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Update: BIG SKY (5) has been scratched from the Blue Diamond field to be sent out to the paddock. Click here for the full story.

The boom Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Big Sky has opened narrow favourite to take out Saturday’s 2026 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield when he puts his unbeaten record on the line in the $2 million feature.

One of the key races for juveniles held in Melbourne, the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) runs for the 56th time on the weekend and the field has attracted a capacity line-up of hopeful two-year-olds.

Won by a host of subsequent topline gallopers over the years including Pride Of Dubai (2015), Extreme Choice (2016) and Artorius (2021), the Blue Diamond Stakes also serves as important lead-up to Sydney’s Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes with the double last completed by Sepoy (2011).

There’s plenty of hype around two-time winning Bivouac colt Big Sky who is installed at the top of the Blue Diamond Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $4.80 to make it a flawless three-from-three start to his career.

The well-bred youngster only debuted on January 17 at Flemington winning over the 1000m with 59kg by an impressive 2.75 lengths before his maiden Black-Type performance saw him salute with the same weight by a runaway 3 lengths in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes here a fortnight later.

He’s been kept fresh for this acid test, Jordan Childs who rode him first-up comes back aboard and the top elect is drawn a dream in barrier five which is the most successful gate in the past 25 years producing five Blue Diamond Stakes winners between 2000 and 2025 most recently Daumier (2022).

With emergencies out however he will come into barrier three which hasn’t seen a win since Bel Esprit in 2002.

Three runners have claimed the Chairman’s Stakes – Blue Diamond Stakes double throughout history with Redoute’s Choice (1999), Road To Success (2000), and most recently Extreme Choice (2016).

The danger occupying the second line of Blue Diamond betting this season is Big Sky’s stablemate Guest House at an easing quote of $5.50.

Drawn well in gate three with the youngster’s regular rider Jamie Melham continuing associations, the Home Affairs colt also won his debut at Cranbourne back on December 27 before a solid run fresh when a length back second in the Prelude for the boys here on February 7.

Closer To Free won the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) and the classy Danny O’Brien-trained Street Boss colt has just his second career start in the big one on Saturday.

Out to be history’s fifth colt to do the double and the first since Written By (2018), Closer To Free currently pays $9 for the weekend’s feature race with Michael Dee sticking with from gate nine.

The Clinton McDonald-trained Streisand meanwhile won the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude and she lines-up in Saturday’s event as the best tried juvenile in the field having her fifth start.

The progressive daughter of Magnus broke her maiden status in the traditional lead-up earlier in the month following a fifth fresh in the Preview and a couple of close calls back in the spring when runner-up in both the Listed Maribyrnong Trial and Inglis Banner by narrow margins.

She’s looking to join the likes of Samaready (2012), Miracles Of Life (2013), Earthquake (2014), Lyre (2019) and Hayasugi (2024) as the latest Blue Diamond Stakes winning fillies.

Her chances suffered an early blow however when drawing out wide in gate 12 for jockey Ben Melham, and she’s currently paying $12 to overcome the alley and get the job done.

One of the best backed two-year-olds since final acceptances were released on Tuesday is another unbeaten young gun in Unit Five ($5.50) who chases a hat-trick.

Prepared by one of the masters in the business, Ciaron Maher‘s Supido colt put 2.5 lengths on his rivals on debut at Caulfield’s Heath track in the Magic Millions 2YO race before taking out the lucrative Magic Millions Classic event at the Gold Coast last month in a game performance.

He heads back down south now and has been kept fit with a subsequent Cranbourne trial, has Thomas Stockdale riding him again and presents as a genuine threat.

The 2026 Blue Diamond Stakes is set to run as Caulfield Race 8 at 4:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s Melbourne program.

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