The highly-anticipated Neds Blue Diamond Stakes Day 2022 takes place today, Saturday February 26, at Caulfield Racecourse and below we take a look at the latest scratchings and track report ahead of the first.

Caulfield Track Report – 26/02/2022

Melbourne Racing Club              

• Rail: Out 3m Entire Circuit
• Weather: Fine
• Dual Track Meeting: N
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Good 4
• General Comment: Finalised 26/2 – 7:30am
• Irrigation: 10mm last 24 hours, 50mm last 7 days
• Rainfall: nil last 24 hours, 1.6mm last 7 days

Track Information: Inspection 6:10AM 26/2; Going Stick 8.5 / Shear 10.9 / Soil Moisture 24.3% / 4mms of irrigation being applied between 6 and 8am this morning

The weather in Melbourne today is partly cloudy otherwise fine ahead of rainfall next week and with only a very low chance of showers the current Good (4) Caulfield track rating looks set to remain across the afternoon.

Caulfield racing gets underway at 12:40pm (AEDT) with flying Snitzel colt Generation heading a small five-horse field after scratchings for this year’s Group 3 $200,000 Zeditave Stakes (1200m).

The mares are next-up in the Group 3 $200,000 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) where all seven original acceptors remain in another diminutive field.

The three-year-old staying types follow with the Group 2 $300,000 Autumn Classic (1800m) running as Race 3, with 14 of the the 15 final acceptors remaining and led in betting by the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Castlereagh Kid chasing a third straight win.

Race 4 at 2:25pm (AEDT) is for the three-year-old fillies with the scratching of the widely-drawn trio of #7 Maracana (11), #8 Roots (13) and #9 Finepoint (12) leaving an 10-starter field in the Group 2 $300,000 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m) where Kevin Hayes Stakes winner Argentia on the rails is the one to beat.

Things heat up with an important 2022 Australian Cup lead-up running as Race 5 at 3:05pm (AEDT) with Cascadian dominating the line-up for this season’s Group 2 $300,000 Peter Young Stakes (1800m).

The 2022 Peter Young Stakes field is down to a diminutive six runners with notable withdrawals from the Chris Waller-trained #3 Shared Ambition and last start Carlyon Cup runner-up #5 Callsign Mav.

Punters are treated to a triple shot of elite level racing on Blue Diamond Day starting with the weight-for-age Group 1 $750,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at 3:45pm (AEDT).

The 2022 Futurity Stakes field features eight runners including last start CF Orr Stakes winning mare Tofane and fifth in the same lead-up I’m Thunderstruck with improvement to come.

The meeting’s marquee race and the jewel of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival’s two-years-old crown is the Group 1 $1.5 million Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), the field set to jump at 4:25pm (AEDT) in Race 7.

There was a capacity line-up in the 2022 Blue Diamond Stakes field this year but in pre-race drama on Friday, the Prelude winning colt and on-time favourite #2 Lofty Strike (13) was forced to withdraw after failing two Racing Victoria vet checks presenting with lameness.

Click here for the full story on Lofty Strike being scratched from the Blue Diamond Stakes. 

The latest 2022 Blue Diamond Stakes odds have Jacquinot firming favourite ahead of the Prelude winning filly Revolutionary Miss.

The last of the Group 1s is the $750,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m), the meeting’s penultimate event featuring the undefeated mare Marabi chasing win number six on the trot at 5:05pm (AEDT).

The all Black-Type action concludes with the Listed $160,000 Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) at 5:40pm (AEDT) where #9 Chantrea (3) has come out. 

See below for the full Neds Blue Diamond Stakes Day 2022 scratchings and jump times before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for all the weekend’s best racing odds and offers.

Caulfield Scratchings – 26/02/2022

• Total Scratchings: 9

Race 1 (12:40pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Neds Zedtiave Stakes (1200m)

• #4 Along The River (5)

Race 2 (1:15pm) – Group 3 $200,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Mannerism Stakes (1400m)

• No current scratchings

Race 3 (1:50pm) – Group 2 $300,000 Stow Storage Solutions Autumn Classic (1800m)

• #12 Chateau Nue (14)

Race 4 (2:25pm) – Group 2 $300,000 Neds Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m)

• #7 Maracana (11)
• #8 Roots (13)
• #9 Finepoint (12)

Race 5 (3:05pm) – Group 2 $300,000 Carlton Draught Peter Young Stakes (1800m)

• #3

Race 6 (3:45pm) – Group 1 $750,000 Lamaro’s Hotel Futurity Stakes (1400m)

• No current scratchings

Race 7 (4:25pm) – Group 1 $1,500,000 Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m)

• #2 Lofty Strike (13)

Race 8 (5:05pm) – Group 1 $750,000 Neds Oakleigh Plate (1100m)

• No current scratchings

Race 9 (5:4pm) – Listed $160,000 Neds Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m)

• #9 Chantrea (3)

*All times quoted are local (AEDT) and subject to change