Catchy Tops Fillies’ 2017 Blue Diamond Prelude Field & Odds

Lindsay Park’s unbeaten filly Catchy is the top 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes contender engaged to run as the favourite in the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude for Fillies at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday.

$9 2017 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes hope Catchy shapes-up as the filly to beat in the Prelude at Caulfield this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Due to run as Caulfield Race 3 at 1:40pm (AEDT) on the CF Orr Stakes Day line-up, this season’s $200,000 Group 2 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) features nine runners that will face off over the 1100m.

The race is the final key lead-up for two-year-old fillies heading into the $1.5 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) back at the track on February 25.

The shortest-priced of the Prelude fillies in the all-in Blue Diamond Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au this autumn is the David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Catchy ($9).

She is also the one to beat based on the Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude betting markets at $2.80 and firming early after opening at $3.20.

Drawn in barrier seven, the young daughter of Fastnet Rock has Craig Williams continuing associations on Saturday after the champion hoop rode her for her opening two career wins.

She was last seen running away with a 2.25 length win at the track and distance on January 7 over Property who franked that form with his Listed Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) win on Australia Day.

Despite not currently holding a nomination for the Group 1 in a fortnight’s time, the Darren Weir-trained Limestone is also being kept safe in pre-field Blue Diamond Stakes betting.

The smart Helmet filly pays $11 and is second favourite in the Blue Diamond Prelude odds this weekend at a current quote of $3.20.

She is drawn a treat in gate three for her hoop Damian Lane, Lane having ridden the grey for two of her three career runs so far.

Both of his rides aboard Limestone produced victories when Limestone enjoyed back-to-back January wins including the narrow effort in the Blue Diamond Fillies Preview.

She now chases the double and connections are keen to see whether she is a livewire Blue Diamond Stakes 2017 hope that is worth paying the hefty late entry fee for.

Roomooz ($13) and Blondie ($26) also feature in the first-half of Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes betting and are both out to retain unbeaten records in the Prelude this weekend.

Tony McEvoy prepares the promising Roomooz – a $5 fancy for the Group 2 on Saturday – who is another daughter of Fastnet Rock.

She won her debut in Adelaide in early January and comes into her maiden black-type test on the back of a 5.5 length Geelong trial victory on January 30.

Roomooz also gets the rails run from barrier one on the weekend with four-time Blue Diamond Stakes winning hoop Dwayne Dunn booked for the ride.

Blondie – a $15 hope on the weekend – is in barrier six for her hoop Damien Oliver, Oliver having ridden the 2004 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Alinghi for her success over a decade ago.

Prepared locally by Caulfield’s Brendan McCarthy, the filly is a daughter of Reward For Effort who took out the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes.

She is bred for success then and was last seen winning her debut with Oliver in the saddle at Moonee Valley over 1000m on January 27.

The other single-figure fancy for the weekend at $6.50 is the returning Arctic Angel prepared by Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra, the Hard Spun filly running for the first time since her Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) win at Sandown on November 12.

Check out the full Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude 2017 field, barriers and Fixed Win odds below with betting provided by Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).