only other single-figure fancy at $8, but he too has drawn right out in barrier 15 with a market reshuffle now likely.

Stablemate Arcaded meanwhile drew the opposite end of the field with the undefeated daughter of Street Boss looking for her third win from barrier one on Saturday.

Arcaded – currently at generous Blue Diamond Stakes odds of $21 – comes off back-to-back Caulfield wins this season including her two and a half length effort in the Group 2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude on February 6.

The Prelude winner out of the boys’ race, General Beau, has also come up trumps in the Blue Diamond Stakes barriers with the in-form Matthew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained Brazen Beau colt drawn gate three.

The season’s premier hoop Ms Jamie Kah won her fourth career Group 1 aboard Nature Strip in last Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington and she partners General Beau from that favourable gate in the Blue Diamond.

Despite having the hoop of the moment, a gun draw, and the Preview – Prelude double to his name, General Beau remains an enticing tip at $11 to complete the treble.

Wide alleys haven’t been too much of an issue however in recent history with three of the past five Blue Diamond Stakes winners jumping from a double-digit alley.

The latest was Written By from gate 15 in 2018, while barrier 11 produced back-to-back wins with Extreme Choice and Catchy in 2016 and 2017.

Barrier 11 this year was drawn by the Greg Eurell-trained roughie Wolves ($51) coming off a third in the Fillies Prelude.

Other winners from the Blue Diamond barrier draw this season include the Cindy Alderson-trained Manhattan Rain colt Jigsaw (4) to be ridden by last year’s winning hoop Michael Walker, Lindsay Park’s Magic Millions Classic graduate Finance Tycoon (6) and Godolphin’s Talindert Stakes winner from last weekend Ingratiating (7).

Click here for the latest Blue Diamond Stakes 2021 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2021 Blue Diamond Stakes Barriers Draw  

   Table Credit: Racing Australia.