The Blue Diamond 2005

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Blue Diamond lure for 'foolproof' Pasikatera

By Darren Prendergast

January 2, 2005

The Sun-Herald


Jockey Chris Munce yesterday secured his third successive Widden Stakes aboard a filly which trainer Gai Waterhouse hopes can emerge as her main Blue Diamond Stakes contender at Caulfield next month.

Stable representative Tania Rouse revealed the Blue Diamond Stakes, on February 26, was an enticing target for the Gooree Stud-owned filly Pasikatera after her impressive all-the-way win in the listed juvenile sprint.

"The Blue Diamond is something that is being shaken around as an option for her," Rouse said. "We will have to see how she progresses from here and what is likely to run in the race, but it could certainly be a possibility. She's a lovely filly that has just improved with each run. She's has always shown us a bit of ability but it has just taken her a bit of time to develop."

Waterhouse missed out on winning her first Blue Diamond Stakes last year when Wager was overhauled inside the final 100 metres by glamour filly Alinghi. But Munce, who rode Wager that day, said Pasikatera had the potential to step up to Blue Diamond honours.

"She would still want to keep improving but she's a very honest, professional filly that is foolproof," Munce said. "That's her biggest asset."

Munce won his first Widden Stakes three years ago aboard the Waterhouse-prepared Secret Land, then last year on Econsul which went on to win the Caulfield Guineas.

Pasikatera showed the benefit of race experience over her rivals when controlling yesterday's race from the outset before holding off a late challenge from the John Hawkes-trained newcomer Snowden to snatch her second win from four starts by an impressive 2 lengths.

"She [Pasikatera] is probably right up with our best fillies at the moment," Rouse said. "She is probably shaping up as our only hope for the Blue Diamond, unless something jumps out of the woodwork over the next few weeks."

Waterhouse will be without a runner in Saturday's $1 million Magic Millions on the Gold Coast after opting to spell Blizzardly and Banished, which both ran below par during the week.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Horseracing/Blue-Diamond-lure-for-foolproof-Pasikatera/2005/01/01/1104345034213.html

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Blue Diamond Plunge

Yesterday saw a plunge on the unraced two-year-old Line Account from the Mick Price stable to win the Blue Diamond Stakes.

Mark Morrisey from Colin Tidy’s horsebet.com.au reported very solid support for Line Account.

“They were jumping out of trees to back it yesterday,” Morrisey said.

“We’ve had to slash the odds from $126 to $13.

“I’ve just got off the phone and laid another bet of $25,000 x $5,000 [4/1] to win the colts and geldings prelude tomorrow.

“It’s been a real good go.”

Some of the bigger bets laid by horsebet.com.au were:

$30,000 x $240 at 125/1
$20,000 x $300 at 66/1
$50,000 x $2,500 at 20/1

- Tuesday, 25 January 2005

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Freedman unearths another Diamond filly

By Andrew Eddy

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/01/30/qoh_x3001_wideweb__430x199.jpg


Next month's $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes has a new hot favourite after the breathtaking debut of Danehill filly Queen Of The Hill in yesterday's listed Talindert Handicap at Flemington.

The giant filly, who already stands at 16.2 hands, was immediately wound into $3.50 for Victoria's premier juvenile event on February 26, after showing sizzling early speed to lead throughout and eventually win, easing down to win by two-and-a-half lengths.

"She's certainly our best two-year-old," trainer Lee Freedman's brother Anthony said. "She's . . . a filly like Crowned Glory, who ran second in a (Golden) Slipper. Physically, she's pretty much there. She's always shown high speed."

Freedman said he expected Queen Of The Hill would run in the Blue Diamond Stakes Prelude on February 12 before contesting the Blue Diamond two weeks later. He said the $3 million Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill in March was then definitely a consideration.

"Last year, there was a five-week gap between the Diamond and the Slipper and this year, there's only three weeks and she's a pretty adaptable filly," he said.

Last year, the stable's champion filly Alinghi won the Blue Diamond and was luckless when third in the Golden Slipper after racing wide.

Rider Blake Shinn said Queen Of The Hill would be the horse to beat in the Blue Diamond. "She's a readymade horse," he said.

Queen Of The Hill, who was bred and retained by the Gooree Pastoral Company Syndicate, started at $2.45, winning from Duelled ($13), with two lengths to Ferocity ($5) in third place.

Gooree made it a double when Droopy ($3.20) held on narrowly to beat Expunge ($16) in the Comely King Handicap both on the track and later in the stewards' room, where Ryan Maloney, the rider of Expunge, alleged interference over the final 200 metres.

Owner Lloyd Williams said although yesterday's Elms Handicap winner Renewable was a "totally different horse" to fellow Zabeel three-year-old of last season Reset, the horse may try to follow in Reset's footsteps this autumn and chase the Cadbury Guineas. Renewable, who won his second start easily yesterday, was more of a dour type than the retired Reset but would not be tried over a distance this campaign, he said.

"I think he'll be a mile-and-a-quarter (2000m) or a mile-and-a-half (2400m) horse but we'll keep him out of staying races this time in," Williams said.

Starting at $1.75 after making his debut with a 4.5-length win at Caulfield three weeks ago, Renewable led throughout to win by a length-and-a-quarter over Captain Zero ($51), with Redoutable ($6) one-and-three-quarters of a length third.

The narrow win of Crystal Wit over stablemate Lady Larissa in the Nouvelle Star Handicap completed a successful week for David Moodie's stakes-winning broodmare Crystal Snip.

Crystal Snip's sister Crystal Sprite won for Moodie and trainer Matt Ellerton last Wednesday at Caulfield and Moodie said yesterday more winners were expected from the mare in the coming seasons.

"She's got a foal to Perugino and she's in foal to Giant's Causeway," the successful owner/breeder said.

Crystal Wit ($9) held on to win the opening event by a short half-head over another Ellerton-trained filly Lady Larissa ($2 fav), with just a short head to Real Cro ($6) third.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Horse-Racing/Freedman-unearths-another-Diamond-filly/2005/01/29/1106850158403.html

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Punters' plunge pays off

January 30, 2005


Punters were on the mark with first-starter Written Tycoon, who pulled off a big plunge when he blew his rivals away in the Seppelt Wines Plate (1100m) at Randwick yesterday.

The previously unbeaten Happy Go Lago started an easing favourite at $2.25, while the money came for Written Tycoon, who opened at $2.80 and got out to $3.10 before being crunched back in to his opening quote.

With visiting Melbourne jockey Nash Rawiller aboard, Written Tycoon settled midfield and took control when he got free running in the straight to race away and score by two-and-a-quarter lengths over Happy Go Lago.

Another debutant, Replicator, was third.

Trainer Grahame Begg said Written Tycoon would be aimed at all the major two-year-old races but admitted he had avoided waiting until next week's Silver Slipper to kick off his campaign.

"I thought today was the right race for him, it's a bit softer than the Silver Slipper when all the more experienced ones will come out," Begg said. "He was a bit stirred up before the gates and the day out will have done him a lot of good.

"He's always shown he has ability but you never know what they'll do under pressure. He came through with flying colours and it was a very professional display."

- AAP